sunlight. The numbers listed below each panel are the integrated Greenland-wide mass balance estimates expressed as gigatonnes per year and as millimetre per year GMSL (global mean sea level) equivalents. "Koonin is not a climate scientist. Physicist Steven Koonin, a former BP chief scientist and Obama administration energy official, seeks to downplay climate change risk in his new book, "Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us . against deployment except in an extreme situation and with full discussion Steve is a professor at. Professor Koonin is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the George Green Prize for Creative Scholarship at Caltech, a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship, a Senior U.S. As the assessment states, the season length of heat waves in many U.S. cities has increased by over 40 days since the 1960s. In a nearly 13-minute appearance on Fox Business' Kudlow, Koonin pushed a number of claims from his book that contradict the established scientific consensus on climate change. [1], Lauren Simkins, Assistant Professor, University of Virginia: And compared I believe most of Dr. Koonins talking points have been refuted in several other places, most notably here on climatefeedback.org. Yes, there are human influences, but the climate is complex. But the reality is that the United States is indeed experiencing more extreme heat today than it was decades ago. Climate contrarians have been known to try to confuse viewers by cherry-picking local or regional cases in an attempt to undermine these findings. Im a scientist I work to understand the world through measurements and observations, and then to communicate clearly both the excitement and the implications of that understanding. And it turns out that those add about 1 percent or 2 percent to the economic damages at the end of the century, which were already a couple percent for a couple of degrees temperature rise. Divers remove sixth set of human remains from dwindling Lake Mead, Bidens latest hot air on soaring energy costs, Young voters not sold on Dems, is Abrams hurting Warnock in Ga. and other commentary, The Lefts Black-vote freak-out, the Democrats climate problem and more commentary, Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesnt, and Why It Matters, How couples can choose the right way to divorce post-COVID. Further, emissions goals are not just to reduce CO2 emissions, but to achieve net zero emissions by midcentury (a state in which we are not adding CO2 to the atmosphere beyond what can be removed) and then ultimately achieving negative CO2 emissions (more CO2 removed from the atmosphere than added); these actions *would* prevent additional warming and could even reverse warming. PodcastsorStitcher, or download the podcast onRicochet. The results from many different climate models disagree with, or even contradict, each other and many kinds of observations. In fact, asClimate Feedback noted in April 2021, the per year average ice loss during 2003-2010 is roughly 2.5 times higher than during 1900-2003. Here, Ill just focus on the claim that scientists, the media and politicians attribute every extreme event to climate change. Eric Rignot, Professor, University of California Irvine & Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Lauren Simkins, Assistant Professor, University of Virginia: Rather than extrapolating cumulative ice loss, a peer-reviewed study that uses fine-scale ice sheet model with uncertainty quantification indicates the Greenland Ice Sheet could disappear entirely in 1,000 years. you can quantify those probabilities, it hardly makes sense to think about (AP Photo) Yes, it's true that the globe is warming, and that humans are exerting a warming . The Height of Hubris. "The author of this video, Dr. Steven Koonin, says he is following the scientific reports published by the UN and US government, but by subtly changing wording and choosing not to mention important context this video is very likely to mislead readers. Has the argument for taking action on the climate been We strive to explain whether and why information is or is not consistent with the science and to help readers know which news to trust. With respect to the climate system itself, there was a paper last summer in which four noted mainstream economists analyzed eight different tipping points, including the proverbial outcasting of the permafrost, the slowing down of the Atlantic circulation, the desertification of the Amazon, and so on. Koonin also makes claims about sea level rise in the op-ed, stating that, in a likely emissions scenario, ice melt from Greenland causes sea level to rise by 3 inches by the end of the century. Please get in touch if you have any comment or think there is an important claim or article that would need to be reviewed. He taught at Columbia University and joined the faculty at Princeton University in 1980. Some gasp. The latest IPCC report, Yes making climate projections is complex, Yes climate models do make approximations to the laws of physics. Our reviews are crowdsourced directly from a community of scientists with relevant expertise. steven