WEBVTT FILE 1 00:00:00.701 --> 00:00:04.338 I'm Piers Sellers I'm the Division Director for Earth 2 00:00:04.338 --> 00:00:07.975 Sciences Division here at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center it's 3 00:00:07.975 --> 00:00:11.545 a division of about 1500 people scientist and engineers who 4 00:00:11.545 --> 00:00:14.581 study all aspect of the Earth's system including climate. 5 00:00:14.581 --> 00:00:18.185 Reporter: Now you've been studying the Earth for several 6 00:00:18.185 --> 00:00:21.255 decades now what kind of changes are you seeing? 7 00:00:21.255 --> 00:00:25.259 Piers: Well we are seeing that is NASA and other agencies we're 8 00:00:25.259 --> 00:00:29.796 seeing huge changes in things like the ice sheets now we are 9 00:00:29.796 --> 00:00:34.301 seeing a shrinkage of the Arctic Ocean ice pack reduction of ice 10 00:00:34.301 --> 00:00:38.071 on Greenland we are seeing changes in the vegetation around 11 00:00:38.071 --> 00:00:42.009 the world we are seeing an earlier season to the far north 12 00:00:42.009 --> 00:00:43.877 as the north warms up. 13 00:00:43.877 --> 00:00:46.213 We are seeing changes in the temperature of the atmosphere in 14 00:00:46.213 --> 00:00:46.880 the oceans. 15 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:49.750 So there are a lot of changes they're all consistent with this 16 00:00:49.750 --> 00:00:54.621 theory of global warm, it's all self-consistent. 17 00:00:54.621 --> 00:00:56.256 Reporter: Is it caused by humans? 18 00:00:56.256 --> 00:00:58.292 Piers: It's absolutely caused by humans. 19 00:00:58.292 --> 00:00:59.960 I'd say that with very high confidence. 20 00:00:59.960 --> 00:01:03.630 It's linked closely with the carbon dioxide that we release 21 00:01:03.630 --> 00:01:06.566 into the atmosphere from fossil fuel burning and a little bit to 22 00:01:06.566 --> 00:01:11.705 methane as well there's bumps and wiggles on the graph from 23 00:01:11.705 --> 00:01:15.342 things like volcanoes and changes of ocean circulation. 24 00:01:15.342 --> 00:01:18.979 But the general trend of the increase in temperature is due 25 00:01:18.979 --> 00:01:23.183 to anthropogenic, that is man made release of CO2. 26 00:01:23.183 --> 00:01:24.117 It's us. 27 00:01:24.117 --> 00:01:29.156 Reporter: 2015 was the warmest year on record 1 degree over 28 00:01:29.156 --> 00:01:33.727 pre-industrial times really doesn't sound like a lot Can you 29 00:01:33.727 --> 00:01:39.199 tell us or the average person what is the significance of that 30 00:01:39.199 --> 00:01:39.866 record? 31 00:01:39.866 --> 00:01:42.302 Why should they care about 1 degree? 32 00:01:42.302 --> 00:01:46.573 Piers: Alright so 2015 was the warmest year on record from 33 00:01:46.573 --> 00:01:51.545 about 1890 from the precise records that we have 2014 was 34 00:01:51.545 --> 00:01:54.948 the next warmest year 2013 was the next warmest year after 35 00:01:54.948 --> 00:01:55.649 that. 36 00:01:55.649 --> 00:01:56.984 Of the last 16 years 15 warmest years have occurred in the last 37 00:01:56.984 --> 00:01:57.651 16 years. 38 00:01:57.651 --> 00:02:01.488 So it's a very strong signal here so the planet is warming 39 00:02:01.488 --> 00:02:06.493 up, now with regards to the point 1 degree centigrade which 40 00:02:09.863 --> 00:02:14.868 is 1.8 Fahrenheit doesn't seem like a lot doesn't seem like a 41 00:02:17.004 --> 00:02:20.374 lot it is a lot when you look on it on the scale of a planet 42 00:02:20.374 --> 00:02:22.709 that's a lot of energy You've heated up the whole planetary 43 00:02:22.709 --> 00:02:27.280 atmosphere or surface atmosphere by 1 degree centigrade that's a 44 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:31.318 lot of energy it can do a lot, it can melt a lot of ice, it can 45 00:02:31.318 --> 00:02:34.554 change weather and it can change ocean circulations. 