IRES Seminar Series

Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm (TUESDAY)

Location: AERL 107,  2202 Main Mall

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Energy Resources for Climate Models

David Rutledge, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, CA

Abstract: In modeling climate change, the carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels is the most important factor.  The time frame for the climate response is much longer than the time frame for burning fossil fuels, and this means the total amount burned is more important than the burn rate.  Production of oil, gas, and coal in the long run is traditionally estimated from government geological surveys, together with an allowance for future discoveries of oil and gas.  Where these estimates can be tested, they have tended to be too high. In the latest IPCC climate assessment report, carbon-dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in the business-as-usual scenario do not decline until after 2150. In this paper, I will show that there is little historical evidence that supports this assumption of enormous resources. This may allow a “Goldilocks” outcome, slow enough to allow the development of alternative energy, but fast enough to mitigate climate impacts.

This seminar will not be filmed.

Bio: Professor Rutledge is the Tomiyasu Professor of Engineering at Caltech, and a former Chair of the Division of Engineering and Applied Science there. He is a founder of the Wavestream Corporation, a manufacturer of transmitters for satellite uplinks.  He is a winner of the Teaching Award of the Associated Students at Caltech and a Fellow of the IEEE.

Note that this event is happening on TUESDAY, not Thursday. 

Photo Credit: RWE from flickr/ Creative Commons