Hurricanes, typhoons, killer heat waves, droughts, floods, wildfires — these things seem to be getting worse all the time. Are these events caused by global warming? Or are they just bad weather? Climate scientists are careful to explain that one cannot attribute any particular storm or wildfire to climate change alone. But there is strong evidence that global warming is steadily increasing the chance that the intensity and sometimes the frequency of such disasters will occur.
Climate is complex, but the simple fact is that there is more heat than there used to be in the atmosphere and oceans and all that heat has to go somewhere. And go it will, whether or not there are people with their vulnerable infrastructures in the way.
Is the human species doomed? The speaker will say that reports of our imminent extinction are greatly exaggerated. But there is no hope of getting through our present ecological bottleneck without acknowledging the reality and the seriousness of the self-induced survival challenges our species faces today. The speaker will sketch some of the reasons why he think we still have a good chance of seeing our way out of this jam, with special reference to priorities here in Alberta.
Speaker: Dr. Kent Peacock
Dr. Peacock attained his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Toronto in 1991. In 1996 he joined the University of Lethbridge. His special interests are professional ethics, environmental issues, logic, and foundations of physics. These interests impelled his inquiry into issues related to acquiring and applying energy to the needs of modern global society.
Moderator: Tad Mitsui
Date: Thursday, Sep 28, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S
Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary