In this engaging discussion, Chris Field, director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and a leading climate change expert, joins to explore critical climate issues. They tackle the skepticism surrounding climate change, the evolution and accuracy of climate models, and the alarming realities of rising temperatures and wildfires. Chris emphasizes the importance of transitioning to renewable energy while discussing the role of nuclear power and carbon taxes. He also highlights the need for equitable support for developing nations in their fight against climate change.
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insights INSIGHT
Model Accuracy
Some skeptics believe climate models have been wrong for decades.
However, climate predictions from the 1990 IPCC report have been accurate.
insights INSIGHT
Early Climate Science
Svante Arrhenius accurately predicted CO2 warming effects in 1896.
He understood CO2, water vapor amplification, and ocean absorption.
insights INSIGHT
Magnitude of Change
Small temperature increases don't seem alarming to many people initially.
However, extreme events' frequency and intensity are the main concerns.
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In 'Merchants of Doubt', historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway expose how a loose-knit group of high-level scientists, with deep connections in politics and industry, ran effective campaigns to mislead the public and deny well-established scientific knowledge over four decades. The book highlights how the same individuals repeatedly denied the truth of studies linking smoking to lung cancer, coal smoke to acid rain, and CFCs to the ozone hole, all while promoting an ideology of free market fundamentalism aided by a compliant media.
The Ministry for the Future
Kim Stanley Robinson
The Ministry for the Future is a novel by Kim Stanley Robinson that delves into the urgent issue of climate change. Set in the near future, the story follows the establishment of a UN agency, the Ministry for the Future, whose mission is to advocate for the rights of future generations. The novel is told through multiple perspectives, including those of Mary Murphy, the head of the Ministry, and Frank May, an American aid worker who survives a devastating heat wave in India. The book explores various innovative solutions to climate change, such as the introduction of a new currency called 'carboni' to incentivize decarbonization, and it presents a hopeful yet realistic vision of how humanity might cooperate to mitigate the effects of climate change. The narrative includes a mix of fictional eyewitness accounts, non-fiction descriptions, and diverse writing styles, reflecting the complexity and urgency of the climate crisis[1][3][5].
Sam Harris speaks with Chris Field about climate change and its consequences. They discuss skepticism about climate change, the accuracy of climate models, the magnitude of temperature increases, how global temperatures are measured, the historical record of climate variation, the range of possibilities in the coming decades, feedback mechanisms, wildfires, water vapor, air pollution, solar geo-engineering, the biggest challenge to taking action on climate change, the costs of transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy, renewable sources of energy, nuclear power, carbon capture, hydrogen, the developing world, China and India, carbon taxes and other incentives, and other topics.
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Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
Making Sense with Sam Harris 
