Environmental Commission Hosting Climate Change Discussion Thursday Night

Local Meteorologist Paul Douglas will be on hand Thursday night, April 18, as Edina's Energy & Environment Commission hosts a discussion about climate change at Edina High School.

The event is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., with a resource fair outside of EHS' Fick Auditorium. Following that, a presentation titled "What's Up with the Weather?" will run from 7-8:30 p.m. Douglas and J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director for Fresh Energy, will lead the discussion, explaining what normal weather patterns are and what science is currently indicating.

“Attendees will walk away with a broader understanding of what science is telling us about climate change and what they can do to help reduce their carbon footprint,” said City of Edina Environmental Engineer Ross Bintner. “There are many things we can do that can help make a difference.”

The discussion Thursday will include several major meteorological events, including Superstorm Sandy, which devastated parts of New England last October. Douglas and Hamilton will try to explain what science is beginning to indicate based on the increasing intensity and frequency of natural disasters.

Douglas said he'll be explaining his journey from being a skeptic in the '80s to finally acknowledging the scientific evidence in the '90s.

"It was the weather that really got my attention," Douglas said. "Just the frequency and intensity of extremes in Minnesota and across the nation that made me question whether something had shifted or changed.”

In addition to the presentation, attendees can talk with representatives from Xcel Energy, CenterPoint Energy and the Center for Energy and Environment about ways to reduce energy consumption and save money in the process. Attendees can also enter for a chance to win a free enhanced visit from the Home Energy Squad.

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