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Center for Nonlinear Studies |
Our planet is warming, and much of that warming is due to the burning of fossil fuels; this much we know. Yet there is much we do not know, and putting bounds on these uncertainties is critical if we are to avoid, or justify, either the alarmist or the complacent tendencies that are simultaneously found in abundance in society. We also need to better appreciate the timescales on which the planet will warm as we burn fossil fuels, and then will cool down after we have burnt all the fuel. Arguably, global warming will not be as bad in the short term as sometimes portrayed, but may nevertheless be much than anticipated in the long term. But what exactly is the 'short term' and what is the 'long term'? This lecture will (hopefully) be appropriate for both scientists and non-scientists.
Host: Bob Ecke, T-CNLS