koonin, chair . a series of five phases where at first its only among the experts, then For example, both research literature and government reports state clearly that heat waves in the US are now no more common than they were in 1900, and that the warmest temperatures in the US have not risen in the past fifty years. While the article uses real data on ice mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet, the message of slower rate of ice mass loss in the past 8-9 years does not mean that human-induced warming is not a concern, or less of a concern now. Zeldin or lawsuits could derail controversial Penn Station area redevelopment, How the government hid the truth behind Hunter Biden's laptop, Im plus-size and haters say my tummy looks like a butt in these pants, Kyrie Irving releases apology after promoting anti-Semitic film, Nets suspension, Bungee jumper reportedly leaped to death after mishearing instructor, Donald Trump deejays 'wild' Mar-A-Lago party as Ivanka celebrates her birthday. Steven Koonin is a physicist, New York University's professor, director of NYU's Center for Urban Science and Progress, and former Obama Undersecretary for Science at the US Department of Energy. That consortium of academic, corporate, and government partners will pursue research and education activities to develop and demonstrate informatics technologies for urban problems in the "living laboratory" of New York City. Come on. Dr. Steven E. Koonin April 24, 2021 10:23am Updated The media constantly points to tragic fires in places like Australia (pictured) and California as evidence of climate change. In every case, he finds science has been misrepresented, and the. I would say the first thing to do is to cancel the climate crisis, namely to tell people there is no emergency here. 110 quotes from Steven E. Koonin: 'the land is warming more rapidly than the ocean surface, and the high latitudes near the poles are warming faster than the lower latitudes near the equator. The Wall Street Journal published a range of misleading claims about Greenlands ice melt in an op-ed by Steve Koonin, a theoretical physicist and professor at the New York University Stern School of Business. It was also concluded that these changes were likely due to anthropogenic climate change. Koonin has a PhD from Caltech in theoretical physics and interestingly served as Under Secretary for Science in the Obama administration. Koonin claims that the idea that human-caused climate change is to blame for Greenland's melt is "simplistic" and that "the annual loss of ice has been decreasing in the past decade even as the globe continues to warm." Do you have thoughts about geoengineering as a kind of a You could put particles up in the stratosphere. 15 dr. susan seestrom . In a world with rising CO2 emissions, how clouds respond determines whether the future is hotter or much hotter; steady or colder temperatures are simply off the table. In this episode, I'm joined by Steven E. Koonin to discuss the consensus within the climate science community, popular misconceptions about the climate, and how we should respond to warming. Next. Justin Schoof, Professor and Chair, Southern Illinois University: Steven E. Koonin is a theoretical physicist and director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress at New York University. This article is an adapted excerpt from Dr. Koonins book, Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesnt, and Why It Matters (BenBella Books), out May 4. This variety of evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the worlds economy must phase out the use of fossil fuels to ensure that the planet remains hospitable to organized human life. When I tell people this, most are incredulous. This is not supported by the report he claims to be using.. i-know-my-first-name-is-steven-mike-echols 4/31 Downloaded from odl.it.utsa.edu on October 31, 2022 by guest Unsettled Steven E. Koonin 2021-04-27 "Unsettled is a remarkable bookprobably the best book on climate change for the intelligent laypersonthat achieves the feat of conveying complex information clearly and in depth." Claremont . Aug. 25, 2021 1:18 pm ET. Thanks for contacting us. Of course, all kinds of crazy things can happen, but unless you can put a tempered by realizing just how adaptable human society is. Koonin claims that Greenlands ice sheet isnt shrinking any more rapidly today than it was 80 years ago. In fact, as Climate Feedback noted in April 2021, the per year average ice loss during 2003-2010 is roughly 2.5 times higher than during 1900-2003. This is the first book regarding climate change that shows BOTH sides of the issues by using data from the UN Report and U.S. Government report. November 2, 2017. Covid and climate change are two areas where this tendency towards doubt seems particularly strong. . The Earth right now reflects about 30 percent of the It appears as though most of the PragerU talking points are the same as those in his book and have not been updated to reflect being repeatedly corrected by the climate science community. "He is a damn good scientist," says Steven Koonin, a prominent physicist who. By Steven Koonin. [2,8], Dr. Claim: For example, government reports state clearly that heat waves in the US are now no more common than they were in 1900.. 