Global Climate Change Update

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11/02/2007

Nov. 02, 2007

Global Climate Change Update

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Scientists say carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere are shooting up faster than anyone predicted. What does that mean for climate change -- and for plans to limit carbon emissions? Several new papers take a new look at the issue -- with one arguing that it might be time to scrap the Kyoto Protocol and look for a new approach to curbing gas emissions. Another paper argues that even though there is still a large degree of uncertainty in climate change predictions, climate scientists may never be able to predict atmospheric conditions with a much higher degree of certainty -- and so governments should be moving to immediate action, not planning more research before taking action. In this segment, Ira talks with researchers about greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

Produced by Annette Heist, Senior Producer

Guests

Eileen Claussen
President

Pew Center on Global Climate Change

Arlington, Virginia
Christopher Field
Director, Department of Global
Ecology

Carnegie Institution of Washington

Professor, Biology

Stanford University

Stanford, California
Steve Rayner
James Martin Professor of Science and Civilization

Director, James Martin Institute

University of Oxford

Member, Royal Commission on Environmental
Pollution

London, England
Gerard Roe
Associate Professor

Department of Earth and Space Sciences

University of Washington

Seattle, Washington

Nov. 02, 2007