Missoula News

Global Warming

Leaders Convene in Helena for Climate Challenge Conference

By Kerry McMannis, 9-21-06

Montanans are feeling the impact of global warming. An eight-year drought in Eastern Montana has been a blow to farmers and ranchers and elsewhere, ski bums and trout fisherman are experiencing shorter recreational seasons. And no one in Montana can fail to notice the increase in forest fires this year. These are some of the concerns bringing together over forty organizations sponsoring the Climate Challenge Conference in Helena this weekend.

"We are very gratified by the wide diversity and range of organizations who responded to our call for this conference," said Sterling Miller, Senior Wildlife Biologist for the National Wildlife Federation. Corporations, unions, government agencies, non-profits and individuals concerned with global warming will all be attending the conference.

The main goal of the conference is to get the attention of political leaders who are ignoring the issue of global warming, Sterling said. He makes an emphatic exclusion of Governor Brian Schweitzer from the apathetic group. The hope is that the interest groups involvement will help get politicians to take notice.

Mayor John Engen will be representing the City of Missoula at the conference. Having just returned from another global warming conference held in Alaska for Western mayors, he will be sharing strategies he learned there and picking up new ideas for helping Missoula with the impacts of climate change.

"It is important to us as a community and as Mayor I'm obligated to demonstrate leadership," Engen said.

The conference begins Friday night with a free screening of An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore's Documentary on global warming. Saturday and Sunday will consist of lectures, discussions groups and finally conference participants will work on drafting the "Montana Climate Challenge Document."

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