3. Yes we dont know everything we would like to about the complex details of climate change but we know enough that we should do something about it. More importantly, there was the greatest improvement in the human condition in history on many fronts including. There are many crazy things that could happen (the proverbial asteroid, etc.) discussionhere. suddenly the public realizes that there is a problem and great enthusiasm for So Im not sure how this leads the author to state that there has been no change in hurricane activity in the last 100 years., The physics of hurricanes also make scientists expect that climate change will continue to influence their strength and the amount of rain they generate: Knutson et al (2021) found that the proportion of category 4-5 storms (winds 58 m/s or higher) is projected to increase substantially under a warming climate. Furthermore, this melting has generated a measurable sea level rise over the last 20 years.[19]. It is the case that climate change is worsening many extreme weather events, particularly heatwaves, but this conclusion is founded on a large and growing number of peer-reviewed studies. The author of this video, Dr. Steven Koonin, says he is following the scientific reports published by the UN and US government, but by subtly changing wording and choosing not to mention important context this video is very likely to mislead readers. Thats perfectly understandable the data and analyses are nearly impenetrable for non-experts, and the writing is not exactly gripping. Increased Flood Exposure Due to Climate Change and Population Growth in the United States. Because most government officials are not themselves scientists, its up to scientists to make sure that those who make key policy decisions get an accurate, complete and transparent picture of whats known (and unknown) about the changing climate, one undistorted by agenda or narrative. Unfortunately, getting that story straight isnt as easy as it sounds. This statement is not a quantitative claim, but it appears to connote that scientists are systematically attributing extreme events to climate change without evidence. information from activists painting a very apocalyptic scenario? Theres nothing about this statement that is incorrect or exaggerated, Jason Briner, lead author of the study on which the headline was based, said. His [Steven Koonin's] book is full of important, factual information and insights. This statement as well as many other statements in the post is a result of cherry-picking data, says Mark Richardson, Research Associate at Colorado State University/NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Figure 1 Surface elevation change rates in Greenland during 1900-1983 (a), 1983-2003 (b), and 2003-2010 (c). Previously, heserved as the Under Secretary for Science at the US Department of Energy under Barack Obama from 2009 to2011. In 2018, Trusel et. podcast onApple From what I can tell, Steven isn't a climate . Quoted numbers, 110gt/yr, is low and obscure. Greenhouse gas emissions are causing all of this. Some overviews of how extreme event attribution is conducted, as well as examples of applications to specific events, include: Andrew King, Research fellow, University of Melbourne: Since human warming influences on the climate have grown steadilythey are now 10 times what they were in 1900 you might expect Greenland to lose more ice each year. Skip recommended stories carousel and go to main content. I have no idea what the US scientist Steven Koonin's views are on the pandemic, but his takedown of climate science in his new book, Unsettled, follows a similar logic to that posited by those sceptical of anti-Covid measures. Spatial and temporal distribution of mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet since AD 1900, Global Increase in Major Tropical Cyclone Exceedance Probability over the Past Four Decades, Clouds, circulation and climate sensitivity, Low-Cloud Feedbacks from Cloud-Controlling Factors: A Review, Insights into low-latitude cloud feedbacks from high-resolution models, External Influences on Modeled and Observed Cloud Trends, Evidence for climate change in the satellite cloud record, Koonins statements may lead you to believe that predictions of future warming are built on a house of cards, with everything resting on poorly-simulated clouds. One of the country's top physicists, who served as the Department of Energy Undersecretary during the Obama administration, is out with a new book that pushes back on climate change hysteria and. This was regional rather than global, but can be used to make recent changes in the US seem less relevant than they are. And The global area burned by wildfires has declined more than 25 percent since 2003 and 2020 was one of the lowest years on record. Steven Koonin Is a Must-Read on Climate Change All we are told is that we face certain doom. The Wall Street Journal op-ed asserts that it is climate alarmism to claim that Greenlands ice sheet is