[E&E seminars] "Earth System Revolutions" Symposium, October 9, 2007 (MIT 10-250)

[Anne Slinn]

Announcing the 2007 MIT ESI/CGCS Symposium:

"Earth System Revolutions: Key Turning Points in the History of our  
Planet"

Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Building 10, Room 250

Co-sponsored by the MIT Earth System Initiative and the MIT Center  
for Global Change Science

The MIT ESI/CGCS Symposium "Earth System Revolutions" is organized in  
three sections, starting at 8:30 am on Tuesday, October 9 in MIT  
Building 10-250, running until 6:15 pm. MIT students are particularly  
encouraged to attend as it is being held on a class-vacation day.

In the first session of the symposium, key examples of revolutions  
early in the history of the Earth System such as the advent of  
oxygenic photosynthesis, the origin of Life and the Cambrian  
Explosion, will be presented to bring to light the ever-evolving  
nature of the biosphere. In the second session, speakers will discuss  
the "Anthropocene", that is, the ways in which humans have  
fundamentally altered the chemical, physical and biological systems  
on this planet. Topics include the impact of our energy portfolio,  
our changing climate, biodiversity, and other ways that society and  
industry have intentionally or unintentionally shaped the Earth. The  
final session will focus on the possible futures of the Earth System.  
To highlight two simple extremes, should we as a society attempt to  
mitigate the effects of our changing planet through geo-engineering?  
Or should we accept the inevitable and adapt to a new planet? What  
middle ground is the best balance? What options are most likely to  
succeed in protecting Earth's resources for future generations?  
Discussion time is scheduled following each session to allow for  
audience participation.

Agenda
8:30 - Welcome - Prof. Penny Chisholm (ESI Director) and Prof. Ronald  
Prinn (CGCS Director)
8:45 - Prof. Paul Falkowski (Rutgers Univ.) "The Rise of Oxygen on  
Earth"
9:30 - Prof. Dianne Newman (MIT) "From Rocks to Genes and Back:  
Stories about the Evolution of Photosynthesis"
10:15 - Discussion
10:45 - Prof. Daniel Pauly (Univ. British Columbia) "State of the  
Global Fishery"
11:30 - Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig (NASA-GISS) "Climate Variability and  
the Global Harvest"
12:15 - Lunch break
1:30 - Prof. Ronald Prinn (MIT) "Anthropogenic Climate Change"
2:15 - Prof. Daniel Nocera (MIT) "Whales to Wood: Wood to Coal/Oil:  
What's Next?"
3:00 - Discussion
3:30 - Prof. Roger Angel (Univ. Arizona) "Solar Energy as a Major  
Replacement for Fossil Fuel"
4:15 - Dr. Margaret Leinen (Climos Inc.) "Geosciences and Carbon  
Sequestration to Address Climate Change"
5:00 - Prof. Braden Allenby (Arizona State Univ.) "Earth Systems  
Engineering and Management"
5:45 - Discussion
6:15 - Close

The public is welcome to attend this symposium and no registration is  
necessary. Further information can be found at http://mit.edu/cgcs/  
and http://esi.mit.edu/content/view/139/1/.

-------------------------------
Anne Slinn
Assistant Director
Center for Global Change Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Ave, 54-1318
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: 617-253-4902
cgcs at mit.edu


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