The question of responsibility for climate change lies at the heart of societal debate over actions to address it. We may all have contributed to the problem, but some far more so than others. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) established the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" among nations, suggesting that industrialized nations that had produced the greatest share of historic emissions bore particular responsibility for preventing dangerous interference with the climate system. But society can assign responsibilities in other ways as well. This talk focuses in particular on the distinctive responsibilities of the major investor-owned producers of fossil fuels, describing new science on the scale of their contribution to the problem; the actions companies took and could have taken in response to the scientific evidence of climate change; and the evidence that civil society actions to hold companies accountable may be need to hasten our transition to a safe climate future.

Climate is changing—throughout the Rockies, across the United States, and for the planet as a whole. Temperatures are increasing, rainfall patterns are shifting, and extreme precipitation and heat wave events are becoming more frequent. To ensure the health of our economy, the sustainability of our natural resources, and the resilience of our ecosystems, we need to understand and prepare for what our future climate will be like — not just for the world as a whole, but right here in the places where we live. Developing high-resolution projections, however, is a challenging task, riddled with uncertainties. Using practical examples from my work with cities, states, and a broad range of stakeholders across the U.S., I will describe the models and methods used to develop local to regional-scale climate projections. I’ll also discuss how this information can be used to help real people, from wine growers in California to water managers in Texas, prepare for a changing climate.

Dr. Stephen Schneider was one of the most notable and outspoken scientists on the topic of climate change. His moderate and scientific approach to explaining climate change has helped congressmen, journalists, and citizens understand the complex, and often contradictory, issues related to global warming. In this ever timely talk, Dr. Schneider goes over the many different portrayals of climate change in the media and explains how to distinguish hype from science. He argues that in order to have a functional democracy, voters must understand the basics of these important issues so that they can make informed decisions.

In Honor of Ralph Cicerone (1943-2016), former President National Academy of Sciences