46 00:02:34.554 --> 00:02:38.825 Reporter: So even if you're in the middle of the country you 47 00:02:38.825 --> 00:02:42.496 should care about this you're not on the coast so sea level 48 00:02:42.496 --> 00:02:44.698 rise my not effect you but other things will, can you talk about 49 00:02:44.698 --> 00:02:45.365 that? 50 00:02:45.365 --> 00:02:47.434 Piers: Yes, for us humans wondering around 1 degree 51 00:02:47.434 --> 00:02:51.204 centigrade everyday just take it in your stride, it doesnÕt make 52 00:02:51.204 --> 00:02:52.305 any difference to you. 53 00:02:52.305 --> 00:02:56.009 But if it turns out that that 1 degree centigrade on a planetary 54 00:02:56.009 --> 00:02:59.079 scale, on the scale of the whole world changes where the rain 55 00:02:59.079 --> 00:03:02.382 will fall and where it won't, where its going to be hot and 56 00:03:02.382 --> 00:03:06.553 dry, where is going to be a good place to grow food or have water 57 00:03:06.553 --> 00:03:08.755 resources, then it makes a heck of a difference. 58 00:03:08.755 --> 00:03:14.594 Reporter: You said that 2015 was the death of denial, what do you 59 00:03:14.594 --> 00:03:15.328 mean by that? 60 00:03:15.328 --> 00:03:19.966 Piers: I've come to that conclusion after quite a lot of 61 00:03:19.966 --> 00:03:20.634 thought. 62 00:03:20.634 --> 00:03:25.005 The death of denial, the whole business of tiring to pretend 63 00:03:25.005 --> 00:03:28.575 that this global warming is not happening I think the nail is 64 00:03:28.575 --> 00:03:32.179 finally in the coffin and the reason for that is the majority 65 00:03:32.179 --> 00:03:38.285 of the world leaders and their representatives who are meeting 66 00:03:38.285 --> 00:03:41.688 in climate conferences accept the scientific evidence as the 67 00:03:41.688 --> 00:03:45.325 basis for trying to put together policy. 68 00:03:45.325 --> 00:03:50.063 So when you point to the big stack of documents scientist put 69 00:03:50.063 --> 00:03:54.401 together that says you should not try to get to much warmer 70 00:03:54.401 --> 00:03:57.637 then we are now, 2 degrees centigrade is the limit from 71 00:03:57.637 --> 00:04:03.043 pre-industrial temperatures we get policy makers buying into 72 00:04:03.043 --> 00:04:05.145 that I think that is the death of denial. 73 00:04:05.145 --> 00:04:09.282 People of embracing science and the reality of the message. 74 00:04:09.282 --> 00:04:13.687 Reporter: You've been very vocal and passionate about talking 75 00:04:13.687 --> 00:04:17.457 about climate change, what is the main message you want people 76 00:04:17.457 --> 00:04:18.358 to understand? 77 00:04:18.358 --> 00:04:21.862 Piers: A couple of messages, one is that it's real and can't be 78 00:04:21.862 --> 00:04:25.499 avoided, there will be changes and the other thing is this is 79 00:04:25.499 --> 00:04:27.234 not a hopeless case by any means. 80 00:04:27.234 --> 00:04:30.036 We can get ourselves out of trouble, it will take 81 00:04:30.036 --> 00:04:32.706 significant effort and application of technology and 82 00:04:32.706 --> 00:04:34.040 some policy investments but it's by no means hopeless at all. 83 00:04:34.040 --> 00:04:35.375 There is no reason that our future shouldn't be better then 84 00:04:35.375 --> 00:04:36.042 our past. 85 00:04:36.042 --> 00:04:41.047 So I'm optimistic as long as we get on with it. 86 00:04:46.052 --> 00:04:52.859 Reporter: What makes you so optimistic that we can tackle 87 00:04:52.859 --> 00:04:53.660 this crisis? 88 00:04:53.660 --> 00:04:56.229 Piers: I think there a number of reasons to be cheerful. 