Detecting and responding to climate change

Detecting and responding to climate change are two interrelated aspects of an important activity that Bert Bolin strongly promoted: the communication between scientists, the public and policy makers. The demonstration of a statistically significant anthropogenic contribution to the observed global w...

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Main Author: Klaus Hasselmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Stockholm University Press 2013-10-01
Series:Tellus: Series B, Chemical and Physical Meteorology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.tellusb.net/index.php/tellusb/article/download/20088/pdf_1
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author Klaus Hasselmann
author_facet Klaus Hasselmann
author_sort Klaus Hasselmann
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description Detecting and responding to climate change are two interrelated aspects of an important activity that Bert Bolin strongly promoted: the communication between scientists, the public and policy makers. The demonstration of a statistically significant anthropogenic contribution to the observed global warming greatly increased the public acceptance of the reality of climate change However, the separation between human-induced climate change and natural climate variability on the regional scales of greatest relevance for human living conditions remains a more difficult task. This applies to the prediction of both the anthropogenic signal and the natural variability noise. Climate mitigation and adaptation policies must therefore necessarily be designed as the response to uncertain risks. Unfortunately, the political response to climate change has stagnated in recent years through the preoccupation with the global financial crisis. Climate scientists can help overcome the current climate policy impasse through the creation of a new generation of simple, actor-based, system-dynamic models that demonstrate the close connection between the stabilisation of the global financial system and effective climate policies. Examples are given of alternative stabilisation policies that can lead either to major recessions and unemployment or to stable economic growth supported by an accelerated decarbonisation of the economy.
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spelling doaj.art-c8b937a7abc44757bb6bfe42689eaddd2022-12-22T03:02:14ZengStockholm University PressTellus: Series B, Chemical and Physical Meteorology1600-08892013-10-0165011610.3402/tellusb.v65i0.20088Detecting and responding to climate changeKlaus HasselmannDetecting and responding to climate change are two interrelated aspects of an important activity that Bert Bolin strongly promoted: the communication between scientists, the public and policy makers. The demonstration of a statistically significant anthropogenic contribution to the observed global warming greatly increased the public acceptance of the reality of climate change However, the separation between human-induced climate change and natural climate variability on the regional scales of greatest relevance for human living conditions remains a more difficult task. This applies to the prediction of both the anthropogenic signal and the natural variability noise. Climate mitigation and adaptation policies must therefore necessarily be designed as the response to uncertain risks. Unfortunately, the political response to climate change has stagnated in recent years through the preoccupation with the global financial crisis. Climate scientists can help overcome the current climate policy impasse through the creation of a new generation of simple, actor-based, system-dynamic models that demonstrate the close connection between the stabilisation of the global financial system and effective climate policies. Examples are given of alternative stabilisation policies that can lead either to major recessions and unemployment or to stable economic growth supported by an accelerated decarbonisation of the economy.http://www.tellusb.net/index.php/tellusb/article/download/20088/pdf_1climate change detectionintegrated assessmentthe financial crisis and climate policy
spellingShingle Klaus Hasselmann
Detecting and responding to climate change
Tellus: Series B, Chemical and Physical Meteorology
climate change detection
integrated assessment
the financial crisis and climate policy
title Detecting and responding to climate change
title_full Detecting and responding to climate change
title_fullStr Detecting and responding to climate change
title_full_unstemmed Detecting and responding to climate change
title_short Detecting and responding to climate change
title_sort detecting and responding to climate change
topic climate change detection
integrated assessment
the financial crisis and climate policy
url http://www.tellusb.net/index.php/tellusb/article/download/20088/pdf_1
work_keys_str_mv AT klaushasselmann detectingandrespondingtoclimatechange