Richard C. J. Somerville is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. He is a theoretical meteorologist and an expert on computer simulations of the atmosphere. He received the Ph. D. in meteorology from New York University in 1966 and has been a professor at Scripps since 1979. Richard Somerville's research is on the physics of clouds and their role in the climate system. His interests include all aspects of climate, including climate science outreach and the interface between science and public policy. He comments frequently on climate and environmental issues for the media. Somerville has received awards from the American Meteorological Society for both his research and his popular book “The Forgiving Air: Understanding Environmental Change”, a new edition of which was recently published in 2008. Among many honors, he is a Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Meteorological Society. He is a Coordinating Lead Author for the 2007 Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize equally with Al Gore.

In 2007, an international group of experts completed a definitive assessment of recent research on climate change science. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calls warming of the climate system "unequivocal" and attributes most of the observed recent global warming to human activities, with a confidence level of 90% or more. As human activities continue to modify the climate system, what will the implications be for rising sea level, hurricanes, and water supply? This talk first summarizes key scientific findings and then examines policy options. Worldwide emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change continue to increase each year. Nations will accept constraints on their freedom to emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases only when they are satisfied that they are being treated justly and equitably. Ethical concerns underlie the differing rights and obligations of both developed and developing countries. Intergenerational equity requires people today to consider the planet that their descendants will inherit. The prospect of intentional geoengineering to counter human-caused climate change also raises profound questions of equity and ethics. [click here for video of the lecture]

Book signing of The Forgiving Air: Understanding Environmental Change to follow lecture.