Toms River mayor to attend world climate change summit

Toms River Mayor Tom Kelaher's experience with Superstorm Sandy has landed him a special invitation to attend a summit on climate change in Oslo, Norway next month.

The focus of the conference by The Institute on Science for Global Policy is to bring awareness of climate change to the masses. The ISGP does not give a stance, but will let attendees form their opinions and share their experiences with others.

Kelaher said he is among representatives from five areas where extreme weather conditions have occurred, and will help decide how team members should be selected for an expedition next summer to the Arctic Circle to study climate change aboard a National Geographic Explorer ship. When he returns, Kelaher will provide details of how members of the public can apply to be part of the expedition.

"Could be medical people, could be real estate people, could be insurance people," he said. "I have some ideas along those lines because all of those different things could be impacted."

Kelaher will be accompanied at the conference by Dr. Stan Hale, director of Barnegat Bay Partnership.

"It's an amazing thing and I'm really delighted," Kelaher said about the trip and taking part in the conference in Norway. "It's one of the few good things that spun off from Sandy and hopefully, maybe we'll learn something and be able to do something."

Kelaher and Hale will leave for Norway on Monday, Sept. 8.