As you hear or read in various media outlets, climate and climate change has become an almost daily topic of concern and one that is both scientifically and technically complex, and also increasingly controversial. The issue revolves around a single chemical that is part of Earth’s dynamic systems, and one that has potential for changing life on our planet. Since 1751 about 400 billion metric tonnes (881,849,048,739 TRILLION pounds) of carbon have been released into the earth’s atmosphere from the consumption of fossil fuels and cement production, which produce carbon dioxide (CO2)—one of the greenhouse gases, and the one most easily controlled. There is a large body of scientific evidence that suggests these man-made emissions are enhancing and disrupting the natural cycling of carbon in the earth’s land, atmospheric, and water systems. As a result of this disruption, we find ourselves living in a world constrained by greenhouse gases. Melting glaciers, increased sea levels, more frequent and longer severe episodic storms, and changing climate systems contribute to a more chaotic worldwide setting of often catastrophic floods, droughts, wildfires, coastal zone erosion, and even changes in biodiversity.
Many scientists (professional and “citizen scientists”) study the impacts of climate change on birds. The connections between human activities, such as our energy demands that require more fossil fuels, and the world’s changing climate will be discussed in the context of impacts to birds worldwide.
The presentation will end with some observations about how we might make necessary changes so that future generations will not live in a world that is constrained by greenhouse gases.
Fred Stoss joined the SUNY University at Buffalo in 1996, and serves in the Research, Education, and Outreach group in the University, where he is librarian liaison for the Biological Sciences, Geology, and Mathematics Departments, and is one of the librarians with responsibilities for ecology and environmental science and studies.
Prior to UB, Fred was the Director of Library and Information Services at the Center for Environmental Information in Rochester. Before becoming a librarian, he was an environmental health and toxicology research associate at the University of Rochester Medical Center and the Syracuse Research Corporation.
He is a member of the American Library Association, the Atmospheric Science Librarians International (Chair 2018-2019), the American Institute for Biological Sciences, and the American Association or the Advancement of Science. He is the only librarian to have chaired the environmental section of both the American Library Association (Task Force on the Environment), and the Environmental Information Division of the Special Libraries Association.
Fred is the author of the American Library Association’s 2017 resolution on climate change (see: http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/07/ala-council-resolution-global-climate-change) (Click on “ALA Website”) written in response to the removal of data and information files on Federal climate change websites, and the need for libraries and librarians to adopt sustainable practices and to promote support and advocate for the promotion and understanding of the cross-disciplinary exchange of resources and ideas related to global climate change.
Fred is also recognized for the many professional publications (120+) and presentations (150+) he gives for library and education associations that are apart from his Gore-based climate change talks.
He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in biology (Hartwick College), and zoology (SUNY Brockport), and a Master of Library Science (School of Information Studies at Syracuse University).
