UNC-Chapel Hill experts available to discuss climate

Many news organizations have agreed to shed light on climate stories during the week of Sept. 16-23, leading up to the United Nations Climate Summit. Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are among the leading climate experts in the U.S. and are available to speak on a number of climate-related topics, including the increased severity of natural disasters and mass rain events, air pollution, ocean warming and its impact on marine life, and the human health effects of climate change.

If you’d like to speak with an expert, call 919-445-8555 or email mediarelations@unc.edu.

John Bruno is a marine ecologist in the biology department of the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill. His work focuses on understanding and conserving marine biodiversity. For the past 20 years he has studied the impacts of ocean warming on coral reefs and other marine ecosystems. He was an author on the 4th National Climate Assessment released last fall. He can speak to the human-caused changes in the physical and chemical properties of the oceans and their impacts on marine life and the people who depend on it.

Hans Paerl is the Kenan Professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences. Earlier this summer he published research in Nature Research’s Scientific Reports that analyzed a 120-year data set and found that climate change is increasing precipitation events like hurricanes, tropical storms and floods. He can discuss the data around increased rainfall and flooding events in recent years, the impact these events have on coastal ecosystems and how long it will take ecosystems to recover, and what steps can be taken to minimize the harmful effects of climate change-driven storms.

Barbara Turpin is a professor and chair of the department of environmental sciences and engineering at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her work includes laboratory experiments, chemical modeling and field research to improve the understanding of linkages between air pollution emissions, atmospheric chemistry and human exposures, particularly exposures to particulate air pollution that impact cardiovascular health. She can speak to the variety of ways that climate change-induced changes in weather patterns affect air quality exposures, health and well-being.

Jason West is a professor in the department of environmental sciences and engineering at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Using computer models, he studies how climate change and air quality interact with one another, and with energy and human health.  He can explain how changes in emissions impact climate change, global air quality and health.  He can talk broadly about climate change science, impacts and solutions, and he can discuss policy solutions that have co-benefits to climate, air quality and health.

P: 919-445-8555  |  E: mediarelations@unc.edu