When: Sunday, March 22, 2020, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Where: Jefferson Unitarian Church, 14350 W 32nd Ave · Golden
The Use and Misuse of Climate Futures
Prof. Roger Pielke, Jr., University of Colorado – Boulder.
The current state of knowledge of our vibrant planet, Earth, and its inhabitants is unprecedented, and ever-increasing due to the diligent work of countless thousands of scientifically minded investigators. Mountains of scientific facts and empirical evidence are being synthesized in such a way as to give us a holistic understanding of our ever-changing planet. Just as the story of Earth’s history becomes clearer and clearer, so too are the possible futures open to us.
Supplanting soothsayers of yesteryear are supercomputers that crunch through sophisticated models to project what the world might be like in the coming decades, based on different physical and socio-economic scenarios. These computer models, though useful, are necessarily imperfect – as all models are – because of manifold simplifying assumptions, and limited quantity and quality of input data. As a tool for guiding government policy, these models set the stage upon which we all will act in the drama in which we strive to fulfill our dreams of a shared, sustainable future.
Professor Roger Pielke, Jr. started his scientific career at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). After eight years he joined the faculty of the University of Colorado Boulder in 2001. There he teaches and writes on a diverse range of policy and governance issues related to science, technology, environment, innovation, and sports. Roger is a professor in the Environmental Studies Program. At CU-Boulder, Roger founded and has directed the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, and also the Sports Governance Center. Roger was a Fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences from 2001 to 2016. CIRES, as it’s called, is sponsored jointly by NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and CU Boulder. CIRES was established in 1967 and is the oldest and largest of NOAA’s cooperative institutes nationwide.
Special Note: The American Humanist Association believes that climate change due to man-made global warming is a real threat to the planet. Jefferson Humanists support these findings.
—————————————————————————————————-
We will serve appetizers from 4:00 to 4:30, then start the program. A small donation is suggested for food and wine. The program will include announcements and a Humanist Moment before the presentation begins.
We hope to see you at 4:00 pm, on Sunday, March 22nd, at Jefferson Unitarian Church!
—————————————————————————————————
The Action Center is in need of some basic hygiene items to distribute to the homeless and low-income members of our community, so this month we’ll be collecting personal items like bath tissue, razors, shampoo, soap. Please bring any of these to the March Chapter Meeting.
