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Papal encyclical inspires SLU climate summit

A helicopter dropped water on a fast moving wildfire Oct. 9, 2017 in Orange, Calif. Climate scientists attribute increased fire occurrences in part to warm, dry weather patterns caused by global climate change. Photo Credits: (Mike Blake | Reuters)

The St. Louis Climate Summit, to be hosted by St. Louis University April 22-24 as a part of its yearlong bicentennial celebration, will bring to the Midwest some of the most authoritative minds in climate science and related disciplines.

The conference will highlight key issues in climate science, celebrate achievements and look to the future. It was inspired by Pope Francis’ convocation of leading climate scientists at the Vatican in 2014, and the encyclical that emerged from that gathering, “Laudato Si’.”

Speakers will include Cardinal Peter Turkson of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and advisor to Pope Francis in the formulation of “Laudato Si’”; Veerabhadran Ramanathan of the University of California, San Diego, a recent recipient of the United Nations’ Champions of the Earth Award; and Peter Raven, director emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Carl Pope, former executive director and chairman of the Sierra Club, will give the keynote address at 7 p.m. Monday, April 23, at Chaifetz Arena on the St. Louis University campus. Cardinal Turkson will talk at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at St. Francis Xavier (College) Church at Grand and Lindell Boulevards on the SLU campus. The documentary “Before the Flood” will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at SLU’s Center for Global Citizenship.

The Nine Network of Public Media will serve as media partner and will provide event management for the summit. It will host many of the speakers and panels at its facilities in Grand Center, near the campus of Saint Louis University.

For information or to register, visit www.stlclimatesummit.org.