EARTHSCAPE DATE: 11/99

State of the Planet Conference

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is the research division of Columbia University dedicated to studying planet Earth and the environment. The Observatory's scientists have made discoveries that have revolutionized the way planet Earth is viewed. Their scientific breakthroughs include laying the groundwork for the theory of plate tectonics, creating the first computer model to accurately predict the occurrence of El Niño, and discovering that the Earth's inner core spins faster than the Earth itself. The State of the Planet Conference is being held in celebration of the Observatory's 50th anniversary.

Monday, November 15, 1999
8:35-10:15 am Archive	Welcomes Maurice Strong—Chair, Earth Council George Rupp—President, Columbia University Session One: Living in Earth's Changing Climate From almost indiscernibly slow to astonishingly fast, Earth's climate is constantly evolving. While human activity may be partly responsible, the human condition is certainly modulated by climate changes in fundamental ways. How can we learn to live with, prosper from, and perhaps manage Earth's climatic changes? That is what this session is all about. Moderator: William Baker—President, WNET, Channel Thirteen Wallace Broecker—Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University; Author, How to Build a Habitable Planet Richard Lindzen—Professor, Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences, MIT
10:40-noon Archive	James Hansen—Director, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA F. Sherwood Rowland—Professor, Chemistry & Earth System Sciences, UC, Irvine; Nobel Laureate, Chemistry
Archive	Robert Hass—U.S. Poet Laureate, 1995-1997
12:40-1:05 pm Archive	Lunch Speaker Gale Christianson—Professor, History, Indiana State University; Author, Greenhouse: The 200-Year Story of Global Warming
1:05-3:20 pm Archive	Session Two: Living in a Human-Dominated Biosphere At the dawn of the new millennium, every part of the surface biosphere has come under some form of human management. Even those areas that are "natural" in character are permitted to be so by human choice. Because human livelihood depends on a healthy biosphere, we must learn to be responsible managers of this natural asset. This session will address issues related to responsible management of the biosphere. Moderator: Cornelia Dean—Science Editor, The New York Times William Clark—Professor, International Science, Public Policy and Human Development, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Joel Cohen—Director, Laboratory of Populations, Rockefeller University; Author, How Many People Can the Earth Support? Paul Epstein—Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; co-author Human Health and Climate Change, Human Dimensions Panel of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council Peter Singer—Professor, Bioethics, Princeton University
3:40-6:00 pm Archive	Robert Kaplan—Author, The Ends of the Earth Wilfred Beckerman—Emeritus Fellow of Balliol College, Economics, Oxford University
7:00-8:00 pm	Dinner Speaker James Watkins—President, Joint Oceanographic Institutions
Tuesday, November 16, 1999
9:00-10:15 am Archive	Session Three: Living with Finite Natural Resources Most of the natural resources—from fossil fuels to clean air and water—on which humankind presently depends are finite and non-renewable. As these resources decline, Earth's population steadily rises so that the share of common goods for each individual is diminishing. Can we learn to manage the use of planet Earth? Participants in this session will explore answers to this question. Moderator: Ira Flatow—Host, "Science Friday," National Public Radio Marc Reisner— Author, Cadillac Desert William O'Keefe—President, American Petroleum Institute
10:40-noon Archive	Jesse Ausubel—Director, Program for the Human Environment, Rockefeller University Alan Meier—Building Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
NOON-1:30 pm Archive	Lunch Session Michael M. Crow—Executive Vice Provost, Columbia University
1:35-3:15 pm Archive	Session Four: Living with Natural Hazards Many parts of the earth are hostile to human habitation because the natural processes that shape the planet pose threats to life. Explosive volcanic eruptions like Mount Saint Helens and earthquakes like the Kobe simply cannot be stopped. Since populations cannot be uprooted and moved to safe ground, humankind must somehow learn to live with the peril these natural systems pose by understanding their nature and mitigating their consequences. In this session, speakers will address understanding natural systems and what can be done to mitigate their consequences. Moderator: Joan Konner—Dean Emerita, School of Journalism, Columbia University Lynn Sykes—Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University Dennis Mileti—Editor, Disasters by Design; Director, Natural Hazards Research Applications and Information Center Rutherford Platt—Professor, Geography and Planning Law, UMass, Amherst.
3:25-5:00 pm Archive	Brenda Bell—Author, The Liquid Earth Encho Gospodinov—U.S. Liaison, International Red Cross and Red Crescent John Mutter—Director of Research and Interim Director. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

If you have an IPTV viewer, you can view the multicast of this conference here.

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