Modern Wisdom #403 - Richard Betts - Why Is Climate Science So Disputed?
Nov 27, 2021
Richard Betts, Head of Climate Impacts at the Met Office and lead author for the IPCC, tackles the contentious world of climate science. He discusses the human impact on climate change, the reliability of models, and the urgency of international collaboration. Betts shares insights on China's role in CO2 emissions and critiques climate activism methods, advocating for education over shame. He also unpacks potential consequences of global warming beyond two degrees, emphasizing the need for systemic change to avert crisis.
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Climate Science Disagreement
- Climate science itself is less contested than the responses and implications.
- The biggest controversies arise when discussing the urgency of emission reductions and the severity of future impacts.
Climate Model Accuracy
- Climate models, while complex, have successfully predicted long-term trends like the warming observed since the 1970s.
- Predicting specific weather events far in the future is difficult due to the chaotic nature of the atmosphere.
CO2's Role in Climate Change
- CO2, while not the most potent greenhouse gas, is crucial due to its long lifespan and increasing atmospheric concentration.
- Water vapor, the most important greenhouse gas, amplifies the warming effect of CO2.