SSI at COP-6

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ssi in action
SSI at COP-6 Negotiations in The Hague

Although the global warming treaty negotiations held in The Netherlands last November ended in a deadlock, UCS and SSI helped ensure that sound science had a strong voice throughout the proceedings. SSI members Dr. Steven Schneider and Dr. Jack Winchester attended the deliberations, and made their presence felt during the complex and sometimes chaotic proceedings in The Hague.

Dr. Schneider (professor of biological sciences with Stanford University's Institute for International Studies) joined the UCS delegation at the end of the first week of negotiations after wrapping up an IPCC meeting in Amsterdam. His expertise was required as soon as he got off the train. After briefing UCS staff on the progress on the IPCC's Third Assessment report, Steve was introduced to a New York Times reporter who was covering the treaty negotiations. In what became an impromptu briefing in the conference center's coffee bar, the reporter's pen was busy as Dr. Schneider discussed the current state of climate science and how the latest findings demanded immediate action on a global warming treaty.

One morning, as the negotiations began heating up, Steve joined television personality Bill Nye "The Science Guy" and the UCS crew for breakfast and a tram ride to the convention center. Outside of the conference center, Bill interviewed Steve for a UCS webcast from The Hague. The two videos produced from this interview can be viewed from the archive section of the SSI site.

Later that day, Steve joined UCS experts in addressing members of US congressional staffs who were attending the meeting in The Hague. The staffers asked informed and aggressive questions about some of the latest controversies in climate science and covered the various debates raging in The Hague -- all of which Steve handled adeptly. The discussion -- which ranged from biodiversity to the role of forests to the Hadley model -- continued until the UCS briefing was forced to move into the hallway, where conversation continued for some time!

Steve stayed in The Hague throughout the weekend and early into the second week of the treaty deliberations. He participated in many meetings and briefings during these days, and provided his extensive climate science expertise to delegates, the media, and members of environmental groups.

Dr. Jack Winchester (professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at Florida State University, Department of Oceanography) flew into The Netherlands the weekend before the second week of negotiations in The Hague. As a science advisor to the UCS delegation, Jack hit the ground running by helping UCS staff and Bill Nye with material for the 10 webcasts shot during negotiations. Jack's impressively broad science background was of great assistance during the production of the web videos.

Jack attended meetings on a host of topics and reported their findings to the UCS delegation; he also explained the science behind many of the arcane and confusing aspects of the treaty. In addition to clarifying a myriad of scientific complexities behind global warming, Jack also has a firm grasp on the Dutch language. Whether it was scouring The Hague for the components for a science demonstration by Bill Nye or conversing with taxi drivers, Jack's Dutch abilities proved quite helpful.

UCS held two press conferences with Bill Nye, and Jack served as a science advisor on both of these events. In addition to helping UCS media staff with press materials and background information, Jack helped make these events a success by assisting in the presentation. In what was to be both a comedy and science highlight, Jack answered Bill's query on the atomic weight of oxygen during a press conference with absolutely zero hesitation.

For delegates from the around the world, observers from various environmental groups, and for UCS personnel, Jack and Steve's contribution to the negotiations in The Hague were invaluable. Their participation helped to further what has become a truism for those involved in the global warming challenge -- that climate science strongly supports efforts to curb global warming.

Page Last Revised: 08/11/05