89 00:04:56.229 --> 00:05:01.668 When ever there has been a sever crisis to society, in particular 90 00:05:01.668 --> 00:05:05.772 in the past 100 years, you've seen eventually a pretty good 91 00:05:05.772 --> 00:05:08.241 response by policy makers, industrialist, technologist, 92 00:05:08.241 --> 00:05:13.513 inventors, all smart people, eventually they line up and work 93 00:05:13.513 --> 00:05:14.181 together. 94 00:05:14.181 --> 00:05:18.585 World War 2 is a classic example; technology was advanced 95 00:05:18.585 --> 00:05:24.758 very rapidly to deal with a threat to the world order and we 96 00:05:24.758 --> 00:05:31.298 triumphed if you like so I think there are reasons to be 97 00:05:31.298 --> 00:05:31.965 optimistic. 98 00:05:31.965 --> 00:05:36.203 Humans generally fight their way out of trouble. 99 00:05:36.203 --> 00:05:40.740 Reporter: What type of technological advances do we 100 00:05:40.740 --> 00:05:46.146 need to, if not solve this crisis at least try to fix it? 101 00:05:46.146 --> 00:05:50.483 Piers: The technical answers are fairly straightforward and 102 00:05:50.483 --> 00:05:55.855 they're obtainable even with current technology so moving 103 00:05:55.855 --> 00:06:01.761 from a carbon based economy to something else is going to 104 00:06:01.761 --> 00:06:05.265 require, it could happen very gradually if we didn't do much 105 00:06:05.265 --> 00:06:09.369 about it, with the proper investments and incentives you 106 00:06:09.369 --> 00:06:10.503 could do this quite quickly. 107 00:06:10.503 --> 00:06:15.942 Move over to new sources of energy, solar, nuclear, wind, 108 00:06:15.942 --> 00:06:19.512 and particularly electrification of the transport system. 109 00:06:19.512 --> 00:06:23.383 I'm convinced that in 10-15 years we'll all be driving 110 00:06:23.383 --> 00:06:27.654 around in little electric cars, very low impact. 111 00:06:27.654 --> 00:06:32.759 So what is interesting about all this is we can achieve the goal 112 00:06:32.759 --> 00:06:38.698 of reducing carbon emissions without putting a huge ding in 113 00:06:38.698 --> 00:06:43.870 people's quality of life I don't see this one leads to the other. 114 00:06:43.870 --> 00:06:48.908 I think people can continue to enjoy interesting, comfortable 115 00:06:48.908 --> 00:06:51.645 lives with the new technology and we lower our carbon 116 00:06:51.645 --> 00:06:53.513 footprint. 117 00:06:53.513 --> 00:06:59.352 Reporter: What do you say to people who say, we give up, 118 00:06:59.352 --> 00:07:03.490 we're to far gone to do anything about this? 119 00:07:03.490 --> 00:07:05.191 Piers: That's totally defeatist. 120 00:07:05.191 --> 00:07:09.529 That's totally defeatist and that's not useful to anybody. 121 00:07:09.529 --> 00:07:15.001 So now we are in a tricky position that is humanity is in 122 00:07:15.001 --> 00:07:17.570 a tricky position now's the time to start thinking. 123 00:07:17.570 --> 00:07:21.741 Now's the time to really start working on solutions and there 124 00:07:21.741 --> 00:07:23.743 are many solutions out there. 125 00:07:23.743 --> 00:07:26.246 There's not a single solution, there are many solutions that we 126 00:07:26.246 --> 00:07:26.913 have to work on. 127 00:07:26.913 --> 00:07:28.348 It's all doable. 128 00:07:28.348 --> 00:07:32.285 Reporter: Let me circle back a little bit. 129 00:07:32.285 --> 00:07:38.191 Talk about your work here and talking about climate modeling 130 00:07:38.191 --> 00:07:42.996 it's very challenging, lot of factors involved, what insight 131 00:07:42.996 --> 00:07:46.933 of NASA's effort accomplished with these models and what 132 00:07:46.933 --> 00:07:48.268 challenges still remain? 