The Science and Politics of Climate Change

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2007/10/28/Science_and...

Climatologist Mike Hulme examines frequent misconceptions about the science and politics of global climate change.

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"The Science and Politics of Climate Change" at the 2007 Battle of Ideas conference hosted by the Institute of Ideas. Panelists include Mike Hulme, Chris Rapley, Hans von Storch and Joe Kaplinsky. The panel is moderated by Tony Gillard.

The issue of the negative effects of climate change is rarely out of the media and is increasingly portrayed in alarming terms. Politicians of all persuasions attest to the seriousness of the situation and are competing to present their green credentials, alongside business, local government and pretty much every major public organisation.

But what does science tell us about how we should respond to climate change? Are scientists becoming involved in campaigning for particular political responses, and, if so, is this a good or bad thing? Is the time for debate really over, or are political choices being obscured by talk of scientific consensus? Are the threats so great and the science so certain that there really is only one course of action? - Institute of Ideas

Professor Mike Hulme is the Founding Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, UK, and is based in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia (UEA) where he has worked for the last 18 years. His general research interest is global climate change – the science/policy interface –but specialising in the construction and application of climate change scenarios for impact, adaptation and integrated assessment.

Professor Hulme has prepared climate scenarios and reports for the UK Government (including the UKCIP98 and UKCIP02 scenarios), the European Commission, UNEP, UNDP, WWF-International and the IPCC. He was a co-ordinating lead author for the chapter on ‘Climate scenario development’ for the Third Assessment Report of the United Nations IPCC, as well as a contributing author for several other chapters. He is leading the EU Integrated Project ADAM (Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies) during the period 2006-9, which comprises a 26-member European research consortium contributing research to the development of EU climate policy.

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