Transcript Carbon Quotes

Climate Change
– The Science
– The Solutions
• PROGRAM:
• 9:00
Registration and chat
• 9:30 - 10:30 Dr. Graeme Pearman,
Chief of the CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research from
1992 to 2002.
Climate Change - Science, Society and Us
• 10:30 - 11:00 Questions and Discussion
• 11:00
Morning tea and further discussions
• 11:30 - 12:30 Prof Neville Nicholls, ARC Professorial Fellow, Monash
University, Lead Author IPCC
•
Changes in Weather and Climate Extremes
• 12:30 - 1:00 Questions and Discussion
• 1:00 - 1:40
Lunch and discussion
• 1:40 - 2:40
Prof Peter Seligman: Melbourne Energy Institute, Author,
Australian Sustainable Energy by the numbers.
•
A Sustainable Energy Plan for Australia
• 2:40 - 3:15
Questions and Discussion
Dr. Graeme Pearman: Climate Change - Science, Society and Us
Chief of the CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research from 1992 to 2002.
Graeme left CSIRO in 2004 to become a private consultant contracting to
both private and public sector organisations and Adjunct Senior Research
Fellow with the School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash
University. In 2007, he became Interim Director, Monash Sustainability
Institute, Monash University.
The Age
13 June
2009
Dr. Graeme Pearman: Climate Change - Science, Society and Us
“Much of the psychological response is shaped by natural aversion to
uncertainty and complexity. But changing climate is a threat unlike anything
we've dealt with before, says Pearman. "If we are waiting for perfect
knowledge and perfect solutions, it will be too late. We have to learn to
manage this as a risk in which the probability of outcomes is weighted
against the impact of those outcomes if they do occur.”
Dr. Graeme Pearman: Climate Change - Science, Society and Us
• "We need to search deeply within ourselves and as communities for the
sense of the responsibility we have towards others, and to the stewardship
we owe to the millions of species that share the planet with us.“ And we
have to do this quickly, Pearman says.
Prof Neville Nicholls,
• ARC Professorial Fellow, Monash University
• Lead Author IPCC
• Australian Meteorological &
Oceanographic Society (President, 2010-11)
• Royal Meteorological Society
• American Meteorological Society
• American Geophysical Union
Changes in Weather and Climate Extremes
•Prof Peter Seligman:
•Melbourne Energy Institute, Author,
Australian Sustainable Energy by the numbers.
A Sustainable Energy Plan for Australia
• Professor Seligman has been working as a bio
engineer with the cochlear team from its early
research days in Melbourne University. He was
intimately involved in the development of a successful
prosthesis, and has remained in that role throughout
the product’s commercialisation process.
•In his book Sustainable Energy – by the numbers,
Seligman sets out to provide a clear account of
Australia’s renewable energy potential. He analyses a
raft of available technologies, and offers a blueprint of
a nation-wide renewable energy system based on the
most efficient mix of technology, societal, and habitual
changes.
… Earth is absorbing
more energy from
the Sun than it is
radiating to space as
heat … planetary
energy imbalance,
0.58±0.15 W/m2
during 2005–2010,
…confirms the
dominant role of the
human-made
greenhouse effect in
driving global
climate change.
Energy OUT is 0.6 W/m2 LESS than Energy IN
• Half a watt per
square metre! Might
sound small, but
that’s about:
• 20 times ALL the
power being used by
humanity
• or 40,000 Hiroshima
bombs EVERY DAY
That is, if no one else in the world did anything!
“The overwhelming scientific
evidence tells us that human
greenhouse gas emissions are
resulting in climate changes that
cannot be explained by natural
causes.
…
“Limiting global warming to 2°C is
now beginning to look like a nearly
insurmountable challenge.”
…
The Conversation June 2011
theconversation.edu.au
“A vast number of scientists,
engineers, and visionary
businesspeople are boldly
designing a future that is
based on low-impact energy
pathways and living within
safe planetary boundaries; a
future in which substantial
health gains can be achieved
by eliminating fossil-fuel
pollution; and a future in
which we strive to hand over
a liveable planet to posterity.”