133 00:07:48.268 --> 00:07:51.671 Piers: NASA's made a huge contribution to the whole 134 00:07:51.671 --> 00:07:55.575 business of climate modeling, especially NASA Goddard Space 135 00:07:55.575 --> 00:07:56.242 Flight Center. 136 00:07:56.242 --> 00:08:01.614 So there are various tribes of scientist involved here. 137 00:08:01.614 --> 00:08:04.651 There's the tribe that actually makes these climate models on 138 00:08:04.651 --> 00:08:08.922 the super computers, test them, run them, and look at the 139 00:08:08.922 --> 00:08:10.490 output. 140 00:08:10.490 --> 00:08:15.795 But a model without verification is pretty much useless so we 141 00:08:15.795 --> 00:08:19.666 have another tribe of people who take satellite observations and 142 00:08:19.666 --> 00:08:22.102 analyze other types of observations who provides the 143 00:08:22.102 --> 00:08:26.172 constant checks on the modelist so the modelist and observers 144 00:08:26.172 --> 00:08:29.809 are always talking with each other and over the last 30 years 145 00:08:29.809 --> 00:08:32.178 that I've been involved in the business I've seen tremendous 146 00:08:32.178 --> 00:08:37.283 progress in the capability and the credibility of these models 147 00:08:37.283 --> 00:08:39.185 it's been night and day. 148 00:08:39.185 --> 00:08:44.023 Reporter: Can you talk about the changes since you've been here 149 00:08:44.023 --> 00:08:45.492 at Goddard? 150 00:08:45.492 --> 00:08:51.564 What is the science that's changed that we've learned? 151 00:08:51.564 --> 00:08:54.634 Piers: The change that I've seen for myself when I arrived here 152 00:08:54.634 --> 00:08:59.639 at NASA Goddard in 1982 as a postdoc straight off the boat 153 00:09:02.809 --> 00:09:09.516 from London pretty much; we had Landsat, we had some 154 00:09:09.516 --> 00:09:12.051 meteorological satellites, and the French had a satellite 155 00:09:12.051 --> 00:09:14.587 called SPOT that was sort of like Landsat. 156 00:09:14.587 --> 00:09:16.356 That was about it. 157 00:09:16.356 --> 00:09:20.093 That was really about it and it was very difficult to do much 158 00:09:20.093 --> 00:09:22.429 earth science with that little fleet. 159 00:09:22.429 --> 00:09:26.699 Come to the end of 1990's we launched this huge constellation 160 00:09:26.699 --> 00:09:29.969 of Earth observing satellites and that was also supported by 161 00:09:29.969 --> 00:09:32.539 recruitment a bunch of scientist to look at the data. 162 00:09:32.539 --> 00:09:36.543 So there's been an absolute revolution in the last 20 years 163 00:09:36.543 --> 00:09:39.112 I mean really a science revolution in our understanding 164 00:09:39.112 --> 00:09:39.779 of the Earth. 165 00:09:39.779 --> 00:09:44.350 Its been going from very primitive models and a very 166 00:09:44.350 --> 00:09:48.421 primitive understanding to a very detailed, verifiable, see 167 00:09:48.421 --> 00:09:50.890 it everyday, model it everyday capability. 168 00:09:50.890 --> 00:09:55.862 It's been an enormous jump in progress and I feel myself very 169 00:09:55.862 --> 00:09:58.898 lucky to have seen it from the beginning to where we are now. 170 00:09:58.898 --> 00:10:00.333 It's been really exciting ride. 171 00:10:00.333 --> 00:10:05.538 Reporter: Why is it important for NASA study the Earth from 172 00:10:05.538 --> 00:10:06.206 space? 173 00:10:06.206 --> 00:10:11.611 Piers: Well NASA has found that orbit is the exact the best spot 174 00:10:11.611 --> 00:10:14.214 from which to observe the Earth. 175 00:10:14.214 --> 00:10:17.750 The views you get from orbit, here's me actually outside the 176 00:10:17.750 --> 00:10:21.988 ship looking back at the Earth, are very powerful. 177 00:10:21.988 --> 00:10:25.425 You can see thousands of miles in every direction, you're going 178 00:10:25.425 --> 00:10:28.895 around the Earth at 5 miles a second so you can go around the 179 00:10:28.895 --> 00:10:32.132 whole world and map the whole world in a day using a 180 00:10:32.132 --> 00:10:32.866 satellite. 