Global climate change is a serious problem that is currently impacting and will ultimately affect all ecosystems on Earth. Human activities have been strongly implicated in exacerbating the problem of global climate change, and these activities include agricultural practices, as well as the large-scale conversion of grasslands and forests to agroecosystems. The goal of this symposium is to bring together scientists who are studying the impacts of human agricultural systems and practices on the climate of the Earth. Speakers contributing to this symposium will address the problems of land-use changes and influences of agriculture on global climate change. Furthermore, speakers will suggest possible roles of agricultural practices and systems as ways to mitigate the severity of climate change through the implementation of sustainable practices. Sustainable agricultural approaches may ultimately provide exceptionally effective carbon sequestration and reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases, while providing numerous other environmental benefits, such as reduction in soil erosion, improvement in pest population regulation, enhancement of soil fertility, and benefits to a variety of wildlife species. In keeping with the theme of the 2008 Annual Meeting, there will also be an emphasis on education of the scientific community and the farming sector with regards to the problem of global climate change and the promise of reducing the negative aspects of the human agricultural endeavor. It is our objective to show connections between the research being conducted on agriculture and climate change and education of the agricultural community, society, and students of environmental science, ecology, and agriculture. Linkages between these disciplines are extremely important part of agricultural and ecological education, yet have not been adequately integrated into many institutions of higher education. An essential task of investigators involved with climate change research is to transfer their findings to the rest of the scientific community and to the general public.