Hans Joachim Schellnhuber
Encyclopedia
Hans Joachim "John" Schellnhuber (born June 7, 1950) is the founding Director of Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
(PIK) and Chair of the German Advisory Council on Global Change
. He is also providing advice to the President of the European Union Commission
, José Manuel Barroso.. In 2007, he has been appointed as Chief Government Advisor on Climate and Related Issues during Germany's EU Council Presidency and G8 Presidency.
He has qualifications in mathematics
and physics
—a Doctorate
in Theoretical Physics from the University of Regensburg
, which he completed in 1980,, followed in 1985 by his habilitation also in theoretical physics at the University of Regensburg. In 1981 he was recruited as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Theoretical Physics (ITP) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, working across the corridor from its director Walter Kohn who became one of his academic teachers.. Kohn was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1998. From solid state physics and quantum mechanics John Schellnhubers interest was drawn to complex systems and nonlinearity or chaos theory.. This is what later on led him to do research on the climate system. Having become a full professor for Theoretical Physics at the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment at Oldenburg University in northern Germany, he was involved in analysing the complex structure of ocean currents. In 1991 he was called upon to create PIK before becoming its director in 1993. He is a professor at the University of Potsdam, Germany, and an external professor at the Santa Fe Institute in the US. The National Academy of Sciences (US) appointed him as a member in 2005. He also has been elected a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
He was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2004. He is. He was awarded the German Environment Prize
in 2007.
He has signed the Potsdam Denkschrift
calling for a change in thinking to enable sustainable development
. Schellnhuber was 'coordinating lead author of the synthesis chapter of Working Group II' of the Third Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
. John warns of dire consequences of continued global warming
He is an expert on climatological tipping points
and a public speaker on the subject.
He is married to Margret Boysen.
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research is a research institute specialising in the fields of global change, climate impact and sustainable development.-References:* USA Today -Further Reading:* Study -See Also:* Climatic Research Unit...
(PIK) and Chair of the German Advisory Council on Global Change
Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung Globale Umweltveränderungen
German Advisory Council on Global Change The German federal government set up the German Advisory Council on Global Change as an independent, scientific advisory body in 1992 in the run-up to the Rio Earth Summit...
. He is also providing advice to the President of the European Union Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, José Manuel Barroso.. In 2007, he has been appointed as Chief Government Advisor on Climate and Related Issues during Germany's EU Council Presidency and G8 Presidency.
He has qualifications in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
—a Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in Theoretical Physics from the University of Regensburg
University of Regensburg
The University of Regensburg is a public research university located in the medieval city of Regensburg, Bavaria, a city that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university was founded on July 18, 1962 by the Landtag of Bavaria as the fourth full-fledged university in Bavaria...
, which he completed in 1980,, followed in 1985 by his habilitation also in theoretical physics at the University of Regensburg. In 1981 he was recruited as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Theoretical Physics (ITP) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, working across the corridor from its director Walter Kohn who became one of his academic teachers.. Kohn was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1998. From solid state physics and quantum mechanics John Schellnhubers interest was drawn to complex systems and nonlinearity or chaos theory.. This is what later on led him to do research on the climate system. Having become a full professor for Theoretical Physics at the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment at Oldenburg University in northern Germany, he was involved in analysing the complex structure of ocean currents. In 1991 he was called upon to create PIK before becoming its director in 1993. He is a professor at the University of Potsdam, Germany, and an external professor at the Santa Fe Institute in the US. The National Academy of Sciences (US) appointed him as a member in 2005. He also has been elected a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
He was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2004. He is. He was awarded the German Environment Prize
Environment Prize (German Environment Foundation)
The Bundesstiftung Umwelt Environment Prize is a prize awarded in Germany. Worth 500000 € it is the most valuable in Europe from an environmental foundation....
in 2007.
He has signed the Potsdam Denkschrift
Potsdam Denkschrift
The Potsdam Denkschrift is a declaration of Hans-Peter Dürr, J. Daniel Dahm and Rudolf zur Lippe under the patronage of the Federation of German Scientists-VDW...
calling for a change in thinking to enable sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
. Schellnhuber was 'coordinating lead author of the synthesis chapter of Working Group II' of the Third Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a scientific intergovernmental body which provides comprehensive assessments of current scientific, technical and socio-economic information worldwide about the risk of climate change caused by human activity, its potential environmental and...
. John warns of dire consequences of continued global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
He is an expert on climatological tipping points
Tipping point (climatology)
A climate tipping point is a point when global climate changes from one stable state to another stable state, in a similar manner to a wine glass tipping over. After the tipping point has been passed, a transition to a new state occurs...
and a public speaker on the subject.
He is married to Margret Boysen.
Publications
http://www.pnas.org/content/105/6/1786 (a pioneering article on the issue of 'tipping elements' in the Earth system)External links
- Roll back time to safeguard climate, expert warns 15 September 2008
- Big Picture TV > Speaker > John Schellnhuber CBE. Videos of John Schellnhuber talking about climate change. 11 December 2006.
- Terra quasi-incognita: beyond the 2°C line. Download video, audio, slides International Climate Conference in Oxford, UK from September 28–30, 2009