People are hungry for rational dialogue about climate change. On April 10-11, a group of invited debaters and a public audience in Sacramento, CA, will participate in unique debates and caucus discussions concerning Water and Fire: Impacts of Climate Change. Convened by the Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP), in cooperation with California State University-Sacramento, this conference brings together scientists, policy makers, academics and community members who want to ask and discuss hard questions about this important topic. 

On Sunday, April 10, 2016, three internationally recognized scientists (“presenters”) will face questions and challenges from 40-45 invited debaters concerning their recommendations for water and fire policies in light of the effects of climate change. Each presenter will defend his or her position in 90-minute sessions that involve critical questioning by a panel of debaters composed of CSUS students and faculty, scientists, academics, as well as representatives from government, the private sector, and the community writ large. Participants in the audience also will be able to submit written questions for consideration by the moderator. 

On Monday, April 11, all conference participants who attended the debates on Sunday, including those in the audience, will join moderated small-group caucus sessions in which they  will jointly identify areas of consensus and actionable next steps to be considered by governmental and societal leaders. The conference concludes with a plenary session that seeks to synthesize the conclusions from the individual caucuses. 

For more information, see the conference website.