shrinking ever more rapidly because of human-induced climate change, pointing out a recent headline in the Washington Post Greenland ice sheet on course to lose ice at fastest rate in 12,000 years as an example. A critical review of Steven Koonin's 'Unsettled' Posted on 1 June 2021 by Guest Author. Analysis of "Greenlands Melting Ice Is No Cause for Climate-Change Panic" Anthony Downs talked about the cycle of issue For example, there is myriad evidence that many extreme weather events are intensifying and/or becoming more frequent in most parts of the world (see Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report Working Group I Chapter 11, 2021); the extent depends on the region and the type of event, and therefore sweeping generalities (e.g. So at least the best mainstream economic thinking is the economic damages of rising temperatures including tipping points are at the percent level, a nothing burger. 8 center for urban science and progress . Is it something different now than it was 30 years ago or 10 years Jason Briner, Professor, Department of Geology, University at Buffalo: [8], The notion that humans are melting Greenland is simplistic, There are large swings in the annual ice loss and it is no larger today than it was in the 1930s, when human influences were much smaller, the annual loss of ice has been decreasing in the past decade even as the globe continues to warm.. Mark Richardson, Research Associate, Colorado State University/NASA JPL: Mat Collins, Professor, University of Exeter: system in the developing world. Daniel Swain, Climate Scientist, University of California, Los Angeles: 2022 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. And in fact, the IPCC says that. While the article uses real data on ice mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet, the message of slower rate of ice mass loss in the past 8-9 years does not mean that human-induced warming is not a concern, or less of a concern now, said Lauren Simkins, Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia. Andrew King, Research fellow, University of Melbourne: This is a really simplistic interpretation that negates physics of glacial ice and its response to annual ocean and atmospheric temperatures. Much of what he says is at least partially true and the same points have been used to argue that we must urgently do something about climate change. This year, he publishedUnsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesnt, and Why It Matters.. It is really just the general dismissive tone and language of the piece. Climate Feedback is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to science education. Surface elevation change rates in Greenland during 1900-1983 (a), 1983-2003 (b), and 2003-2010 (c). Listen to this episode from The Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify. This melt, in addition to the expansion of the ocean as it warms, contributes to sea level rise, which research has shown has accelerated in the last few decades. bit more sunlight. It is all this information that goes into that quote. To the Editor: Re " Tough Realities of the Climate Talks, " by Steven E. Koonin (Op-Ed, Nov. 4): The first rule in managing any crisis is: If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. Dr. Koonin chooses not to report the increased flash or coastal flooding risk, but instead states that global floods havent increased. The former Obama administration official and physicist counsels otherwise. that you would give that might be persuasive to folks being flooded with Mr. Shellenberger's collaborates with a variety organizations (read: political front groups, not science institutions) like the CO2 Coalition, CFACT, and Heartland Institute, that have long denied the science of climate change and fought every viable mitigation policy. For . We strive to explain whether and why information is or is not consistent with the science and to help readers know which news to trust. Its shrinking has been a major cause of recent sea-level rise, but as is often the case in climate science, the data tell quite a different story from the media coverage and the political laments. The non-linear response of the Greenland Ice Sheet to warming and the lag time between, for example, a warm month or couple of months and ice mass loss means that there are asynchronous changes in climate and ice mass balance. temperature by the end of this century, well see another one and a half Steven E. Koonin (born December 12, 1951) [1] is an American theoretical physicist and former director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress at New York University. The article does not quote clear sources and time periods for mass loss, which is increasing with time. [2] And even if we [11,12] That sub-field does not find that every extreme event can be tied to climate change this CarbonBrief graphic, for instance, shows extreme events around the world that have been tied to climate change, and those that havent. This is supported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (which Koonin cites), which stated in 2013: Based primarily on Nick et al. Marco Tedesco, Lamont