NASA's Hansen to speak at Cary Institute

MILLBROOK — James E. Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the controversial and vocal “grandfather of global warming,†will speak about his book, “Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth about the Coming Climate Catastrophe,†Friday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Cary Institute.

The book was published in 2009 and summarizes the science of global warming; it argues for action as Hansen states in the preface to his book, “Planet Earth ... is in imminent peril ... and the timetable is shorter than we thought.† 

Hansen said he wrote the book because, “I did not want my grandchildren, some day in the future, to look back and say, ‘Opa understood what was happening, but he did not make it clear.’â€

Hansen received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Iowa, studying under Professor James Van Allen, for whom the Van Allen radiation belts were named. He continued his research with the Pioneer Venus mission to measure the properties of the Venusian atmosphere and later developed these modeling techniques and satellite data to analyze the earth’s climate.

Hansen has become a lightning rod in the environmental policy debate. He is known both for his ground-breaking research in climatology and his very public stance on global warming, including his early testimony to Congress on the subject in 1988.  

At that time he declared,  “With 99 percent confidence, that it was time to stop waffling: Earth was being affected by human-made greenhouse gases, and the planet had entered a period of long-term warming.† 

He has received numerous scientific awards and was listed by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2006.  In 2009 he received the Rossby Research Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the American Meteorological Society, for his “outstanding contributions to climate modeling ... and for clear communication of climate science in the public arena.â€

As a climate activist, Hansen has criticized the role of money in politics and politicians. He did so in the preface of  his book.

“Greenwashing, expressing concern about global warming and the environment while taking no actions to actually stabilize climate or preserve the environment, is prevalent in the United States and other countries, even those presumed to be the greenest,†he wrote.

He was a critic of both the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations’ stances on climate change, and most recently of President Obama’s plan for a cap and trade system.

“Politicians think that if matters look difficult, compromise is a good approach.  Unfortunately, nature and the laws of physics cannot compromise — they are what they are,†he stated. Hansen has said, “You just have to say what you think is right.† 

Expect an informative and straight-forward talk at the Cary Institute.  As Director Dr. William H. Schlesinger said, “It should be a real barn burner.â€

The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is located at 2801 Sharon Tpke. (Route 44) in Millbrook. As one of the largest ecological programs in the world, the institute is dedicated to the creation, dissemination and application of knowledge about ecosystems. For more information, go online to ecostudies.org.