Dr. Elisabeth A. Holland, Senior Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) that is located about 60 kilometers from Denver, gave a presentation recently on the science of global warming to students in Prof. Anita Halvorssen's Global Climate Change Law & Policy course at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Dr. Holland, shown at right in picture along with Prof. Halvorssen, along with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and the other lead authors of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2007.
Dr. Holland spoke of the many changes that signal a warming world including rising atmospheric temperatures, rising sea levels, and a reduction in the Northern Hemisphere's snow cover. The IPCC's conclusion was that warming is unequivocal. She went on to say that precipitation over land is changing significantly over broad areas with extreme weather resulting in heavy rainfall over North America. She also said that the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are shrinking.
"Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the 20th century is 'very likely' [i.e., meaning 90 percent] due to the observed increase in anthropogenic [human-caused] greenhouse gas concentrations," Dr. Holland said.
Finally, she said that in order to achieve the IPCC's recommended 2 percent reduction in global emissions of carbon dioxide, the world would have to reduce the rate of emissions by 3.7 percent per year beginning in 2011, 5.3 percent per year beginning in 2015, or 9 percent per year beginning in 2020.
The next IPCC report will be published in 2012.
Dr. Holland spoke of the many changes that signal a warming world including rising atmospheric temperatures, rising sea levels, and a reduction in the Northern Hemisphere's snow cover. The IPCC's conclusion was that warming is unequivocal. She went on to say that precipitation over land is changing significantly over broad areas with extreme weather resulting in heavy rainfall over North America. She also said that the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are shrinking.
"Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the 20th century is 'very likely' [i.e., meaning 90 percent] due to the observed increase in anthropogenic [human-caused] greenhouse gas concentrations," Dr. Holland said.
Finally, she said that in order to achieve the IPCC's recommended 2 percent reduction in global emissions of carbon dioxide, the world would have to reduce the rate of emissions by 3.7 percent per year beginning in 2011, 5.3 percent per year beginning in 2015, or 9 percent per year beginning in 2020.
The next IPCC report will be published in 2012.
--Lucy Daberkow
Assistant Graduate Program Director
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