Climate and Biodiversity
Click Here to Register for the Natural Resources Action Team Meeting
The rate of climate warming today—and the resulting biodiversity loss—is unlike anything Earth has experienced before. For Florida, the most biodiverse state in the country, the implications are profound. The state’s extraordinary biodiversity, once a source of strength, is now increasingly at risk.
Florida’s exposure to rising temperatures, sea-level rise, changing storm behavior, development pressures and habitat fragmentation put it in a unique position at the center of this global trend.
Guiding us to understand what these environmental changes mean for Florida’s ecosystems, biodiversity and future resilience will be Bob Bunting
Mr. Bunting is a scientist, serial entrepreneur, high technology startup expert and educator. He is founder, CEO and Chairman of the Climate Adaptation Center (CAC), an independent non-profit organization located in Sarasota, FL. CAC’s mission is to connect the scientific community, public sector and private enterprise to apply climate science to Florida’s unique challenges, while engaging Florida businesses in developing cost-effective adaptation strategies.
Bob’s career in government, industry and academia is unique. He was a director of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), where he was a scientist, Executive Vice President, CEO and co-founder of the UCAR Foundation. He also served as lead forecaster for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Previously, Bob was CEO of Crystal Diagnostics, a medical device company, and a founder of companies including Waterstone Strategies and Digital Globe now MAXAR Technologies. MAXAR provides satellite imagery to NATO, the US government and Google Earth.
Bob has taught courses in atmospheric science and entrepreneurship at six universities nationwide. He has appeared frequently on local and national radio and television and he frequently speaks throughout the US and internationally. Bob holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Atmospheric Science from St. Louis University.
