2015 Program & Speakers

Eminent geologist Richard Alley (Penn State) delivered the keynote at the second annual UC Santa Cruz Climate and Policy Conference, "No Prospect of an End: Living with an Ever Changing Climate," a two day event co-sponsored by the UCSC divisions of Physical and Biological Sciences and Social Sciences.

The first panel, on "Coastal Resilience: Weathering the Coming Storm," addressed the impacts of climate change and sea level rise on coastal areas. UC Santa Cruz coastal ecologist Mark Carr, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, served as moderator. Panelists included:

  • Eron Bloomgarden, EKO Asset Management Partners
  • Kerry Emanuel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Charles Lester, California Coastal Commission
  • Susanne  Moser, Stanford University
  • Rob Young, Western Carolina University  

The afternoon panel addressed "Wicked Tradeoffs: Unavoidable Tradeoffs Between Food, Water, Energy, and Biodiversity." Daniel Press, the Griswold Professor of Environmental Studies at UC Santa Cruz, served as moderator. Panelists included:

  • Renata Brillinger, California Climate and Agriculture Network
  • Noah Diffenbaugh, Stanford University
  • Ellen Hanak, Public Policy Institute of California
  • Lara Hansen, EcoAdapt
  • Daniel Schrag, Harvard University Center for the Environment
The conference was held in the College 9/10 Multipurpose Room.