Cocktails and Climate -- The World Affairs Council of Spokane brings US State Department Alternative Energy and Climate Expert Griffin Thompson, Ph.D. to Spokane for a discussion of international climate and energy policy's impact our own communities.

Wrapping up the visit, Dr. Griffin will give a short presentation on the trip to Spokane and implications for the future during this informal happy hour event.

Thursday, August 16th, 5:15 - 7:30 p.m.  at the Saranac Public House  

Free - Appetizers and No-Host Bar provided

We hope you'll join us!  RSVP here at LaunchPad INW, on the WAC Spokane Facebook Page, or e-mail Erin Peterschick – memberships@wacspokane.com

In the 21st Century, as global environmental challenges like climate change, clean air, and safe drinking water are exacerbated, the United States is exploring new ways to create a cleaner planet.

Griffin M. Thompson, Ph.D.
Branch Chief, Senior Climate Change Program Manager
Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science
U.S. Department of State

Dr. Thompson represents the Bureau on all energy matters regarding the environmental impacts of energy production and use, with primary emphasis on the intersection between energy and climate change. This entails providing technical and policy guidance and strategic planning recommendations on cleaner fossil, renewable energy, and energy efficiency technologies and practices. As the Bureau's renewable energy specialist, Dr. Thompson is asked to provide strategic and policy guidance on the nexus between renewable energy and the U.S. Government's diplomatic, climate change, and development objectives. Specific responsibilities include:

    U.S. Government lead negotiator on Technology within the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
    U.S. Government co-chair on U.S. review of IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy (SSREN) chapter on "Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development"
    U.S. Government representative on the International Steering Committee of the Renewable Energy Policy Network of the 21st Century (REN21) - Paris, France
    U.S. Government representative on the Governing Board of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) - Vienna, Austria
    Lead U.S. Negotiator for Energy at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development - New York City

Griffin Thompson is is also responsible for planning, designing, and managing the Department's energy and climate project portfolio (over $220M for FY10/11). This includes facilitating the strategic development of the programs, generating the substantive policy, technical and budgetary rationale for the programs, and managing the disbursements of the funds and the implementation of the entire project portfolio: clean energy, adaptation, and sustainable landscapes. Working in support of the U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change, Dr. Thompson provides strategic and technical guidance to ensure that the funds appropriated to the Department for climate programs are consistent with and complementary to the United States' negotiating strategy within the UNFCCC, and the broader development objectives of the U.S. Government.

Dr. Thompson has a B.A. in English from Gonzaga University, and a Ph.D. in Political Philosophy from Georgetown University.