It takes a special kind of person to break ranks, and challenge the basic assumptions of science. Others, like Callendar and Plass before him had limited success. However, Roger Revelle was an unusual blend of smart scientist and wily politician. This combination worked well when he applied his oceanography knowledge to global warming.
The Unusual Mix of a Beloved Academic and the Military
While Roger Revelle refused to take Joseph McCarthy’s anti-communist oath in the 1950’s, he had no problem mixing with the military when this suited his purpose. Perhaps this was because that was where the real research money was. At the same time, he was also instrumental in creating a University Campus at San Diego, where he is fondly remembered in this video.
In the late 1940’s, Revelle successfully persuaded the U.S. Navy to divert funds from applied technology to oceanographic research. During the 1950’s, he went as far as shaping nuclear weapon testing so it yielded data of interest to oceanographers. This was an emerging study of physical and biological aspects of the ocean, unlocking secrets of plate tectonics and geology of the sea floor.
Hans Suess and Roger Revelle Discover the Buffer Factor
In the late 1950’s, Roger Revelle established the International Geophysical Year. He also became founding chair of the first Committee on Climate Change and the Ocean. This enabled him to access the sharpest scientific minds of the decade.
Robert Revelle, and physical chemist / nuclear scientist Hans Suess uncovered the ‘buffer factor’, whereby the oceans absorb excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They concluded humanity was producing CO2 at a faster rate than the oceans could absorb, and that “human beings were now carrying out a large scale geophysical experiment”.
This work had immeasurable impact on public understanding of glacier melting and rising sea levels. In 1963, Revelle shifted his attention to applying science and technology to world hunger, that he must have known climate change would bring.
When President George Bush awarded him the National Medal of Science in 1990, he turned to a journalist and explained, “I got it for being the grandfather of the greenhouse effect.” By then he was 81 years old and almost faded from the world stage.
Related
Climate Change Part 9: The Callendar Line
Climate Change Part 10: Gilbert Plass Warns
Preview Image: Roger Revelle
Video Share Link: https://youtu.be/oWpi5KjnunY
