Water and Warming in the Mississippi River Basin:
Water resources and the urgent threat of climate change

Sinsinawa Mound and Clean Wisconsin are jointly hosting a conference, "Water and Warming in the Mississippi River Basin: Water resources and the urgent threat of climate change," on Saturday, April 14, 2007, that will bring together some of the leading global warming experts in the country to examine global warming and the impact that it will have on the Mississippi River and Great Lakes region. The conference will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Celebrated author and global warming expert Mike Tidwell rose to fame for his frighteningly accurate predictions of the disasters surrounding Hurricane Katrina in his book, Bayou Farewell, which examined the effects of global warming on the Mississippi River area. Tidwell will tie together the dueling themes of global warming and water resource management as it relates to the river region in his presentation, "Global Warming: The Mississippi River, Katrina, and the Race to Save Human Civilization."

Joining Tidwell will be some of the nation’s leading experts on global warming. Dr. Jon Foley is the director of the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he is also the Gaylord Nelson Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences.

Dr. Foley is widely renowned for his expertise on global warming and will provide expert analysis of the most current and cutting edge global warming research. Dr. Foley will present “Living on a Shrinking Planet: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainability in the 21st Century.”

Dr. John Magnuson will be addressing global warming from a regional and local perspective in his presentation, “A Water View of Climate Change in the Upper Midwest.” Dr. Magnuson is Professor Emeritus of Zoology, Director Emeritus of the Center for Limnology, and Emeritus Member of the Limnology and Marine Science Graduate Program. Dr. Magnuson's research and many publications have focused on the influence of climate change on inland waters and ecosystems.

Sinsinawa Mound’s scenic location overlooking the Mississippi River Basin makes it an ideal location to examine and discuss the threats our local and regional waterways face. Melissa Malott, Water Program Director for Clean Wisconsin, will present “Wisconsin’s Waters: Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives.” Gretchen Benjamin will share information on “Challenges and Opportunities for the Upper Mississippi.”

In the afternoon, participants will be able to attend training sessions focusing on building the necessary skills to act on all of the newfound knowledge. Training sessions will focus on topics such as biofuels, legal issues in the environment, media skills, grassroots organizing, basic activism, as well as other topics that will help both the veteran activist and the fresh faces alike develop the skills to help save Wisconsin’s vital natural resources.

The early registration fee for the day, which includes lunch, is $25 and is due no later than April 7. The registration fee after April 7 is $40.

Registrations are accepted online at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter or by calling Sinsinawa Mound Guest Services at (608) 748-4411. Sinsinawa Mound, the Motherhouse for the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque.