Keynote - Revolutionary Movement - Professor Richard Lindzen - MCC Brussels

Professor Richard Lindzen, Sloan Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Emeritus, MIT; member, US National Academy of Science
In modern history there are several examples of political movements claiming a scientific basis. From immigration restriction and eugenics (in the US after WW1) to antisemitism and race ideology (in Hitler’s Germany) and communism and Lysenkoism (under Stalin). Each of these claimed a scientific consensus that allowed highly educated citizens, who were nonetheless ignorant of science, to have their anxieties alleviated. What then are we to make of the scientific consensus about climate change? At the very least, does the scientific consensus support the idea of an “existential” threat posed by climate change? On this, and other climate issues, the ordinary people are often more sceptical than the elite. Why is this?

This keynote is part of the event Climate Change: beyond the 'consensus': https://brussels.mcc.hu/event/climate-change-beyond-the-consensus