Embassy News
U.S. Expert Discusses Climate Change
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| Dr. John Dernbach (from the right) and Alexander Bragin, Director of Legal Provision and International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Environmental Protection in Astana on July 8, 2008. |
Dr. John Dernbach, professor of Environmental Law at Widener University in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is an internationally renowned expert on sustainable development and global climate change who has edited several books on sustainable growth. From July 7-14 2008, Dr. Dernbach, in Kazakhstan on a U.S. Government Speaker's Program, visited Astana, Almaty, Ust-Kamenogorsk, and Ridder to share information with the general public, the NGO community, government officials, and journalists about the concepts of sustainable economic growth and the importance of energy conservation in mitigating the effects of global climate change. During his public lectures at the American Cultural Centers in Almaty and Ust-Kamenogorsk, Dr. Dernbach explained that economic growth and environmental protection go hand-in-hand, and he addressed the effects of climate change on Central Asia and the Eurasian continent. He held lively roundtable discussions with NGOs and journalists which were covered by national and regional media outlets. Dr. Dernbach also made specific recommendations to officials of the Ministry of Environmental Protection in Astana on the Kazakhstani Environmental Code and on improving energy efficiency.