What Does Space Have To Do With Climate Change?
What Does Space Have To Do With Climate Change?
What does space have to do with climate change? We talked to two scientists leading NASA Goddard’s climate change research for our latest #HOTM Twitter chat. They shared their take on this Heat of the Moment story and talked about the role of NASA in developing climate models to help us understand our planet’s past, present and future.
Our guest hosts were atmospheric scientist Dr. Lesley Ott of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Gavin Schmidt, Director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Catch up below and send any other questions you have to @NASAEarth and @NASAGISS.
Here’s what the scientists had to say:
On their work and research interests
@WBEZ @NASAGISS I use simulations & satellite data to study how carbon moves around the world (aka the carbon cycle) https://t.co/V52fc6MBTC
— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) June 23, 2016
@WBEZ Global sea level rose about 6.7 inches in the last century - The rate in the last decade is nearly 2x that of the last century. #HOTM
— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) June 23, 2016
@WBEZ @NASAEarth More energy is coming into the Earth system than is leaving, portending more warming to come. #HOTM pic.twitter.com/skzcXETBf7
— NASA GISS (@NASAGISS) June 23, 2016
@juneedpk The warming over the last ~60 years or so is all human caused. Natural effects would have slightly cooled the climate #HOTM
— NASA GISS (@NASAGISS) June 23, 2016
On what’s hard for a general public to understand about climate change
@WBEZ I think ppl don’t really understand how scientists use models to infer what’s happening in the real world. #HOTM
— NASA GISS (@NASAGISS) June 23, 2016
@Meferhau I think because GW is an easy term to comprehend: the globe is getting warmer. To explain it you need those other concepts #HOTM
— NASA GISS (@NASAGISS) June 23, 2016
And what things scientists are still working to understand
@WBEZ #HOTM One thing that fascinates me: 1/2 of carbon emissions are absorbed by the land & ocean & we don’t understand how that happens.
— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) June 23, 2016
On minimizing the impacts of climate change
@juneedpk @WBEZ @NASAGISS One ‘tool’ here at @NASA: 20 Earth-observing satellites that gather data for decision makers. #HOTM
— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) June 23, 2016
On NASA’s position to influence the general public
@yang85225 @NASAEarth Obviously the unique perspective we have from space i.e. @dscovr_epic & wealth of data from Earth orbiting sats #HOTM
— NASA GISS (@NASAGISS) June 23, 2016
@yang85225 NASA has a unique perspective on climate change - we see the whole Earth from space. #HOTM pic.twitter.com/BwYQQZcVZI
— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) June 23, 2016
On what’s fascinated them recently
@WBEZ @NASAEarth Or that the physics we can see here on Earth explains the climates of Venus/Mars/Titan & maybe exoplanets to come #HOTM
— NASA GISS (@NASAGISS) June 23, 2016
@WBEZ Our #GRACE mission tracks changes in groundwater - letting us link changes to later events like wildfires. pic.twitter.com/Suk7Si7Qut
— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) June 23, 2016
On advice for aspiring climate scientists
@NASAGISS Would you urge aspiring climate/atmospheric scientists to go into model development or observations? #HOTM
— Parker Case (@pcase13) June 23, 2016
@NASAGISS Reformulating the question… how grad student can fight against climate denial? #HOTM
— Fernando (@Meferhau) June 23, 2016
@Meferhau Choose your audience and focus on places where ppl are curious and/or confused but not dogmatic. #HOTM
— NASA GISS (@NASAGISS) June 23, 2016
On looking towards the future
@WBEZ @NASAEarth Global warming is going to continue, as will sea level rise, heat waves and more intense rainfall, however … #HOTM
— NASA GISS (@NASAGISS) June 23, 2016
@WBEZ @NASAGISS I expect to see increases in temps & frequency of extreme events like droughts & storms #HOTM https://t.co/6Qr9XGFZav
— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) June 23, 2016