Global warming time bomb: The path from science to actionSpeaker: James Hansen, Director, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies Moderator: Andreas Schmittner, Oregon State University Earth's climate history has long made clear that huge climate fluctuations occurred in the past. However, the implications of climate inertia and dangers of passing climate tipping points only became clear in the last few years. Communication of an emerging crisis is hampered by confusion of weather and climate and by the reluctance of the fossil fuel and related industries to accept the implications of the climate crisis. This unprecedented situation presents scientists with uncomfortable choices. View the Public Lecture here. |
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Dr. James Hansen is director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. Trained in physics and astronomy, Dr. Hansen is best known for his Congressional testimony on climate change in the 1980s that helped raise broad awareness of global warming. Dr. Hansen has been an active researcher in planetary atmospheres and climate science for nearly 40 years, with the last 30 years focused on climate research. Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 1995, Dr. Hansen has received numerous awards and given numerous testimonies to the United States Senate and House of Representatives. While Dr. Hansen’s work has evolved from space science to climate science, it has constantly sought to make the results of that work widely available to the public. Time Magazine designated Dr. Hansen as one of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2006, a tribute to his continuing efforts to serve the public through his scientific work. |