181 00:10:32.866 --> 00:10:36.035 So the combination of being able to see the whole world, 182 00:10:36.035 --> 00:10:39.672 wall-to-wall, everyday with the same instrument is tremendously 183 00:10:39.672 --> 00:10:43.743 powerful scientifically and it's absolutely the cheapest, best 184 00:10:43.743 --> 00:10:45.678 way to study the Earth. 185 00:10:45.678 --> 00:10:52.252 Reporter: So you are one of a handful of people to actually 186 00:10:52.252 --> 00:10:55.522 see the Earth from space, can you talk a little bit about what 187 00:10:55.522 --> 00:10:56.556 that experience was like? 188 00:10:56.556 --> 00:11:01.094 Piers: For me personally seeing the Earth from space was very 189 00:11:01.094 --> 00:11:04.430 revealing and beautiful all at the same time. 190 00:11:04.430 --> 00:11:07.133 It's beautiful as it would be for about anybody just to see 191 00:11:07.133 --> 00:11:10.904 the planet from above, the curve of the Earth, to be moving 192 00:11:10.904 --> 00:11:15.275 around this great big blue ball where we all live, it's 193 00:11:15.275 --> 00:11:16.609 incredibly beautiful. 194 00:11:16.609 --> 00:11:20.647 But as a scientist all the things that I've studied in 195 00:11:20.647 --> 00:11:24.317 theory and in the laboratory and simulations, to see them for 196 00:11:24.317 --> 00:11:31.257 real from orbit, like a whole hurricane or ice packs or forest 197 00:11:31.257 --> 00:11:36.396 or mountains to see it all from a single glance, it put flesh on 198 00:11:36.396 --> 00:11:40.400 the science bones if you'd like for me. 199 00:11:40.400 --> 00:11:41.067 It made if real. 200 00:11:41.067 --> 00:11:44.137 You know one of the things that came out of this is I'm much 201 00:11:44.137 --> 00:11:48.508 fonder of the Earth now having left it and looked back at it. 202 00:11:48.508 --> 00:11:50.877 It's like leaving home, I'm much fonder of it now. 203 00:11:50.877 --> 00:11:55.782 My name is Piers Sellers, I'm a climate scientist here at NASA's 204 00:11:55.782 --> 00:11:58.585 Goddard Space Flight Center and a former astronaut. 205 00:12:00.987 --> 00:12:04.824 Reporter: You were in space 3 times, how did looking down at 206 00:12:04.824 --> 00:12:08.061 the Earth change your perception of Earth, or did it? 207 00:12:08.061 --> 00:12:10.663 Did it seem more fragile looking at it? 208 00:12:10.663 --> 00:12:14.801 Piers: Looking at the Earth from orbit, particularly looking at 209 00:12:14.801 --> 00:12:19.238 the horizon did bring to mind how thin the atmosphere is. 210 00:12:19.238 --> 00:12:22.175 It's like an onionskin around this great big ball 211 00:12:22.175 --> 00:12:22.842 of the Earth. 212 00:12:22.842 --> 00:12:25.178 It's very very thin. 213 00:12:25.178 --> 00:12:28.581 So that really brought home to me how thin of volume of air 214 00:12:28.581 --> 00:12:31.417 that we are all sharing and breathing, polluting if you 215 00:12:31.417 --> 00:12:34.253 like, and how easily it's affected by what we do. 216 00:12:34.253 --> 00:12:35.922 That brought it right home. 217 00:12:35.922 --> 00:12:39.559 Reporter: Did it change your passion for wanting to get the 218 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:43.229 message out that climate change is happening and we need to 219 00:12:43.229 --> 00:12:43.896 address it? 220 00:12:43.896 --> 00:12:46.332 Piers: Not at all because I was passionate about it before I 221 00:12:46.332 --> 00:12:50.103 went so maybe a little bit more motivated, that's all. 222 00:12:50.103 --> 00:12:54.007 Reporter: What is your proudest moment working as a NASA 223 00:12:54.007 --> 00:12:54.674 Scientist? 