2024-09-10
28 分钟In the summer of 2003, Europe experienced its most intense heatwave on record - one that saw more than 70,000 people lose their lives. Experiencing the effects whilst on holiday in Tuscany, climate scientist Peter Stott was struck by the idea that just maybe, he could use a modelling system developed by his team at the UK’s Met Office Hadley Centre, to study extreme weather events such as this very heatwave mathematically; and figure out the extent to which human influences were increasing their probability. That’s exactly what he went on to do - and, through this work and more, Peter has helped to shine a light on the causes and effects of climate change. His career, predominantly at the Met Office Hadley Centre, has seen him take on climate change sceptics and explain the intricacies of greenhouse gas emissions to global leaders. His work with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change even earned him a share of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. But the biggest challenge remains: Peter talks to Jim Al-Khalili about whether humanity can adapt quickly enough to deal with the increasingly dangerous effects of our warming world... Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy Taylor
BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts hello and.
Welcome to the podcast edition of the Life Scientific.
I'm Jamal Khalili and this is the show where I get to talk with some of the world's leading scientists and you get to find out what drives them.
So sit back, get comfortable and enjoy the episode.
Picture the scene.
It's summer of 2003 and Europe is experiencing its most intense heatwave on record.
I remember it well.
I was on holiday with my family in France and suffered mild heat stroke elsewhere.
As the sun sets on a small village in Tuscany, another British holidaymaker is braving the cooler evening temperatures to enjoy a glass of wine on the piazza with his wife and proving that scientists are never really off duty.
It was at that very moment that climate scientist Peter Stott had the spark of an idea.
He realized that using complex climate models developed by his team at the UK's Met Office Hadley center, he might be able to study a single extreme weather event, such as this very heatwave, mathematically and figure out the extent to which human influences were increasing the probability of these events.
That's exactly what he went on to do.
And through this work and more, Peter has helped shape our understanding of the warming world, illuminating the causes and effects of climate change.
His career, predominantly at the Hadley center, has seen Peter take on climate change skeptics and explain the intricacies of greenhouse gas emissions to governments.
Indeed, his work with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change earned him a share of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Peter admits his feelings about the future flip flop between hope and despair.
He says the real challenge is whether we can adapt quickly enough to deal with the increasingly dangerous effects of climate change.
He's hoping the answer is yes.
Peter Stopp, welcome to the Life Scientific.
Thank you very much.