Summit eyeing emission reductions

NASHVILLE, May 14 (UPI) -- The North American Summit taking place in Nashville Thursday is oriented toward reducing emissions that can cause climate change, experts say.

The Climate Project Executive Director Jenny Clad, whose organization is behind the three-day event, said former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is among those scheduled to take part in the summit, The (Nashville) Tennessean said.

"Now is the time to take action," Clad said of the summit, which ends Saturday. "We actually have a beacon on which to set our sights."

Joining Clad and Gore and the summit are Rajendra K. Pachauri, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chairman, and Canadian science broadcaster David Suzuki.

Clad told the Tennessean her organization's goal for the environmental gathering is to increase support for pro-environmental legislation prior to December.

Negotiations for the Copenhagen Treaty are scheduled to begin in December as political and environmental leaders worldwide attempt to create a successor to the current Kyoto Protocol.