Dr. James Hansen

Isolation of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: Part I

Details: Category: Dr. James Hansen Dr. James Hansen; Published: 02 December 2015 02 December 2015

Earlier this year I received a message from a long-time reader of my Communications[1], who was persuaded of the urgency of the climate problem. As a significant supporter of the Democratic Party, he had the opportunity to meet President Obama, and he was preparing a specific question: would the President be willing to “meet with Jim Hansen”, who, the supporter asserted, understood the problem as well as anyone and has “some viable ways to fix the problem”?

Global Warming Hole

Details: Category: Dr. James Hansen Dr. James Hansen; Published: 31 March 2015 31 March 2015

For now I want to let people living in the eastern two-thirds of North America know that global warming is really happening. In fact, 2015 should be the year that stifles discussion of a warming hiatus. A substantial developing El Nino will add to the global warming trend, and should make 2015 easily the warmest year in the instrumental record.

Speaking Truth to Power - And to Friends

Details: Category: Dr. James Hansen Dr. James Hansen; Published: 12 October 2014 12 October 2014

Sometimes its easier to speak truth to power than to speak truth to friends–I refer not to friends you know well, but
to compatriots fighting for the same good cause.

Once when I was giving a public talk at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, where I was about to be presented an award by Governor Brown, who was sitting in the front row, I described California’s newly minted cap-and-trade program as “half-baked” and “half-assed”. I admit to being tactless, but it got his attention, which was my intention.