Global warming may have played a role in the formation of Hurricane Katrina, said three ISU faculty members who will be taking part in presentation discussing climate change.

Gene Takle, professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, said the two main issues to be discussed at the presentation will explain how consequences of climate change are distributed globally and how human interaction with the climate today will have an impact several years from now.

“The poor and less able to help themselves, especially in developing countries, will suffer the most,” said Kristen Hessler, bioethics outreach coordinator. “Global change will impact future generations with unjust outcomes between now and future generations.”

Takle said global warming is caused by those in developed countries, but produces negative results for the poor in developing countries.

Takle, Hessler and Clark Wolf, associate professor of philosophy and religious studies, have been collaborating since they met more than a year ago through the Institute for Science and Society at Iowa State, when they found that each had similar interests in global warming and its effects.

“We all have distinct expertise,” Hessler said.

She said she was concerned by the slow response generated by the recent hurricanes.

“Katrina was seen as a Category 5 hurricane,” Hessler said.

“Everyone knew it was coming, yet there were inadequate

responses.”

She said the issue of global warming must be addressed.

“We have a lot of scientific evidence suggesting if we don’t change what we do, we won’t have a proper response,” Hessler said.

Takle said the goal of the presentation is to get people thinking about global climate change.

“It is an intergenerational inequity,” he said.

“We have to think about what obligations we have to future generations.”

He said his research group is trying to use Hurricane Katrina to get people to think about issues related to justice.

“Who is responsible for the damage and who gets harmed?” Takle asked, adding that these are many questions that need to be answered when natural disasters that could be related to global warming occur.

Hessler said effects of global warming being experienced today are a result of past misuse of nature.

“Future generations are not around to protect themselves,” she said.

The future of the ecosystem falls in the hands of the present generation to ensure damage is lessened to the environment, Hessler said.

“Katrina offered an opportunity to make an abstract to the future condition in relation to a very vivid recent event,” Takle said.

The presentation, titled “Risk, Ethics and Global Climate Change,” is scheduled for noon on Wednesday in 302 Catt Hall.