"Michigan is now a climate action leader, and that’s reason for even more hope. It shows we all – students, staff, faculty, citizens – can make a difference, and we’ll keep making a difference."


In celebration of the winding down of both COP28 and the calendar year, this very special issue of the newsletter features Dr. Jonathan T. Overpeck, the Samuel A. Graham Dean of the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability; William B. Stapp Collegiate Professor of Environmental Education; Professor, Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering; Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences.


In his free time, Jonathan, or "Peck" as he is often called, enjoys walking his dogs, despite having worn out his knees hiking and climbing because "being outdoors is my happy place."

You have quite a collection of accolades, including the leading the IPCC team that produced the Nobel Prize-winning report and US Department of Commerce Bronze and Gold Medals. Do you have an accolade, accomplishment or award of which you are most proud?

 

The IPCC was awarded a share of the Nobel Prize in 2007 and it was a huge team effort. But I was one of the leads that got an early morning media call – I think it was NPR. I had no idea that climate scientists could win a Nobel Prize, so I figured it was a friend playing a joke on me. Once they convinced me it was for real, they asked me what I thought about the accomplishment, and I quickly had an answer – it’s the Nobel Peace Prize, and it’s so appropriate that it’s the Peace Prize!

 

Fifteen years later, I should note that several other colleagues and friends have won other Nobel Prizes (Economics and Physics) for their climate change-related work. It’s very sound science.

“What's needed is a set of guiding principles focused on managing the Great Lakes at the ecosystem scale, centering justice, embracing the blue economy and the energy transformation, and prioritizing community partnerships...”


This statement is from a description of a publication you co-authored. Can you elaborate on it?

 

The Great Lakes hold over 20% of the world’s unfrozen fresh water, an amazing resource that needs careful management and stewardship, especially in an era of global climate and water crisis. We need to do better to ensure that everyone in the region benefits from this stewardship. Academics can make a big difference, but only by combining academic knowledge with the knowledge from communities, and by working together with those from all walks of life, can we really do the job that the Great Lakes deserve.

Back in January of this year, you wrote about 4 reasons for hope. Given what you have seen since January, would you alter anything that you wrote?

 

In Michigan, we had a great climate action plan back in January, but now our state legislature and governor have made key elements of that plan reality. Michigan is now a climate action leader, and that’s reason for even more hope. It shows we all – students, staff, faculty, citizens – can make a difference, and we’ll keep making a difference.

 

And it’s great to see the U.S. and China working together on halting climate change again. That’s BIG

You have often been quoted about the need to stop using fossil fuels. Do you have any thoughts about the need to remove legacy CO2 from the atmosphere (with DAC) or prevent additional CO2 emissions (with point source capture) in hard to decarbonize industries?

 

Yes, job #1 is to exit the fossil fuel era. It’s great the University of Michigan (U-M) and the state are partners in a huge new effort to develop hydrogen as a major climate change solution. This will really help with hard to decarbonize industries. We are also going to have to remove CO2 from the atmosphere using natural (e.g., well managed forests) and technological approaches. It’s great U-M is a leader in advancing these capabilities as well.

Do you have any predictions about what we will see in the field of sustainability in the next 5-10 years?

 

Hopefully a world that is over 50% decarbonized by 2030. That’s a hugely important goal, but so is helping less affluent communities and nations deal with the climate change and extremes we cannot halt. Hopefully, the wealthy nations that caused the bulk of the climate change will step up to help those who didn’t cause the problem, yet suffer disproportionate impacts.

 

The nature of your work means that you are constantly confronting the many aspects of what some have referred to as an existential crisis. What keeps you motivated?

 

Working on solutions and working with students who want a focus of their careers to be forging a more sustainable and just world keeps me motivated.

News in a Nutshell

Fossil-fuel industry embrace raises alarm bells over direct air capture


Capturing global attention: Carbon capture, utilisation and storage


The carbon removal industry is in the ‘figuring it out’ phase


US invests $2 billion for lower-carbon construction at federal buildings


Why transparency is key to scaling carbon removal

Imminent Events

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next session starts Jan. 1, 2024

Join this 6-week long, fast-paced, book club style group to learn more about carbon capture quickly and make some carbon removal friends!

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