On Saturday ASU will take part in a worldwide conversation about global warming for the University’s first time as part of an effort to boost environmental research.

The goal of the event, World Wide Views on Global Warming, is to get global citizens to share their thoughts on climate change, said Biodesign Institute spokesman Joe Caspermeyer.

“ASU is one of a handful of institutions that are directly involved,” he said.

There are about 46 countries taking part in the event, and Phoenix is one of just seven U.S. cities participating.

During the event, citizens from all over the country will join the discussion online and come up with suggestions to send to their representatives, who will make world-changing policies at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark in two months, he said.

U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., will be on campus during the conversation, said Neal Woodbury, deputy director of Biodesign.

On Friday, Mitchell visited ASU along with Parliament member Clive Betts and Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D.

The representatives toured Biodesign and took part in a discussion at the Fulton Center, he said.

Aside from the animal waste project, leaders at Biodesign spoke about their artificial photosynthesis, algae fuel and solar voltaic, Woodbury said.

“We [brought them] to the Biodesign Institute itself mostly to talk about the energy efforts we have on campus,” he said.

Biodesign officials invited federal representatives to urge them to support legislation that will allow ASU to apply for large grants to continue energy research, Woodbury said.

“We don’t ask for special appropriations from the federal government,” he said. “This is a different point of view than many states.”

Though Biodesign plays a large role in the research on campus, Woodbury said there are many other campus organizations that would benefit from the possible funding.

The Fulton Center, the School of Sustainability and the Energy Frontier Research Center were all involved in Friday’s event and will continue to be involved until Congress makes a decision on whether to support funds for energy projects, he said.

“We’d like to expand [current projects] and do more of them,” Woodbury said.

In a Sept. 18 press release, Mitchell said he was glad to bring Herseth Sandlin to tour Arizona.

“She is one of the House’s leaders on alternative energy and renewable fuels and saw firsthand the innovative research and development being done here in Arizona,” he said.

Mitchell wanted to bring Sandlin to see all the new and exciting projects going on at ASU, he said, because ASU’s mission is similar to the state of Arizona’s — to build a robust bioscience economy.

“It is important that we showcase the exciting work that’s being done at ASU and in Arizona as we work to become a leader in clean energy and ‘green’ jobs,” he said.

Reach the reporter at ndgilber@asu.edu.