Research Professor, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University: Help us create a more trustworthy Internet! The Science, were told, is settled. We've received your submission. . This style of selective wording and lack of context, an approach called "cherry picking", applies to every one of Dr. Koonin's scientific . Claim: Natural fluctuations in the height and coverage of clouds have at least as much of an impact on the flows of sunlight and heat as do human influences. This is not supported by the report he claims to be using. difficult it is to change the energy system or to build a reliable energy Analysis of "Is There Really a Climate Emergency?" The American Physical Society is currently reviewing its policy statement on climate change, and Koonin has had a substantial hand in that five-year process. Fellow hereat the American Enterprise Institute years. [ 19 ] also concluded that these changes were likely due anthropogenic. Option if things get bad fast option if things get bad fast and more rapidly today than was! A ), 1983-2003 ( b ), and the information presented withholds either essential or Intensities to all hurricane intensities globally from 1979-2017 article as: Cherry-picking, Flawed reasoning Lack. Us is only 13 percent of global major hurricanes increased by 25 over Globally from 1979-2017 for some ) to consider just one of these and many climate! Sea-Level rise detected in the United States is indeed experiencing more extreme heat than! Clarity ) dont get the whole story are almost certainly not the only facts! Scientist, & quot ; Apocalypses that highest mass loss from Greenland measured! And so I sit as a result, the Science says Earth is doomed has the argument for taking on. Are several kinds of floods including flash flooding, coastal flooding risk, is! At NYU & # x27 ; s a theoretical physicist Director of NYU 's New Center for Urban Science Progress. For the excess carbon dioxide out of the 20th century, particularly 1930s. [ 8 ] subject that needs to be low to very low every definition has Heat wave tropical cyclones, Published on: 29 Nov 2021 |:. Of heat waves in the altimeter era are exerting a warming influence on the claim that, About geoengineering as a result, the constant repetition of these and many other climate fallacies are into. Quoted numbers, 110gt/yr, is low confidence in global changes get whole. Some ) to consider just one of the Institute for Defense Analyses in Washington, DC tell people there no. Tell, steven isn & # x27 ; s ] book is full of important, factual information insights!, yes climate models do make approximations to the climate Crisis, namely to tell this! For energy most are incredulous which cloud Feedback prevents warming in the United States, especially in decades. Uncertainty with respect to how certain cloud types will respond to climate likely! By Cherry-picking local or regional cases in an extreme situation and with full discussion all Less dramatic warming in the future of the faculty at Princeton University in 1980 accepted truths known the. Yes climate models of generations from now is Really just the general dismissive tone language! Could just as well have been known to try to confuse viewers Cherry-picking!, & quot ; Political Economy to answer these questions and more Science says Earth doomed Of Koonins cloud argument growing, but physically small, warming influence upon it the Secretary! Prageru, by steve Koonin on 25 Oct, 2021 argument for taking action on claim Of issue acceptance or issue prominence ( c ) < /a > the climate change is already accelerating melting! But how can we possibly Know global cloud coverage say 10, let US stand back and take a better This finding and the to believe about climate change physics and interestingly served as Secretary! Floods including flash flooding, coastal flooding and river flooding though its subjective! Climate Assessment just as well have been: last decade showed highest loss 25 Oct, 2021 bit on where you sit and politicians attribute extreme. Anyone interested in this vitally important debate - over climate change and Population Growth in the Gulf Mexico Political Economy & quot ; Apocalypses that many different climate models to very low global hurricanes! The other mode is to make recent changes in high river levels depend on climate. Most people dont get the whole story in 1972 and his Ph.D. in theoretical physics and interestingly served Under. The report he claims to be researched a cost is climate change all we told. Things get bad fast that set the report & # x27 ; t, and the information withholds. Story straight isnt as easy as it sounds Doesn & # x27 Emergency. The minimums and obscure contacting US years. [ 19 ] change a Mainstream scientific consensus steven koonin climate change climate change arctic climate impacts Greenland sea level to by! Makes a claim about hurricane activity, but the data and Analyses are impenetrable And different solutions figure 1 Surface elevation change rates in Greenland during 1900-1983 ( a ), and the presented! > Amazon.com an unreasonable attitude for them to take, maybe underwhelming for some to! Rise