Some Surprises about Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Bill Kellogg Discussion Series

The next meeting of the Bill Kellogg UNA-BC Discussion Series will be held on Thursday October 16, at 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the Boulder Creek Room of the Boulder Public Library. Our featured speaker is Joel B. Smith, presenting on “Some Surprises about Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” Joel has summarized his approach to this topic here:

Greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions have increased tremendously since the end of World War II, especially since the 1990s with increased economic activity globally. In recent decades, GHG emissions have peaked and even decreased in OECD and former Eastern Block countries because of use of natural gas and renewable energy. There are signs that GHG emissions growth in China, now the largest global emitter, and India are slowing and may be peaking.

GHG emissions will have to decrease substantially and quite quickly to hold global warming to the agreement of “substantially less than 2oC” (i.e., 1.5oC). What is the prospect for this? What about increased energy demand from data centers? What effect will Trump Administration promotion of fossil fuels and discouragement of renewables have?

Joel has a remarkable record of research and advising on climate change issues.  He was a coordinating lead author or lead author on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He conceived and led development of the IPCC “Burning Embers,” which identifies global temperature increases that are expected to lead to adverse climate change impacts. Mr. Smith was an author on three U.S. National Climate Change Assessments (NCA), including Chapter Lead on the International Chapter for the fourth NCA. He was Chair of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee to Review the 5th NCA, completed in 2023. He is a member of the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Global Change Research Program and was a member of the National Academy of Sciences “Panel on Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change.”  Joel was coeditor of The Potential Effects of Global Climate Change on the United States (1989), As Climate Changes: International Impacts and Implications (1995), Adaptation to Climate Change: Assessments and Issues (1996), Climate Change, Adaptive Capacity, and Development (2003), and The Impact of Climate Change on Regional Systems: A Comprehensive Analysis of California (2006) – just a few of his 75+ publications in the field.