We are honored to welcome this evening’s keynote speaker, Dr. James E. Hansen. Dr. Hansen is an American climate scientist, political activist, devoted grandfather and often hailed as the “father of global warming.” Originally from Denison, Iowa, Dr. Hansen studied under astrophysicist James Van Allen at the University of Iowa before leading NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) from 1981 to 2013.
There, he pioneered new climate modeling methods, introduced the concept of Earth’s energy imbalance, and demonstrated how rising greenhouse gases heighten the likelihood of extreme weather—famously illustrating these shifts as “loaded climate dice.” Drawing on evidence from Earth’s geological record, he underscored the urgency of limiting fossil fuel emissions, producing influential research on black soot’s impact on Himalayan glaciers and documenting accelerating global temperature trends driven by greenhouse gases.
From his landmark 1988 testimony before the U.S. Congress to subsequent appearances in courtrooms and international venues, Dr. Hansen has championed policies such as carbon fees and dividends to spur meaningful emission cuts. He identified 350 parts per million of atmospheric CO₂ as a threshold for climate stability—a focal point for 350.org—and continued tracking temperature anomalies, revealing our planet’s rapid warming through detailed analyses of El Niño events and other climatic phenomena. Departing from NASA in 2013 allowed him to focus more intensively on climate advocacy, culminating in legal efforts to highlight government responsibility for safeguarding our atmosphere. In addition to being recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People, Foreign Policy magazine named Dr. Hansen as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers.
Dr. Hansen now serves as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, where he directs the Program on Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions, where he is inspiring a new generation of scientists and activists. His first book, Storms of My Grandchildren (2009), warned that only robust, science-based actions can preserve a viable future, reflecting his deeply held conviction that environmental stewardship transcends politics.
Dr. Hansen has consistently shared the truth about climate change — a truth validated by the mounting climate disasters we see today. While he acknowledges that our collective political and social responses remain dangerously inadequate, he remains optimistic. That optimism is born of his believe that young people, especially college age young adults, have the potential to drive the political change that is essential to achieve the actions that are needed to alter the course that we, the United States and the world, are on — and achieve a bright future for young people and all life on our planet. That is the topic he wants to discuss with you.