It’s been an amazing week at the Lindau Nobel Meeting in Germany, despite the extremely hot weather (and lack of a fan). I wanted to take some time out today to share this news with you:
Just now, on the Mainau Island on Lake Constance, a large number (over 30) science Nobel Laureates made a declaration on climate change. They made a similar declaration nearly 60 years ago about nuclear arms and say that “our world today faces another threat of comparable magnitude”.
Here is a short clip of Nobel Laureates Brian Schmidt, David Gross and George Smoot speaking about the declaration:
There was controversy during the conference as one Nobel Laureate in Physics, Ivar Giaever, gave a talk, ‘Global Warming Revisted‘. Here is what Brian Schmidt and Peter Doherty said about this at the press event prior to the declaration today (Schmidt starts the conversation):
For more information & to follow the announcement live, check out #MainauDeclaration2015 or #LiNo15. Also for further reading, this is an interesting piece from the Lindau conference blog detailing four young scientists’ views on climate change: link.
Full text:
Top image: ScienceCalling.com
Science Calling! 
Interesting!
There were 65 Nobel Laureates at this meeting and only 30 signed the declaration? Less than half were willing to sign? Suggests the Ms. Delaney went after the wrong story. The real question is: “Why did 35 Nobel Laureates NOT sign the declaration?” That is the story I’d like to see…
Opps, I should have checked the source – there were 36 signers of the declaration, not 30. Still barely a majority of the 65 Nobel Laureates present. Seems it the science was proved (that CO2 is dangerous to the world climate) there would have been more folks signing on.
Not to mention the derision shown by Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Doherty about the Nobel Laureate who was willing to speak out at the conference – and you question why scientists who don’t support your position won’t speak out? It is appalling lack of manners and tack. Those school yard bully tactics have no value in serious discourse and show the speaker to be desperate to use any means at his (or her) disposal to discount opponents – rather than speaking to the points raised by the dissenter.
In answer to your comment… at the press conference it was asked why some of the other Nobel laureates weren’t signing the declaration (Giaever was already discussed at the conference at this stage).
This is what Brian Schmidt said: “There are a few people who have said they just simply do not feel informed enough to say anything. No one has expressed any other doubts about it.” He added that most who did not sign said: “I think it is something we should be worried about but I don’t feel personally well enough informed”.