Hampton, NH -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/14/2018 --In Europe, Dr. Benny Peiser, Director of London-based Global Warming Policy Forum, said governments have burdened their countries with "hugely expensive climate policies."

"As a direct result, energy prices and fuel poverty are rising in many countries, making them poorer and less competitive," he said. "I campaign for cost-effective alternatives that will help to make our societies more resilient to climate impacts and more competitive internationally."

According to Peiser, his concern is not climate science, but the legislation that surrounds it.

"A return to pragmatic climate and energy policies will require a sober and detached consideration of all relevant evidence," he said.

On October 18 and 19, Peiser will join nearly a dozen other leading international experts at The Portsmouth Conference in Portsmouth, New Hampshire to discuss climate policy consequences.

Hosted by Citizens Count, a non-partisan public information platform with a community of more than 200,000, the conference will provide a platform for discussion on the policies and initiatives associated with climate rather than the science behind it.

"I hope that the Portsmouth Conference will set a precedent for an open and civil dialogue that helps participants to better understand and respect those who have come to suggest different climate policy choices," said Peiser. "The climate debate has been too polarized--not just in the U.S., but in many other nations, too."

Charles McConnell, Executive Director of Rice University's Energy and Environment Initiative in Texas and Under-Secretary of Energy in the Obama Administration, agrees and cited the potential impact of climate policies on global industries as one reason why he is attending The Portsmouth Conference.

"Policy choices can influence not only technology development and pursuits, but also fundamental economics and markets," he said. "Policy shaped by technology and the linkage between the two is fundamental to success…I'm looking forward to the transparency of policy choices and their impacts at the conference."

The Portsmouth Conference will take place at the historic Wentworth by the Sea Hotel & Spa, which hosted the Portsmouth Peace Treaty participants in 1905. The treaty earned President Theodore Roosevelt the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize.

To learn more about The Portsmouth Conference, including how to register, visit theportsmouthconference.org.