In an effort to better understand how climate change will affect ecosystems and human society as a whole, philosophers, historians and scientists will meet at Western University this week for an interdisciplinary conference, in which the utilization of models and computer simulations as prediction and assessment tools is fully investigated.
Knowledge and Models in Climate Science: Philosophical, Historical, and Scientific Perspectives, hosted by Western’s Rotman Institute of Philosophy (https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/), runs from Friday, October 24 to Sunday, October 26 at the Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre.
Registered participants at the three-day conference will explore recent gains in modeling precision and realism, which have allowed climate scientists to address countless questions more confidently, yet there are many remaining sources of uncertainty.
- What do we know about the history of climate science and the use of climate models?
- What are climate models and what should they achieve?
- What is the difference between predictions for climate in general and predictions for climate in specific regions?
- How are climate models confirmed?
- What are the sources of uncertainties in climate models and how can they be reduced in order to make adequate and ethical decisions?
- How should climate and climate change be defined?
“By approaching these questions from different perspectives, this conference should enable better understanding of model-based knowledge, of its relevance and reliability for climate science, and ultimately improve communication between scientific experts, policy makers and the general public,” says Eric Desjardins, a Rotman Institute of Philosophy faculty member and a conference organizer.
For more information on the conference and registration details, please visit https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/rotman-conferences/fall2014/
Rotman Institute of Philosophy will also host a special panel discussion titled Climate Change: What is to be done? on Thursday, October 23 headlined by Globe and Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson. The free public panel discussion at Western’s Spencer Engineering Building, Room 1200 begins at 7 p.m.
Environmental activist Gary Brown, Western Political Science professor Radoslav Dimitrov and University of Waterloo Philosophy of Science professor Heather Douglas will join Simpson to discuss what can, and what should, be done about climate change, with a focus on interplay between various levels of action – community, national, and international.
For more information on the panel and the panelists, please visit https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/rotman-events/panel-on-climate-change/
MEDIA CONTACT: For more information or to arrange interviews with the honorary conference and panel participants, please contact Jeff Renaud, Senior Media Relations Officer at 519-661-2111, ext. 85165 or jrenaud9@uwo.ca
