In his speech on the occasion of receiving the 2008 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Climate Change, geochemist Wallace S. Broecker reflects on the scientific evidence of global warming and the mechanisms that regulate the Earth’s climate system. Widely regarded as one of the pioneers in warning about rising temperatures driven by human activity, Broecker explains the complexity of the oceans as key regulators of climate and cautions about the possibility of abrupt changes that could drastically alter climate equilibrium. He underscores the need for a deep understanding of the physical and chemical processes governing the climate in order to anticipate risks, improve predictive models, and guide decision-making in the face of one of the greatest scientific and societal challenges of our time.
The 2008 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Climate Chan
In his speech on the occasion of receiving the 2008 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Climate Change, geochemist Wallace S. Broecker reflects on the scientific evidence of global warming and the mechanisms that regulate the Earth’s climate system. Widely regarded as one of the pioneers in warning about rising temperatures driven by human activity, Broecker explains the complexity of the oceans as key regulators of climate and cautions about the possibility of abrupt changes that could drastically alter climate equilibrium. He underscores the need for a deep understanding of the physical and chemical processes governing the climate in order to anticipate risks, improve predictive models, and guide decision-making in the face of one of the greatest scientific and societal challenges of our time.
The 2008 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Climate Change category is awarded to American researcher Wallace S. Broecker, the first scientist to warn about global warming. The award jury highlighted the pioneering nature of Broecker’s work and his contributions to the understanding of so-called abrupt phenomena—processes that trigger extreme changes in the climate.