The Conversation June 2011
theconversation.edu.au
“At the other extreme,
understandable economic
insecurity and fear of radical
change have been exploited
by ideologues and vested
interests to whip up illinformed, populist rage, and
climate scientists have
become the punching bag of
shock jocks and tabloid
scribes.”
The Conversation June 2011
theconversation.edu.au
“Aided by a pervasive media culture
that often considers peer-reviewed
scientific evidence to be in need of
"balance" by internet bloggers, this
has enabled so-called "sceptics" to
find a captive audience while
largely escaping scrutiny.”
“Australians have been exposed to
a phony public debate which is not
remotely reflected in the scientific
literature and community of
experts.”
The Conversation June 2011
theconversation.edu.au
Signed by 76 prominent scientists
working in relevant fields …
Winthrop Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, Australian Professorial Fellow, UWA
Prof Amanda Lynch, School of Geography & Environmental Science, Monash University
Dr. Matthew Hipsey, Research Assistant Professor, School of Earth and Environment, Centre of
A/Prof Steve Siems, School of Mathematical Sciences, Monash University
Excellence for Ecohydrology, UWA
Prof Justin Brookes, Director, Water Research Centre, The University of Adelaide
Dr Julie Trotter, Research Assistant Professor, School of Earth and Environment, UWA Oceans
Prof Glenn Albrecht, Professor of Sustainability, Director: Institute for Sustainability and Technology
Institute, UWA
Policy (ISTP), Murdoch University
Winthrop Professor Malcolm McCulloch, F.R.S., Premier's Research Fellow, UWA Oceans Institute,
Winthrop Professor Steven Smith, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy
School of Earth and Environment, UWA
Biology, UWA
Professor Kevin Judd, School of Mathematics and Statistics, UWA
Dr Kerrie Unsworth, School of Business, UWA
Dr Thomas Stemler, Assistant Professor, School of Mathematics and Statistics, UWA
Dr Pieter Poot, Assistant Professor in Plant Conservation Biology, School of Plant Biology, UWA
Dr. Karl-Heinz Wyrwoll, Senior Lecturer, School of Earth and Environment, UWA
Adam McHugh, Lecturer, School of Engineering and Energy, Murdoch University
Dr. Andrew Glikson, Earth and paleoclimate scientist, School of Archaeology and Anthropology,
Dr Louise Bruce, Research Associate, School of Earth and Environment, UWA
Research School of Earth Science, Planetary Science Institute, ANU
Dr Ailie Gallant, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne
Prof Michael Ashley, School of Physics, Faculty of Science, UNSW
Dr Will J Grant, Australian National Centre for Public Awareness of Science, ANU
Prof David Karoly, School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne
Rick A. Baartman, Fellow of the American Physical Society
Prof John Abraham, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, University of St. Thomas
William GC Raper, Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO (retired)
Prof Ian Enting, ARC Centre for Mathematics and Statistics of Complex Systems, University of
Dr Chris Riedy, Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology, Sydney
Melbourne
Ben McNeil, Senior Fellow, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW
Prof John Wiseman, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne
Paul Beckwith, Department of Geography, University of Ottawa
Associate Professor Ben Newell, School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, UNSW
Tim Leslie, PhD candidate, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW
Prof Matthew England, co-Director, Climate Change Research Centre, Faculty of Science, UNSW
Dr Peter Manins, Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (post-retirement
Dr Alex Sen Gupta Climate Change Research Centre,Faculty of Science, UNSW
Fellow)
Prof. Mike Archer AM, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science,
Prof Philip Jennings, Professor of Energy Studies, Murdoch University
UNSW
Dr John Tibby, Senior Lecturer, Geography, Environment and Population, University of Adelaide
