November 4, 2009

 

Contacts:

Chuck Tooley, Urban Institute, 896-5862
Dan Carter, University Relations, 657-2269 

 

Free lecture by geologist Dr. Linda Swift set for Thursday, Nov. 12 at MSU Billings

 

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — Rather than a collective wringing of hands over climate change, Americans should find a way to collectively lead the world in finding solutions, says a geologist who will talk next week on climate change at Montana State University Billings.  

 

Linda Swift.jpgDr. Linda Swift, a retired geologist who worked in the mining, oil and gas industry for years, will present those views in an MSU Billings Chancellor’s Distinguished Lecturer talk on Thursday, Nov. 12. The presentation, titled “A Positive View of Climate Change,” will be at 10:30 a.m. in the Lewis and Clark Room in the Student Union Building on the MSU Billings main campus. It is free and open to the public.

 

Her talk will focus not only the scientific facts about climate change, but also about possible solutions, both as a nation and as individuals.  Solutions to complex problems are hard to find, she says, but can be done.

 

“Climate change is already affecting Montana and the rest of the world,” she says. “Climatologists are scrambling to try to predict areas of potential drought, weather patterns and so on, but we already expect drought to be one of the consequences of most impact for the state.  Dry land farmers will be severely impacted, but all farms and ranches will suffer.  What are the other changes we can expect, and what will we do to adapt? 

 

“Now is the time to formulate a state plan of mitigation and adaption,” she continues. “Other states have done so and are moving ahead quickly.  We can learn from their successes and mistakes.”

 

Swift will be speaking in Billings as a guest of the MSU Billings Urban Institute. The Urban Institute is housed in the space located at the MSU Billings Downtown campus.  Its function is to identify critical issues of long-range significance to the community and region, provide facilitative leadership to address emergent problems and opportunities and help implement sustainable solutions.  The current areas of emphasis are water supply, sustainability, diversity and school dropouts.

 

For more information on Swift’s special lecture, contact Chuck Tooley, director of the Urban Institute at MSU Billings, at 896-5862.