The climate crisis looms as the most serious threat to human civilization. As humanity continues to rely on fossil fuels for its primary source of energy and transportation, we are returning billions of tons of heat-trapping gases to our atmosphere every year. Fifty years of climate science has shown conclusively that human beings are rapidly altering the Earth’s ecosystems upon which human life has depended since the dawn of civilization.
Recent data indicate more rapid warming and accelerating greenhouse gas emissions than previously projected. As the political process has attempted to address these critical issues in the last two decades, vested interests have successfully sought to confuse the public and ensure uncertainty and delay. Thousands of peer-reviewed science articles, on the other hand, paint a clear picture of where we are and where we need to go if we are to survive this crisis.
On Thursday, March 1, 2012, at 6:30 p.m., Dr. Peter G. Joseph will offer a free presentation to the public, “The Climate Crisis: Science vs. Denial” at the First United Methodist Church (FUMC) at 1825 East Street, in downtown Redding. The FUMC Band of Light will perform at 6:30 p.m. and Dr. Joseph’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m.
Dr. Joseph is an emergency physician trained by the Climate Reality Project to help educate the public about the impacts of climate destabilization. He will review both the latest scientific data and solutions to humanity’s greatest challenge.
What must be done to reduce emissions and begin to pull greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere in order to avoid dangerous climate change and to return the Earth to a safe-climate future? How can the public and decision-makers cut through the spin and denial in order to do what is necessary? Dr. Joseph will help us answer these questions and understand how we can work together to solve the most serious threat we have ever faced.
Dr. Joseph is well prepared to educate the public on this critical issue. A biology graduate from Columbia University, Dr. Joseph earned his M.D. degree and Board Certification in Internal Medicine from The University of Michigan Medical School.
He began practicing Emergency Medicine in 1977, joined the clinical faculty at Stanford, UCSF and Highland Hospital, and since 1983 has been a full time Emergency Physician at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, California. He served for 15 years as Chair of the Emergency Department and was active in the development of their successful Trauma Center program.
In 1979, just after Three Mile Island nuclear reactor accident, Dr. Joseph co-founded the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, an organization of doctors dedicated to educating the public and world leaders about the horrendous medical consequences of nuclear war. He served as President of the local chapter and on the National Board of Directors for 6 years. PSR later participated in the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize as the U.S. affiliate of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.
In January 2007, Dr. Joseph was chosen to participate in a special training by the Climate Reality Project and has been working actively ever since to educate the public about this serious concern. Dr. Joseph is an active speaker and keeps abreast of the latest developments in the realms of the science and politics of the climate crisis. He currently is northern California district manager for The Climate Reality Project and group leader for the Marin chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
This event is free to the public. For further information, please visit http://reddingumc.org/index.php/5276-2/ or call 243-2403.
Doug Craig graduated from college in Ohio with a journalism degree and got married during the Carter administration. He graduated from graduate school with a doctorate in Psychology, got divorced, moved to Redding, re-married and started his private practice during the Reagan administration. He had his kids during the first Bush administration. And has done nothing noteworthy since besides write a little poetry, survive a motorcylce crash, buy and sell an electric car, raise his kids, manage to stay married and maintain his practice for almost 25 years. He believes in magic and is a Sacramento Kings fan.
