Great Lakes script

For more information regarding this feature, contact Kathy McDermott by sending e-mail to kmm5@po.cwru.edu or by calling 1-800-368-CWRU.

GREAT LAKES COMPUTER MODELS (TRT 2:09)

ANCHOR LEAD: NEWLY DEVELOPED COMPUTER MODELS ARE HELPING TO SHAPE CONSERVATION PLANNING AND SAVE TAX DOLLARS IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION. DEVELOPERS SAY THE MODELS COULD ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER REGIONS. MORE IN THIS REPORT:

VIDEO (B-roll/Great Lakes environment)

VOICEOVER: MILDER WEATHER TRENDS NEAR THE GREAT LAKES COULD HAVE A FAR REACHING IMPACT ON THE REGION. WARMER TEMPERATURES AND SHALLOWER LAKE LEVELS CAN THREATEN FISH HABITATS AND HYDROELECTRIC POWER GENERATION, PLACING GREATER DEMAND ON FOSSIL FUELS. AND WITHOUT RELIABLE ENVIRONMENTAL MODELS TO PREDICT FUTURE CONDITIONS, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS COULD BE WASTED ON USELESS LAND AND WATER RESOURCE PROJECTS.

VIDEO (B-roll/Ben Hobbs at computer and shots of computer models on-screen)

VOICEOVER: THAT'S WHY OFFICIALS OF THE E-P-A AND THEIR CANADIAN COUNTERPARTS ARE LOOKING TO COMPUTER MODELS DEVELOPED BY BEN HOBBS AT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY. THE MODELS KEEP A CONTINUOUS RECORD OF THE REGION'S CONDITION.

SOT & SUGGESTED SUPER: Benjamin Hobbs, CWRU Prof. Systems and Civil Engineering

(OUTCUE: "...decisions at that point.") (0:42)

VIDEO (B-roll/ Great Lakes environment/Hobbs' computer models & cutaways)

VOICEOVER: WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A GREENHOUSE EFFECT AT WORK, HOBBS SAYS THE IMPORTANT FACTOR IS LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING.

Sound Bite/Ben Hobbs

(OUTCUE: "...in a form that they can use.") (0:26)

VOICEOVER: NONE OF US CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE WEATHER, BUT BY HELPING TO DO A BETTER JOB MANAGING RESOURCES, BEN HOBBS' COMPUTER MODELS WILL HELP SAVE TAX DOLLARS FROM BEING WAISTED ON PROJECTS WHOSE VALUE COULD CHANGE AS QUICKLY.

THIS IS TOM SHROUT REPORTING FROM CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, CLEVELAND.

-CWRU-