Rising water?

A coalition of South Carolina environmental groups will present "The Impacts of Sea Level Rise in Our Backyard" 6-8 p.m. today at the Charleston County Library on Calhoun Street. The meeting includes the debut of a new short film titled "Rising Seas: Challenges and Opportunities for the Lowcountry" as well as a panel discussion.

The film is produced by Open Dome Productions and incorporates never-before-seen imagery developed by Architecture 2030. The documentary shows the vulnerability of Charleston, Mount Pleasant and neighboring barrier island communities to sea-level rise as a result of climate change.

The panelists will be: Dr. Orrin Pilkey, professor emeritus of Earth and Ocean Sciences at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment; the Rev. Michael McClain, regional coordinator for the National Council of Churches, Eco-Justice Organization; Dr. Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy; John Clark, director of the S.C. Energy Office and a member of Gov. Mark Sanford's Climate Advisory Committee; and James Meadors, a local "green" builder and chairman of the Charleston Green Committee.

The event is being presented by the Southeast Coastal Climate Network, in partnership with the Coastal Conservation League, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, S.C. Wildlife Federation and the Carolina Climate Network.

For more information, contact Toni Reale at 641-0600 or toni@cleanenergy.org.