Drastic measures must be taken to prevent the global temperatures from rising even more than the projected 1.5 degrees Celsius, an October United Nations report said. This Friday, a symposium at Cornell will bring together climate experts to explore those measures.
The forum will feature five climate experts whose specialties range from biology to policy. Several come from academic institutions, such as Yale University and American University, while others come from the nonprofit sector and a scientific professional society.
The symposium, titled “Carbon Dioxide Removal and the IPCC Special Report on 1.5C,” is about “building a conversation around some of the ideas in the U.N. Special Report,” according to Christian Elliott, program and communications associate for the Department of Development Sociology.
During the symposium, the participants will explore various ways to keep global temperatures from rising even more, such as through transformations in land use and new technologies, according to its event page.
Natalie Mahowald, lead author of the U.N. report and Irving Porter Church Professor of Environmental Engineering, will begin the forum. Using her findings from the report, Mahowald plans to discuss “the difficulty of achieving low climate targets,” according to an email she sent to The Sun.
Following her presentation, each speaker will have 20 minutes to share their thoughts and findings before finishing with an hour-long question and answer session, according to Elliott.
Elliott believes the event is a “great learning opportunity” for people interested in both physical and social sciences, where they can learn about cutting edge ideas that have a big impact on the future of our planet.
“The technical solutions to removing carbon dioxide are the subject of much debate, but this workshop will also consider the possible costs and benefits to different segments of society,” Lori Lenard, director of the Polson Institute for Global Development told The Sun in an email.
The program was organized by the Polson Institute for Global Development, in partnership with the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, the Cornell Institute for Climate Smart Solutions, and the Cornell University Department of Government, and will take place on March 8 from 2 to 5:30 p.m. in Warren B25.