Gateway

Issue date: 11/18/08 Section: News

Robert Smith [Click to enlarge]

Bruce Johansen [Click to enlarge]

Two UNO professors will debate the issue of global warming and what impact climate change will have on the world, in a forum on Thursday.

Bruce Johansen, a journalism professor, and Robert Smith, a chemistry professor, will debate at noon Thursday at the Omaha Press Club, located on the 22nd floor of the First National Center at 1620 Dodge St. downtown.

The global warming forum will give the community a chance to hear two sides of the debate. Johansen is an advocate for awareness of the dangers of global warming. Smith will challenge Johansen's ideas about an increase in global temperature.

The Omaha Press Club has been hosting forums for years and chooses topics that are of interest to the public.

This week's forum will be mediated by retired chair of the communications department Hugh Cowdin.

Cowdin, who helped select the topic for the forum, said the Omaha Press Club recognized that during the past election, Barack Obama and John McCain didn't speak at any length about global warming. He said the Press Club would like to help bring the subject to light.

The UNO professors that the club invited are considered to be local experts in global warming.

Smith has been teaching in the chemistry department for the past 18 years and takes the position that carbon dioxide will not drastically impact the world.

Johansen has been teaching at UNO since 1982. He has published many articles and books on the subject. His most recent publication is a book titled, "The Global Warming Combat Manual." Johansen's argument will center on the topic of thermal inertia.

Although there aren't huge changes yet, Johansen said, it is just a matter of time before global warming affects us in the future. There is evidence that whatever damage we are doing today will not show up for the next 50 years.

What we are experiencing right now, Johansen said, is the reaction to the amount of green house gases that were emitted around 1958.

"We debate how long it will take for the toilets to back up in the White House," Johansen said referring to the melting polar ice caps.

Smith will counter Johansen's position. Smith believes global warming has been indoctrinated to us, instead of taught. Global warming is all about the numbers, Smith said.

He will present an argument that water is the leading green house gas and global warming is actually beneficial.

The amount of carbon dioxide in comparison to the amount of water that is affecting global warming is minimal, Smith said. Ice ages are eminent and the next one will happen in the next 2,000 years.

"All models appeal to water changing the temperature as the principle agent for increase in temperatures," Smith said. "I simply want to teach students how to think; and to think properly, they need all the information."

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