Prof Steven Sherwood, co-Director, Climate Change Research Centre, Faculty of Science, UNSW
Prof Ray Wills, Adjunct Professor, School of Earth and Environment, UWA
Dr. Katrin Meissner, ARC Future Fellow, Climate Change Research Centre, Faculty of Science, UNSW Jess Robertson, Research School of Earth Sciences, ANU
Dr Jason Evans, ARC Australian Research Fellow, Climate Change Research Centre,Faculty of Science, Dr Paul Tregoning, Senior Fellow, Research School of Earth Sciences, ANU
UNSW
Dr Doone Wyborn, Adjunct Professor, Geothermal Centre of Excellence, University of Queensland
Prof Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Global Change Institute, UQ
Dr. Jonathan Whale, Director, National Small Wind Turbine Centre (NSWTC), Murdoch University
Dr Andy Hogg, Fellow, Research School of Earth Sciences, ANU
Dr Tas van Ommen, Australian Antarctic Division, Cryosphere Program Leader, Antarctic Climate &
Prof John Quiggin, School of Economics, School of Political Science & Intnl Studies, UQ
Ecosystems CRC
Prof Chris Turney FRSA FGS FRGS, Climate Change Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Dr Jim Salinger, Honorary Research Associate, School of Environment, University of Auckland
Environmental Sciences, UNSW
Dr P. Timon McPhearson, Assistant Professor of Urban Ecology, Tishman Environment and Design
Dr Gab Abramowitz, Lecturer, Climate Change Research Centre,Faculty of Science, UNSW
Center, The New School, New York
Prof Andy Pitman, Climate Change Research Centre, Faculty of Science, UNSW
Prof Deo Prasad, Director Masters in Sustainable Development, UNSW
Prof Barry Brook, Sir Hubert Wilkins Chair of Climate Change, University of Adelaide
Prof Rob Harcourt, Facility Leader, Australian Animal Tagging, Monitoring System Integrated Marine
Prof Mike Sandiford, School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne
Observing System and Professor of Marine Ecology, Macquarie University
Dr Michael Box, Associate Professor, School of Physics, Faculty of Science, UNSW
Dr John Hunter, Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems CRC, University of Tasmania
Prof Corey Bradshaw, Director of Ecological Modelling, The Environment Institute, The University of Dr Michael Brown, ARC Future Fellow & Senior Lecturer, School of Physics, Monash University
Adelaide
Dr Karen McNamara, Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development, University of the
Dr Paul Dargusch, School of Agriculture & Food Science, UQ
South Pacific
Prof Nigel Tapper, Professor Environmental Science, School of Geography and Environmental Science Dr Paul Marshall, Director - Climate Change, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Monash University
Dr Ivan Haigh, Post-doctoral Research Associate, UWA Oceans Institute and School of Environmental
Prof Jason Beringer, Associate Professor & Deputy Dean of Research, School of Geography &
Systems Engineering
Environmental Science, Monash University
Dr Ian Allison, Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC
Prof Neville Nicholls, Professorial Fellow, School of Geography & Environmental Science, Monash
Dr Jennifer Coopersmith, Honorary Research Associate Department of Civil Engineering and Physical
University
Sciences, La Trobe University
Prof Dave Griggs, Director, Monash Sustainability Institute, Monash University
Professor Emeritus Peter Kershaw, School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash
Prof Peter Sly, Medicine Faculty, School of Paediatrics & Child Health, UQ
University
Dr Pauline Grierson, Senior Lecturer, School of Plant Biology, Ecosystems Research Group, Director of
West Australian Biogeochemistry Centre, UWA
Prof Jurg Keller, IWA Fellow, Advanced Water Management Centre, UQ
•
•
DailyMail.co.uk 30 March 2012 ... and
repeated all around the denial blogs.
What the Mail IS good at ...
Zunli Lu (author of study):
“It is unfortunate that my research, “An ikaite
record of late Holocene climate at the Antarctic
Peninsula,” recently published in Earth and
Planetary Science Letters, has been
misrepresented by a number of media outlets.
