At the request of the speaker, the programme of this seminar has been modified. We focus on the truths and falsehoods of climate change.

Speaker: Jan Paul van Soest, Director De Gemeynt

As fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal are burned to generate energy, large amounts of the greenhouse gas CO2 are emitted into the atmosphere. Moreover, due to intensive agriculture, emissions of the greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide, have risen sharply in recent decades. All these gases in the atmosphere allow solar radiation to pass through to the Earth's surface, but block the returning radiation. As a result, the earth is warming.

As the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues to increase, the earth's heat is being retained better and better, so the average temperature is rising. This rise in temperature is having a major impact on Earth's natural climate systems.

There are some people who doubt this process. Jan Paul van Soest has written a book about it: The Doubt Brigade. This book is his starting point for his lecture.

https://klimaatveranda.nl/2014/04/22/de-twijfelbrigade/

A few statements:

"The climate sceptics have succeeded in turning the world upside down, by putting climate science and scientists in the damned corner, instead of accepting scientific knowledge as the best description and understanding of reality."

"The outrage played out as I began to get through how, why and how well-funded the vast sceptical machinery, especially those in the United States, attempts to undermine climate science. It became clear to me how the sceptical views and arguments blew over to the Netherlands, influencing thinking and policy here, without us here in Europe realising the sources of that scepticism."

Programme:

18.00 h Reception with coffee/tea and a sandwich

18.30 h Welcome

18.45 hours Lecture on truths and falsehoods of climate change

19.45 hours Summary

20.15 h Closing