224 00:12:54.674 --> 00:12:59.512 Piers: I can't pick out a single great moment; to be honest it's 225 00:12:59.512 --> 00:13:04.784 amazing to just see the session of triumphs particularly in the 226 00:13:04.784 --> 00:13:08.121 science over the last 20 years one building on another so it's 227 00:13:08.121 --> 00:13:10.523 been a terrific ride. 228 00:13:10.523 --> 00:13:13.526 Almost everyday someone will walk into my office and tell me 229 00:13:13.526 --> 00:13:17.730 something new, some insight that is exciting. 230 00:13:17.730 --> 00:13:21.034 So it's been a continuous rush. 231 00:13:21.034 --> 00:13:27.373 Reporter: Now you said in your New York Times article that you 232 00:13:27.373 --> 00:13:31.978 wanted to come straight back to work, why do you love what you 233 00:13:31.978 --> 00:13:32.779 do as much as you do? 234 00:13:32.779 --> 00:13:35.648 Piers: I was accused of several people of having a chronic lack 235 00:13:35.648 --> 00:13:37.950 of imagination, couldn't think of anything better to do then 236 00:13:37.950 --> 00:13:39.218 come back to work. 237 00:13:39.218 --> 00:13:42.055 But the work is really interesting. 238 00:13:42.055 --> 00:13:45.825 I mean the reason I got into the science in the first place 239 00:13:45.825 --> 00:13:49.729 because it's fascinating but it's really important too. 240 00:13:49.729 --> 00:13:51.831 I mean it's really really important, for everybody, 241 00:13:51.831 --> 00:13:52.665 for all 7 billion of us. 242 00:13:52.665 --> 00:13:54.000 So I feel not only this is how I'd like to spend my time but 243 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:54.667 also kind of a responsibility. 244 00:13:54.667 --> 00:13:56.035 NASA spent 30 years training me if you like to do this job so I 245 00:13:56.035 --> 00:14:01.007 feel some responsibility to keep doing it. 246 00:14:01.007 --> 00:14:06.012 Reporter: You talk to kids a lot, what do you tell kids about 247 00:14:16.122 --> 00:14:18.191 where we are and climate change? 248 00:14:18.191 --> 00:14:20.359 What are your hopes for the next generation? 249 00:14:20.359 --> 00:14:25.031 Piers: Oh, upbeat for the most part. 250 00:14:25.031 --> 00:14:28.668 If you take people in their teens they are perfectly capable 251 00:14:28.668 --> 00:14:34.040 of understanding the changes that are going on and that they 252 00:14:34.040 --> 00:14:40.546 will have to deal with them more then people like me at my age 253 00:14:40.546 --> 00:14:43.649 obviously they get to inherit the Earth that we leave them. 254 00:14:43.649 --> 00:14:50.323 I try to tell them that these problems are being looked at, 255 00:14:50.323 --> 00:14:54.393 they are being addressed, not as fast as we'd probably like right 256 00:14:54.393 --> 00:15:00.199 now and it will be a continuing work ready to solve a problem 257 00:15:00.199 --> 00:15:02.869 and some of it will be up to them. 258 00:15:02.869 --> 00:15:07.874 You know, them seem to absorb it ok. 259 00:15:09.909 --> 00:15:14.180 Reporter: You learned to fly at a young age, 260 00:15:14.180 --> 00:15:16.082 what inspired youto do that? 261 00:15:16.082 --> 00:15:20.153 To want to learn how to fly and what inspired you to 262 00:15:20.153 --> 00:15:20.820 become an astronaut? 263 00:15:20.820 --> 00:15:23.222 Piers: I can't imagine why anybody wouldn't want to learn 264 00:15:23.222 --> 00:15:26.492 how to fly but that's my mindset. 265 00:15:26.492 --> 00:15:31.430 I was at school and they had the Royal Air Force, I was in the 266 00:15:31.430 --> 00:15:33.866 United Kingdom, the Royal Air Force had this great program 267 00:15:33.866 --> 00:15:37.436 where they teach you to fly gliders solo at 16 then fly 268 00:15:37.436 --> 00:15:38.838 powered aircraft at 17. 