Climate Change 9of12: Global Problems and Global Solutions

Lecture by Professor Richard Muller of the University California, Berkeley. Taken from Lectures 20 and 21 of the spring 2008 webcasts of Physics For Future Presidents. Also known as Descriptive Introduction to Physics. Emphasis is on conceptual understanding, rather than mathematics.

This lecture deals with the physics of climate change, the data on global temperature and carbon dioxide changes, and some potential solutions. Also covered are the many mistakes that can be made, including the trap of exaggeration. He warns against the danger of cherry picking and overstating the case. When people discover that the exaggerated case is not valid, they may dismiss the problem altogether. Professor Muller has researched this topic for many years and has co-authored a book with Gordon MacDonald called "Ice Ages and Astronomical Causes".

The reports of the IPCC are referenced much during this lecture. The full IPCC reports can be found here:
http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/assessments-reports.htm

This lecture can also be found here, along with many other lectures:
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/course_details.php?seriesid=1906978515

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• al
• gore
• sea
• level
• global
• warming
• exaggeration
• fossil
• fuel
• oil
• war
• carbon
• credits
• china

[afar]

I like how he warns against alarmism and sticks to the irrefutable data and allows its likely projection to be alarmist enough.

[kingmike40]

He is good at telling both sides.

[juliannemyron]

Interesting post. like it! =)

[Surhotchaperchlorome]

/watch?v=xfebD3pAS4A ("Lions, Tigers, and Global Warming! OH MY! " by JacobSpinney)

[nanderv]

@kingmike40 evel, and the southpole doesn't decrease in Ice (over long term). Of course the ice melts in spring, but in the winter and Autumn it grows back.. It has always been this way. By the way, the middle ages were the warmest period of the last 2000 years. We started measuring temperature from the small ice age, and yeah, after an Ice age the temperature rises.. But if you had the choice: telling the truth and earning no money, or lieing and making damn much money (CO2 emission rights)

[nanderv]

@kingmike40 Climate change based on CO2 is bullcrap.. IPCC has made the data up, they removed all the measurements they couldn't use in their theory.. That's a bit like using a dice 100 times, but using the times the dice was a 3-6 in your research. Then you say: Hey.. the average is 4.5 instead of the expected 6! And: sealevel rise: the sea level doesn't rise, the land sinks (at least here in Holland).. It has the same effect, but is not caused by humans.. Northpole ice has 0 effect on the seal

[kingmike40]

China passed the U.S. in co2 production but they have had two years of record snow falls, but like professor muller states don't look at the short term.

[SeaOfWholes]

The problem is scientist are scientist, not public speech figures. Maybe we should start teaching more scientist how to appeal to the people, and give them platforms to do so.

[RedToryProductions]

The general public seems to care more about 'balloon boy' panic than global warming. No wonder scientists need help communicating.