Speaker: Dr. John Harte

Topic: Global Warming: Why the Problem Is Worse than You Thought… and the Solution is More Simple.

Time:  10:00am

Place:  Salida Scout Hut, 210 E. Sackett St. Salida, CO. 81201

Summary: Dr. Harte presents a summary of the major findings, and implications for policy, from a 30-year climate research project at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. The critical and pernicious role of feedbacks to the climate system will be emphasized. Some of the major myths about climate that pervade the media will be analyzed, and effective ways to counter them will be suggested. The greatest myth of all is that solving global warming is impossible. Dr. Harte will provide an overview of a wide variety of approaches to preventing catastrophic warming, and will assess the feasibility of each. Dr. Harte concludes that if we enlarge the boundaries of our thinking, and approach the many threats to civilization systemically, then a pathway exists to a sustainable future.

Bio: John Harte is a Professor of the Graduate School at the University of California, Berkeley. He did his undergraduate studies at Harvard and his PhD at the University of Wisconsin. He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Leo Szilard prize from the American Physical Society, and is a co- recipient of a 2006 George Polk award in investigative journalism. He is an elected Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, the American Physical Society, the Ecological society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has also served on six National Academy of Sciences Committees and has authored over 240 scientific publications, including eight books, one of which, “Consider a Spherical Cow” is a widely used textbook on environmental modeling. John’s research focuses on ecology, global change, complexity science, and energy policy and sustainability.

Central Colorado Humanists sponsor Sunday Science presentations (normally) on the first Sunday of each month.  Each presentation is informative and features a science topic understandable by both scientists and non-scientists. Doors open at 9:30 AM and talk will start promptly at 10:00 AM. Admission is free and the public is welcome. Please join us!