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SUMMARY:Coping with climate change in the next half-century - Charles Kenn
 el\, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Sustainability Solutions Inst
 itute (Previous Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography\, 1998-200
 6) (University of California)
DTSTART:20140221T140000Z
DTEND:20140221T150000Z
UID:TALK50832@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Victoria Hamilton-Morris
DESCRIPTION:Charles F. Kennel (a)\, V. Ramanathan (b)\, and David G. Victo
 r ( c)\nUniversity of California San Diego\n\n\nGreenhouse gas (GHG) conce
 ntrations are trending far off the path needed to avoid dangerous interfer
 ence in the climate system\, and nations are making little progress in the
  diplomacy to cut their emissions. Reducing Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions
  from fossil fuels is the only course of action that stabilizes the climat
 e beyond the year 2100\; a recent analysis of California’s energy system
 s illustrates how difficult it will be over the next few decades to put th
 e planet on the path to stabilization.  While there is cause for optimism 
 that CO2 emission controls could have effect after 2050\, in the interim t
 he world must prepare for at least twice as much human-caused warming in 2
 050 as we have seen thus far. \n\nThere is a way to moderate the impacts o
 f climate change between now and later in the century when CO2 mitigation 
 could become effective.  Action on short-lived climate warming pollutants 
 such as methane and black carbon can have a fast climate response and redu
 ce the near-term costs of adaptation.  The technologies and regional regul
 atory forums are in place and the co-benefits are huge\; controls on short
 -lived pollutants\, such as soot\, can save millions of lives through redu
 ctions in local pollution while also lessening the loss of crops. Focusing
  on pollutants with large co-benefits could make countries more likely to 
 want to act. Working on issues where short-term success is possible could 
 also make international climate change diplomacy more credible\, which wou
 ld greatly aid in completing the more difficult task of reducing CO2 emiss
 ions.  \n\nNonetheless\, significant climate warming now appears unavoidab
 le\, so it is also urgent to prepare to adapt.  We propose that reduction 
 in short-lived climate pollutants go hand-in-hand with local and regional 
 adaptation efforts. Unlike much of climate change science\, which looks gl
 obally\, adaptation is an intrinsically local affair.  Successful adaptati
 on will require new institutions\, including climate change assessment net
 works that directly support local mitigation and adaptation efforts worldw
 ide\, and a knowledge-dense cyber-infrastructure that supports them. \n\na
 : Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Sustainability Solutions Institu
 te\nb: Scripps Institution of Oceanography\nc: School of International Rel
 ations and Pacific Studies\n\n\n
LOCATION:British Antarctic Survey\, conference room
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