269 00:15:38.838 --> 00:15:40.206 I've been flying ever since then. 270 00:15:40.206 --> 00:15:45.511 So interest in fly and interest in space went hand in hand, 271 00:15:45.511 --> 00:15:47.847 it's all the same community of people how do this. 272 00:15:47.847 --> 00:15:51.784 So I've always been drawn to it and still enjoy it today. 273 00:15:51.784 --> 00:15:52.451 I love to fly. 274 00:15:52.451 --> 00:15:56.289 Reporter: What about studying earth science, what prompted you 275 00:15:56.289 --> 00:15:59.325 to pick that field? 276 00:15:59.325 --> 00:16:03.229 Piers: I really started to get interested in earth science when 277 00:16:03.229 --> 00:16:07.233 there was this gap that I found myself able to fill and that was 278 00:16:07.233 --> 00:16:10.736 the gap between biology and climate so I started out as a 279 00:16:10.736 --> 00:16:14.974 biologist and then moved over to climate studies and realized 280 00:16:14.974 --> 00:16:17.977 that there was quite a strong link to the way the whole 281 00:16:17.977 --> 00:16:23.482 Earth's biosphere works and its impacts on climate were strong 282 00:16:23.482 --> 00:16:27.019 so not many people were looking at that time so it was an 283 00:16:27.019 --> 00:16:30.656 opportunity to investigate something new and I got sucked 284 00:16:30.656 --> 00:16:33.626 all the way in never managed to get out again. 285 00:16:33.626 --> 00:16:35.027 Its been a lot of fun. 286 00:16:35.027 --> 00:16:39.165 Reporter: You've been very optimistic about climate change, 287 00:16:39.165 --> 00:16:42.768 what can we as humans do adapt? 288 00:16:42.768 --> 00:16:49.442 Piers: Well if you look at history have done a great job of 289 00:16:49.442 --> 00:16:52.545 adapting to changing circumstances and actually 290 00:16:52.545 --> 00:16:55.848 improving their lot in the process. 291 00:16:55.848 --> 00:16:59.452 You go all the way back to transition from being a bunch of 292 00:16:59.452 --> 00:17:03.489 very sparse, hunter-gatherers to becoming an agricultural society 293 00:17:03.489 --> 00:17:05.558 and that was a huge change. 294 00:17:05.558 --> 00:17:09.795 It allowed the population to increase massively; it allowed 295 00:17:09.795 --> 00:17:13.266 cities and the growth of civilization so things go better 296 00:17:13.266 --> 00:17:15.501 for humanity really quickly. 297 00:17:15.501 --> 00:17:20.273 Then going from an agrarian culture to an industrial culture 298 00:17:20.273 --> 00:17:25.545 in the 1750's another big step change, another big improvement. 299 00:17:25.545 --> 00:17:27.914 Now we have the modern world, the modern world is marvelous 300 00:17:27.914 --> 00:17:30.483 compared to being a caveman and I'd think you'd have to agree, 301 00:17:30.483 --> 00:17:31.417 you know? 302 00:17:31.417 --> 00:17:33.352 Certainly a lot cleaner. 303 00:17:33.352 --> 00:17:38.691 Now we got another change facing us, it's a relatively 304 00:17:38.691 --> 00:17:39.358 small change. 305 00:17:39.358 --> 00:17:43.262 The way we use energy and the way we store energy, the way we 306 00:17:43.262 --> 00:17:47.433 use energy, and so that's a relatively minor change in the 307 00:17:47.433 --> 00:17:49.869 great scheme of things but looking back at history the way 308 00:17:49.869 --> 00:17:53.072 we've copped with previous challenges, I don't see this as 309 00:17:53.072 --> 00:17:55.675 being impossible at all. 310 00:17:55.675 --> 00:17:58.811 Reporter: So it's just another step we have to take? 311 00:17:58.811 --> 00:18:01.814 Piers: It's just another step we have to take as humans and we've 312 00:18:01.814 --> 00:18:03.149 done it before. 313 00:18:03.149 --> 00:18:07.119 Reporter: Why are you so passionate about this issue? 