Graphics displayed to the crowd represented oceanic warming and changing pH factors over time. “Every square meter of the entire planet is being loaded with extra watts per square meter of additional energy. That’s the greenhouse gas/global warming physics in a nutshell,” said Running. “Over this last 60 to 80 years, it is unquestioned that this is human-driven greenhouse gasses,” he said, adding that the recipient of most of this extra energy is the ocean.
From local to national climate change implications to advancements in scientific data collection and renewable energy, Running touched on an array of topics attempting to cut through the Gordian knot of information that represents the topic of climate change. Data visualizations selected by Running showed humans produce more CO2 and greenhouse gasses than wildfires and volcanoes by a large margin. Data from the 2017 Montana Climate Assessment indicated an increase in temperature and a decrease in precipitation over the past several decades. Projections estimate this trend will continue.
America’s CO2 emission rates were also put on display, showing a downward trend over the last decade. Comparatively, China’s emissions continue to spike and have increased to more than the rest of the industrialized world combined.
Running took questions for nearly an hour after his lecture. Audience members focused their inquiries not on questioning the data they were shown but on potential innovations, the effectiveness of current sustainable energy technologies, the issue of public trust in the scientific community and perceived politicalization. They asked nuanced questions about global economic influences on pollution, how to mitigate them and if those mitigations would realistically have to come about through global legislation.
Running appeared candid in his responses, saying that certain climate change “fixes” were not effective. He touched on the abuse of the U.S. government grant system related to green energy and misapprehensions about the success of carbon-sequestration practices. While he offered no “quick fixes” himself, the doctor did say he is more optimistic about the situation than he was five years ago. Advancing technology will likely be easier than asking for a global cultural shift from humanity, he said, and seeing certain recent innovations gives him hope.
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Publish date : 2024-09-10 10:26:00
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