For more information:
 Stacia VanDyne
vandyne@heinzctr.org or (202) 737-6307

Dr. Robert Corell Keynotes AAAS Abelson Seminar

For immediate release: October 30, 2007

Washington, D. C.    Dr. Robert Corell addressed a crowded auditorium today at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to open a forum on cutting-edge research in the Polar Regions.  Dr. Corell is Global Change Program Director at the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment.

The day-long “New Horizons in Polar Science” seminar included speakers and participants from a variety of fields ranging from astronomy and physics to economics and social sciences.

During his speech on the changing climate and its affect on global policy, Dr. Corell discussed the “anthropogenic sweet spot” civilization has enjoyed for the past 10,000 years. He suggested the remarkably stable climate during this period, with a range in temperature of only 1 degree, allowed humans to develop agriculture and eventually the technology of today.  He warned that with temperature fluctuations greater than 1 degree both humans and the environment will face serious impacts like ocean acidification, coastal flooding and species extinction. 

Dr. Corell outlined current U. S. legislative proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  He applauded the efforts but emphasized that “75% or more reductions are needed just to return to 1990 emission levels.”

Presenting an overview of the current situation in the Arctic, Dr. Corell highlighted the significant decrease in Arctic sea ice during 2007, citing predictions that it could be ice free in the next thirteen to thirty years.  He also addressed the many challenges emerging from sea routes newly opened by ice melt, including boundary disputes, competition for resources and lack of regulations.  

The 2007 AAAS “Advancing Science Seminar Series” featured polar research to coincide with the Fourth International Polar Year 2007-2008.

The annual seminar series is named in honor of the contributions and vision of Dr. Philp Hauge Abelson (1913-2004), who was editor of Science magazine for over twenty years and served nearly twenty more as director of the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Geophysical Laboratory.  During a career filled with scientific accomplishments, Dr. Abelson encouraged increased awareness of the connections between science and policy.  

To view presentations from the seminar and learn more about the event, please click here.

###

The Heinz Center, established in 1995 in memory of Senator John Heinz, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan institution dedicated to improving the scientific and economic basis for environmental policy and to developing innovative solutions to environmental problems.