Several of these media articles assert that our
study claims the entire Earth heated up during
medieval times without human CO2
emissions. We clearly state in our paper that
we studied one site at the Antarctic Peninsula.
The results should not be extrapolated to make
assumptions about climate conditions across
the entire globe.
• Other statements, such as the study
“throws doubt on orthodoxies around
global warming,” completely misrepresent
our conclusions. Our study does not
question the well-established
anthropogenic warming trend.”
• The Daily Mail normal
fare.
• Which of course is why
so many ‘ordinary
people’ get to see all
the denier nonsense …
• but none of the serious
science!
The Age Sat 31 March
The designation of McHarg Ranges as a ‘‘no-go’’
zone for turbines lies at the heart of a bigger
question: what motivated the government to
introduce Australia’s toughest wind farm laws,
and how did they choose which areas would be
excluded?
Was it anything to
do with Baillieu
cousin and wind
farm opponent
Lady Marigold
Southey? (Who
lives there.)
• The Danes aren’t shy of wind turbines!
Bob Brown gives a serious
speech warning that climate
change must be tackled on a
global scale…
and raises the possibility that
technological civilisations may
be prone to destroying
themselves
The Age gives it serious space …
• The Herald-Sun allows Bolt to
make a mockery of it…
“Maybe the aliens haven't rung
Bob because they're sceptics
who value free speech.”
“ACTUALLY, Greens leader Bob
Brown was always like this. So
why did the media take him so
seriously? And will his Green
oration in Hobart last weekend
finally wake up the dozy to his
dangerous unreason and
intolerance?”
Without, of course, addressing any of
the serious ideas Brown raised.
• Not to mention his usual
attacks on the PM and the
carbon ETS.
• (Just wondering when he is
going to get stuck into Baillieu
for his “Make Victorian
teachers best paid” lie?!)
• We might regard him as an
idiot, but he is
• “AUSTRALIA’S MOST READ
COLUMNIST”
(2006)
• From TGGWS:
• (and still used by deniers
like Plimer)
• Actual:
State of the Climate 2012
• Total CO2
emissions
• Fossil fuel
emissions
Australia contributes 1.3 % of global total emissions (from 0.3% of the population)
State of the Climate 2012
Atmospheric methane
Carbon dioxide
Nitrous oxide
State of the Climate 2012
• Atmospheric CO2 increase
• Decreasing C13 to C12 tells us
it is fossil fuel
• Oxygen is being used up as
carbon is burnt to CO2
State of the Climate 2012
• Mean Global
temperatures
(NASA, NCDC, UK
Hadley)
• El Niño years
• La Niña years
• (2011 warmest
ever La Niña year)
Blank
• TALK ABOUT GREENWASH!
• “Ultra-clean synthetic fuel from existing natural resources” … “much less pollution”
… “sustainable answer”
Are these anything other than straight lies?
• FACTS: Synthetic fuel even dirtier than petrol! NOT sustainable! etc. etc.
75%
100%
120%
4%
2%
Plimer lies
Only 7 years!
CO2
Temp
• The reality
Plimer’s 7 years
Because those are the very high, very cold peaks
which will melt last!
There is NO ‘climate change controversy’ AT ALL
This is ABSOLUTE NONSENSE from The Oz (again)
Somehow they forgot to mention the other
99.9% of glaciers in the world!
The Age 11 Nov 2011
• THE world has just five years
to make ''urgent and radical
policy changes'' or lock in
dangerous climate change, the
world's leading energy agency
has warned, sparking a debate
about whether Australia
should shift to gas or
renewable energy.
• Agency chief economist Fatih
Birol said if by 2017 there is not a
start to major new clean
infrastructure investments ''the
door to 2 degrees will be closed''.
• ''I am very worried,'' he said, ''if
we don't change direction now on
how we use energy, we will end
up beyond what scientists tell us
is the minimum. The door will be
closed forever.''
• BUT: The Age 5 Nov 2011
• So we are doing our bit… !!
• From The Age March 2012