A changing world

When most people think about climate change they naturally associate this with global warming, both in the sea and on land. But this is not always the case! Here I present the story of the ‘8.2’ event, a prehistoric cooling of the north Atlantic that was driven by melting ice and changing ocean currents. Understanding events like these is vital, so that we can be better informed about present and future climate change scenarios.

Climate science has become a political hot potato over the last two decades. Some people, particularly in the US, reject the science completely. To understand why people reject the science we need to know some psychology, and so we will explore how cognitive biases shape all of our thinking, affecting not only non-scientists trying to interpret the science, but also the scientists themselves. This will lead to a more general understanding of what it means to say that science 'knows' something.

The processes that generate biological diversity on Earth did not stop when humans pitched up. Many species are taking advantage of human changes to the environment, and the diversity of species is growing in nearly all regions of the world. Bizarre as it might seem, the speciation rate on Earth (on land) during the Anthropocene could possibly be the highest ever. Humans could be initiating a new Great Genesis, as well as a Sixth Mass Extinction. We need a conservation philosophy that accepts change, rather than one that attempts to restore nature to a former state that no longer exists.