314 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:11.290 Piers: Well I've very interested in the science for one and you 315 00:18:11.290 --> 00:18:14.694 know the whole time I've been working at NASA I've been amazed 316 00:18:14.694 --> 00:18:17.296 at how the gains we've made through all the technology 317 00:18:17.296 --> 00:18:20.399 particularly the NASA has thrown into the mix. 318 00:18:20.399 --> 00:18:25.404 So it's really interesting but I think on a broader level 319 00:18:25.404 --> 00:18:32.044 responsibility as a scientist so I see things are happening I 320 00:18:32.044 --> 00:18:35.581 understand some idea about how the future is going to develop 321 00:18:35.581 --> 00:18:38.617 so I feel some responsibility to society to report that to the 322 00:18:38.617 --> 00:18:42.121 public and policy makers to make it crystal clear to people what 323 00:18:42.121 --> 00:18:42.822 is going on. 324 00:18:42.822 --> 00:18:46.826 Reporter: So how has your cancer diagnosis changed your outlook 325 00:18:46.826 --> 00:18:48.527 on climate change issue? 326 00:18:48.527 --> 00:18:52.164 Piers: Well for me personally realizing I have rather less 327 00:18:52.164 --> 00:18:55.901 time to deal with this, trying to get more done in the time 328 00:18:55.901 --> 00:18:57.169 available. 329 00:18:57.169 --> 00:19:01.741 So I'm actually working at 20 times the normal rate and 330 00:19:01.741 --> 00:19:03.042 it's still fun. 331 00:19:03.042 --> 00:19:06.312 It's just concentrating my efforts on what's more important 332 00:19:06.312 --> 00:19:06.979 I guess. 333 00:19:06.979 --> 00:19:11.717 Reporter: Talk a little bit about your childhood. 334 00:19:11.717 --> 00:19:14.086 Why did you want to be an astronaut? 335 00:19:14.086 --> 00:19:17.923 Piers: Well I was lucky enough to grow up during the 1960's 336 00:19:17.923 --> 00:19:20.459 during the race to the moon so I saw the whole thing, 337 00:19:20.459 --> 00:19:23.095 the Russians, the Americans you know, trying to get to the 338 00:19:23.095 --> 00:19:24.096 moon first. 339 00:19:24.096 --> 00:19:25.765 It was tremendously exciting. 340 00:19:25.765 --> 00:19:30.002 I mean everything, the lunar landing, Apollo 13 the rescue, 341 00:19:30.002 --> 00:19:33.539 all of that stuff was just wonderful and it got me 342 00:19:33.539 --> 00:19:38.110 interested in science, it got me interested in aviation, learning 343 00:19:38.110 --> 00:19:42.181 to fly and it got me interested in NASA. 344 00:19:42.181 --> 00:19:46.185 So I thought the whole show was put on just for me to motivate 345 00:19:46.185 --> 00:19:47.586 me in my career. 346 00:19:47.586 --> 00:19:50.089 I found out that wasn't true but it might as well been. 347 00:19:50.089 --> 00:19:56.128 Reporter: You've talked about the changes you've seen since 348 00:19:56.128 --> 00:19:56.796 you were born. 349 00:19:56.796 --> 00:19:59.665 Where do you think we will be in 50 years? 350 00:19:59.665 --> 00:20:03.869 Piers: In 50 year's time, I think we will probably be a 351 00:20:03.869 --> 00:20:06.972 little bit warmer then the 2 degrees centigrade we set 352 00:20:06.972 --> 00:20:09.008 ourselves, hopefully not too much. 353 00:20:09.008 --> 00:20:13.612 I think there will be a massive change in the way people live. 354 00:20:13.612 --> 00:20:17.483 I'm hoping that the bottom third of the population of the world, 355 00:20:17.483 --> 00:20:20.052 who are very poor right now, will be a lot less poor. 356 00:20:20.052 --> 00:20:25.524 We'll be able to transfer technology and wealth to them 357 00:20:25.524 --> 00:20:26.425 to make their lives better. 358 00:20:26.425 --> 00:20:31.697 It could be a much better world and it should be a much better 359 00:20:31.697 --> 00:20:33.699 world in 50 years time.