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Salon duc Tape – Synthesis of Climate Change Results from the IPCC 6th Assessment– June 23^rd

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How much more than what’s being done will be needed to address the climate crisis?

Join us on Friday, June 23^rd, for the last salon before our annual summer break.  Scott Denning will be addressing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Synthesis Report, which was released in March of this year.  The report tightens the IPCC’s focus on both urgency and agency.  Scott writes,

“IPCC assesses that the pace and scale of climate action up to now are insufficient to tackle climate change.  Adverse impacts to water, food production, health, cities, infrastructure, and ecosystems will intensify over the coming years.  Every degree of warming produces impacts that are more widespread and pronounced.  Nevertheless, multiple, feasible and effective options are available to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.  Mainstreaming effective and equitable climate action now will reduce losses and damages for nature and people and these actions provide many co-benefits.  We must cut emissions quickly and sharply to create a safer more sustainable world.  Greenhouse gas emissions must fall about 50% by 2030, and we must scale up practices and infrastructure to enhance resilience.

Fairness is one of the most important solutions: those who contributed least to climate change are the most vulnerable to its impacts.  People in highly vulnerable areas are up to 15 times more likely to die in floods, drought, and storms.  Solving the problem will require 3 to 6 times as much investment as we are currently providing.  Developing countries require external funding to meet adaptation needs.  These investments can improve people’s health and livelihoods, reduce poverty and hunger, and enhance clean energy, water, and air.  A combination of political commitment, inclusive governance, international cooperation, ecosystem stewardship, and sharing of diverse knowledge is required.  We will need to enhance trust, collaboration, sharing of burdens and benefits, and a recognition that some can contribute more than others.  The choices we make now will reverberate over thousands of years and affect trillions of people.”

Scott is the Monfort Professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, where he studies pathways of carbon in the climate system.  Over 30 years, he’s published well over 100 papers in the peer-reviewed climate literature, served on many national and international advisory boards, and mentored dozens of graduate students.  Now on transitional retirement from CSU, he’s delighted to be teaching and speaking more and writing fewer proposals and reports.  He’s a lively and entertaining presenter and apologizes in advance for his notoriously foul mouth.

Salon duc Tape, a public forum sponsored by the Northern Colorado Alliance for a Livable Future (NCALF), usually meets on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month from 7:00 — 9:00 p.m. We generally meet online via Zoom, but are planning to hold an in-person salon this fall.  You will need to register in advance for this salon here.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information – including a new link – about joining the salon.