Prognosis poor, situation critical — but not hopeless

Dr. William Calvin of the U.W. School of Medicine regards the world as a patient with "global fever".

But the situation is far from hopeless, according to Calvin, featured speaker in the next installment of the Arthur Whiteley Lecture Series.

The Whiteley Lecture series is a free event sponsored by the San Juan Nature Institute. Calvin's lecture, entitled "What to do about Climate", begins at 7 p.m., March 8, at the UW Friday Harbor Labs Commons.

Author of a dozen books aimed at the general reader, Calvin is credited with writing and speaking with both insight and wit. A student of the evolution of the brain, Calvin explores the influence of abrupt climate change on human evolution and has written several books about climate change.

His insights prompted this recent review by the Virginia Quarterly: "There is little doubt that exciting interest in the enormous social and evolutionary impact of weather is just the right thing to do at this point in the history of the world."

In Thursday's lecture, Calvin will examine the world's climate change symptoms, offer a prognosis of what may happen if treatment is delayed and will suggest a cure. The remedy lies in bold treatment that goes beyond a mere reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, according to Calvin.

The current lecture series ends April 12, with George Dyson’s "Turnings Cathedral—the origin of the Digital Universe".

 

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