One of the country’s leading climate scientists, Michael Mann, will present public talks on climate change April 7 and 8 at UNL. Mann is the director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center, and was a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore in 2007.
Mann will give a talk at 7:30 p.m., April 7, based on his 2008 book, "Dire Predictions: Understanding Global Warming," co-authored with colleague Lee Kump. The lecture will be in the Hardin Hall auditorium. Refreshments will be provided. Parking is free.
“Climate Change: What Can We Learn from Past Centuries?” will be Mann’s topic at 3:30 p.m., April 8 in 117 Bessey Hall. The lecture is part of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences’ Stout Lecture Series. Refreshments will be provided.
Both lectures are free and open to the public.
Mann was a lead author on the “Observed Climate Variability and Change” chapter of the IPCC’s Third Scientific Assessment Report. The IPCC is an intergovernmental, scientific body established by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environmental Programme to review and assess the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information produced worldwide on climate change. In his talks, Mann will explain the implications of the IPCC report from the perspective of a climate scientist actively involved in the research.
Mann received undergraduate degrees in physics and applied math from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.S. degree in physics from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in geology and geophysics from Yale University. His research includes model/data comparisons aimed at understanding the long-term behavior of the climate.
He has been organizing committee chair for the National Academy of Sciences “Frontiers of Science.” In 2002 he was selected as one of the 50 leading visionaries in science and technology by Scientific American. He is a co-founder and contributor to the award-winning science website, “RealClimate.org.”
Mann’s visit is supported by a Distinguished Lecturer Grant from the UNL Research Council.