TIP TO MEDIA: President George Bush’s call this week for a global agreement by the end of 2008 to reduce carbon emissions surprised some because it counters his long-held resistance to the Kyoto Protocol (another emissions-limiting agreement). On the other hand, the European Union’s environment commission Friday said that the Bush declaration by President Bush basically restates the U.S. classic line on climate change—no mandatory reductions.

What’s the real story on the major shift in White House policy?

Get clear, scientifically accurate answers from University of North Dakota climate change expert Andrei Kirilenko, associate professor in the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences Department of Earth System Science and Policy.

Kirilenko, an author of a key section of the upcoming full 2007 report from the International Panel on Climate Change, is a widely quoted and published authority on climate change impacts on ecosystems such as forests. See http://essp.und.edu/ESSP_faculty.shtml; also see http://www2.und.edu/our/news/story.php?id=2029

Contacts: Andrei Kirilenko, associate professor, UND Dept. of Earth System Science and Policy, (701) 777-6761 (office), (765) 430-1095 (cell), andrei.kirilenko@und.edu or Juan Pedraza, writer/editor, UND Office of University Relations, (701) 777-6034, juanpedraza@mail.und.edu

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