Dr. Steven Cohen, Executive Director,
The Earth Institute at Columbia University

Monday, February 26th at 2:00 PM
William Pitt Union, Assembly Room
University of Pittsburgh, Oakland Campus

Climate change is the first widely recognized global crisis of environmental sustainability. Its solution requires the implementation of a transition from a fossil-fuel based energy economy to one built on renewable resources. This transition requires the development and diffusion of new technologies. The technological challenges of this transition will require significant political, organizational and financial resources and capacities. This talk will discuss the challenges of this transition and outline a path for meeting these challenges by the middle of the 21st century.

This lecture is free and open to the public but space is limited.

World’s Oceans Last Year Hit Hottest Temperatures Ever Recorded… ‘By Far’

Experts say the data indicates that humans must urgently “reduce the heating of our planet by using energy more wisely and increasing the use of clean and renewable energy.”

From Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams, January 26, 2018

A new analysis conducted by Chinese researchers and published in a peer-reviewed journal on Friday found that 2017 was the hottest year on record for the world’s oceans, renewing concerns among those in the scientific community about the man-made climate crisis.

“The long-term warming trend driven by human activities continued unabated,” the researchers, Lijing Cheng and Jiang Zhu, wrote (pdf) in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. “The high ocean temperatures in recent years have occurred as greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere have also risen, reaching record highs in 2017.”

While measuring atmospheric temperature changes provides insight into humankind’s impact on the planet—and recent reports show 2017 was the second-hottest year on record—”in terms of understanding how fast the Earth is warming, the key is the oceans,” because almost all the planet’s heat is stored in the seas, as John Abraham, a professor of thermal sciences, explains in a piece for the Guardian.

Abraham says last year’s dramatic increase made 2017 “by far” the hottest year on record for the world’s oceans.

Breaking down the significance of a graph presented in the new report, Abraham writes: “This graph shows ocean heat as an ‘anomaly,’ which means a change from their baseline of 1981–2010. Columns in blue are cooler than the 1981-2010 period, while columns in red are warmer than that period. The best way to interpret this graph is to notice the steady rise in ocean heat over this long time period.”

“The fact that 2017 was the oceans’ hottest year doesn’t prove humans are warming the planet,” he continues, acknowledging that small temperature fluctuations from year to year are normal, due to natural events like the Pacific Ocean’s El Niño/La Niña cycle. “But, the long-term upward trend that extends back many decades does prove global warming.”

“The consequences of this year-after-year-after-year warming have real impacts on humans. Fortunately, we know why the oceans are warming (because of human greenhouse gases), and we can do something about it.”

—John Abraham, thermal sciences professor

“The human greenhouse gas footprint continues to impact the Earth system,” the Chinese researchers note, and the consequences include not only sea level rise, but also “declining ocean oxygen, bleaching of coral reefs, and melting sea ice and ice shelves.”

“The consequences of this year-after-year-after-year warming have real impacts on humans,” Abraham writes.

“Fortunately, we know why the oceans are warming (because of human greenhouse gases), and we can do something about it,” he concludes. “We can take action to reduce the heating of our planet by using energy more wisely and increasing the use of clean and renewable energy (like wind and solar power).”

Stephen Hawking warns Earth could become as hot as Venus if we do not cut greenhouse gas emissions, a significant driver of climate change.

Venus is by far the hottest planet in the solar system with a searing average surface temperature of 864 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Venus is like Earth in so many ways, a sort of kissing cousin,” the famed theoretical physicist said in the second episode of his new series, Stephen Hawking’s Favorite Places. “She’s almost the same size as Earth, a touch closer to the sun. She has an atmosphere.”

NASA explains that for up to 2 billion years of its early history, Venus may have had a shallow liquid-water ocean and habitable surface temperatures. However, due to its position to the sun, the planet’s water eventually evaporated. With no water left on its surface, carbon dioxide built up in the atmosphere and led to a runaway greenhouse effect that created Venus’ present hellish conditions.

“This is what happens when greenhouse gases are out of control,” Hawking said, implying that our own planet could also meet the same fiery fate.

He then quipped, “Next time you meet a climate-change denier, tell them to take a trip to Venus; I will pay the fare.”

Hawking has spoken against climate deniers before and has criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris agreement.

“Trump’s action could push the Earth over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of two hundred and fifty degrees, and raining sulphuric acid,” he said in July.

Hawking has frequently warned of doomsday scenarios and said that humanity needs to leave Earth and colonize the moon, Mars or other planets in order for our species to survive the impending doom of climate change.

He believes humans will only last another 600 years before Earth becomes a “sizzling ball of fire” that marks the end of humanity.

Source: https://www.ecowatch.com/stephen-hawking-venus-2524820127.html/