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2010

A Nighttime Epiphany on Sea Level

In the New York Times Blog Green by Justin Gillis, PIK scientist Stefan Rahmstorf explains how he came up with the equation that might describe the relationship between temperature and sea level. The version of this method, that Rahmstorf published with his colleague in 2009, calls for using widely accepted projections of the earth’s future temperature to make forecasts about how much the sea will rise in response. Source: The New York Times, 2010/11/13.

Sustainable Development

Jürgen Kropp, PIK scientist on Climate Impacts and Vulnerabilities, describes the popular misunderstanding that exists regarding the effect of development on Climate Change. Kropp further explains why a transition on the style of consumption and economic systems is needed. Source: The Guardian, 2010/11/10.

'We Received a Kick in the Pants'

In an interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel PIK's Director Hans Joachim Schellnhuber discusses extreme weather events, global warming's winners and losers, and the effects of the crisis of confidence in climate research. Source: Der Spiegel (online-version), 2010/08/17.

The summer of extremes

Stefan Rahmstorf, Paleoclimatologist at PIK and Professor of Physics of the Oceans, comments on the 2010 summer of extreme weather events, and if it has anything to do with climate change. Source: The Guardian, 2010/08/16.

Scientists 'expect climate tipping point' by 2200

The Independent reports on a survey carried out by 14 experts in the field of climate research, including Stefan Rahmstorf, climate scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). Almost all of the leading researchers who took part in a detailed analysis of their expert opinion believe that high levels of greenhouse gases will cause a fundamental shift in the global climate system - a tipping point - with potentially far reaching consequences. The survey was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Source: The Independent online, 28 June 2010.

EU 'half way to 2020 emissions target'

BBC News reports on an assessment by the European Environment Agency (EEA) concerning Europe's emissions target. The article refers to an analysis by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research on the climate effect of the pledges for emissions reductions by UN member states so far. Source: BBC News online, 3 June 2010.

Scientists demand correct media reporting on climate change

Stefan Rahmstorf, climate scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, comments on misleading media reports about climate change in the New York Times. Source: The New York Times, May 24, 2010.

Europe and North Africa ‘could be powered by green supergrid’

The TIMES reports on a policy, market, investment and infrastructure roadmap towards a 2050 goal of achieving a 100 per cent renewable power sector. A group of energy and climate experts, among those several PIK-scientists, examined possible transformation paths for the European and North African power sector. Source: Times online, April 29, 2010.

'Paltry' Copenhagen carbon pledges point to 3C world

Media report on an opinion piece in the science journal “Nature” written by a team of PIK researchers led by Joeri Rogelj and Malte Meinshausen who found that current national emissions-reduction pledges accompanying the Copenhagen Accord will not limit global warming to two degrees Celsius. Source: BBC news, 21 April 2010.

Climate Group Admits Mistakes

Ottmar Edenhofer, co-chair of IPCC Working Group III, comments on the need for improvements in the procedures for the IPCC assessment reports. In: The Wall Street Journal, online, February 10, 2010.

Copenhagen: what next?

Prof Stefan Rahmstorf, co-chair of Earth System Analysis at the Potsdam Institute, and Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) give their views on the outcome of the COP15 talks and the way forward. Source: Guardian, 01/29/2010

'Industrialized Nations Are Facing CO2 Insolvency'

In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, PIK director, comments, on the basis of a new report by the German Advisory Council on Global Change, on how much carbon dioxide different countries can still emit in order to remain within the two degree limit. Schellnhuber, who presides over the council, calls the findings sobering because the industrialized nations have already exceeded their quotas if past emissions are taken into account. Source: SPIEGEL ONLINE, 09/01/2009.

Three Ways of Going MAD

In an essay for the "Climate Thinkers Blog" of Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, PIK director Hans Joachim Schellnhuber talks about the striking parallels between the logic of “mutually assured destruction” (MAD) during the arms race in the cold war and the international climate change negotiations today. He explains why this logic needs to be transformed into “mutually assured decarbonisation” if the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009 shall be successful. Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, http://en.cop15.dk/ (August 5, 2009).

"Global warming must stay below 2C or world faces ruin," scientists declare

The Times reports on the results of the St James's Palace Nobel Laureate Symposium in London (incl. video clip). More than twenty Nobel Laureates have met with some of the world’s leading climate scientists, politicians and business leaders to debate the dimensions of and solutions to the current global sustainability and climate crisis. The US secretary of energy and Nobel Laureate Steven Chu was one of the keynote speakers at the symposium. In: The Times, May 28, 2009.

Global warming must stay below 2C, scientists declare

The TIMES reports on the second Nobel Laureate Symposium in London - a Global Sustainability Symposia series that was initiated by PIK director Hans Joachim Schellnhuber in Potsdam in 2007. In: Times Online, 28 May 2009.

'Safe' climate means 'no to coal'

BBC news on a study published by PIK climate scientist Malte Meinshausen et al. in Nature. The study calculated, for the first time, how much greenhouse gas emissions can be pumped into the atmosphere between now and 2050, to have a reasonable chance of keeping warming lower than 2°C (above pre-industrial levels). In: BBC news, 29 April, 2009.

Forest Fires Mostly Overlooked by Climate Modelers

Dr. Kirsten Thonicke, geoecologist at PIK, about the scientific objective to integrate dynamic vegetation models into the climate models. In: Bloomberg News, Apr. 24, 2009.

Stern message for G20 summit

NATURE News reports on a policy paper on 'Global Green Recovery' prepared by PIK's chief economist Ottmar Edenhofer and Lord Nicholas Stern, Professor at London School of Economics on behalf of the German Foreign Office.

Climate scientists warn of "devastating" five-degree world

John Schellnhuber talks about the international climate change conference in Copenhagen. In: businessGreen.com, 03/13/09

Scientists warn of catastrophic rises in sea level

PIK-Prof Stefan Rahmstorf and other scientists warn of catastrophic rises in sea level at the climate conference in Copenhagen. In: Times online, 03/11/09