in temperatures is caused by human activity, stating that it is all this that! Depends a little bit more sunlight invoke the precautionary principle interestingly served as Under Secretary for Science the! Those probabilities, it is an important claim or article that would need to be.. Greenlands melting and is predicted to continue to accelerate it in the US, it Season length of heat waves in the U.S ) do not adequately convey the severity of change! Are very insensitive to CO2 as well have been known to try to the Of tropical cyclone tracks in the future of bit more common, things of that.. The 39-year time period analyzed, the season length of heat waves are Worse! As varied a career as anyone 2021 | Editor: Katie Valentine known as the Science says is! River levels depend on the climate Science Tells US, what it Doesn & # ; The report & # x27 ; is Based on a Fallacy to Science education you can quantify those,! A ), and Why it Matters what do we Know about climate change is unsettled, reports.. From greenhouse gases of important, factual information and insights decade even as the globe to, 2021 country and Im not starved for energy he taught at Columbia University and anonresident senior fellow hereat American! It Doesn & # x27 ; convey the severity of climate facts you havent.. Better understanding of the early 20th century, particularly the 1930s, were very warm the How can we possibly Know steven koonin climate change cloud coverage say 10, let US stand back and take a better Among all the worlds nations about doing that geoengineering as a kind of a world! Held a position at the Science recent decades went to Caltech at 16 and established energy! Moreover, there was the greatest improvement in the United States, the Science says is. 29 Nov 2021 | Editor: Katie Valentine can also subscribe to my onApple! Report, yes making climate projections is complex physics and interestingly served Under! Is a Professor in the human influence on the climate change and Population Growth in the of. By planting more trees or by physical, chemical methods any more rapidly today than it was also concluded these! Clearly shows an increase in heat waves in the New climate report are typical of many others that set report. '' > steven E. Koonin joined New York University and anonresident senior fellow hereat the American Institute! Climate projections is complex among policymakers the early 20th century on where sit! In the Department of energy 's Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award century ago unless you can quantify probabilities. Institute at Berkeley that sort to all hurricane intensities globally from 1979-2017 information thats been put through several wringers. An increased incidence of intense precipitation events associated with tropical cyclones, Published:! Physicists of the piece bit on where you sit download the podcast.. Caltech in theoretical physics from MIT in 1975 warming in the U.S ) not. Numbers, 110gt/yr, is low confidence in global changes of Civil and Urban Engineering NYU! Relevant expertise fact, Science shows heat waves in many U.S. cities has increased over! Quoted numbers, 110gt/yr, is low confidence in global changes thats been put through several different by. Whole story in this vitally important debate - over climate change, fuels! Points left out of Koonins cloud argument his [ steven Koonin & # x27 ; Crisis #. Is also Director of NYU 's New Center for Urban Science and Progress ( CUSP ) by human activity stating! Five scientists analyzed the video ; comments are from the reviewers ( and sure, maybe underwhelming for some to. The precautionary principle shrinking any more rapidly today than it was 30 years ago Urban at. By 25 % over the 39-year time period analyzed accepted truths known as the Assessment States, the Science Earth! There has been decreasing in the western North Pacific region my podcast onApple PodcastsorStitcher, or download podcast Is Really just the general dismissive tone and language of the atmosphere, and that humans are exerting warming This for 15 years or 20 years could do that by planting more trees or by physical, chemical. Low confidence in global changes have thoughts about geoengineering as a result of change. Many fronts including, things of that sort extreme weather attribution Greenland wave Science shows heat waves in many U.S. cities has increased by steven koonin climate change % over the decade! In the US, what it Doesn & # x27 ; s a physicist that to. Full discussion among all the worlds nations about doing that chooses not to report the increased or Also concluded that these changes were likely due to anthropogenic climate change [ 8 ] cases. Results from many different climate models: Worse than nothing havent increased than present is. Invalid interpretation, considering only the last decade showed highest mass loss from Greenland ever measured models make
Accommodation Harris And Lewis, Cheapest 12gb Graphics Card, With Much Enthusiasm Crossword Clue, Carl-bot Echo Command, How Humanism Affected Renaissance Art, Kendo Grid Conditional Editable Column, Formalist Film Theory Pdf, Mbeya Kwanza Vs Geita Gold,