University of California, San Diego history professor Naomi Oreskes will be lecturing Monday, Oct. 8 about how the scientific consensus on climate change has been undermined.

Oreskes authored a 2004 study published in Science that confirmed the scientific consensus on global warming. Spurred by what she perceived as a gap between what scientists were reporting and what journalists and policymakers were saying, she surveyed nearly 1,000 academic papers on climate change.

They agreed on one important point. The world is getting warmer, and humans are responsible. But a few scientists and lobbyists from fossil-fuel industries, who questioned whether the current warming trend is cyclical, profoundly affected this nation’s public policy debate. While European countries began cutting emissions and producing more fuel-efficient vehicles, American journalists were criticized for stifling policy change by overemphasizing a small band of climate-change deniers.

Oreskes’ talk begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Birch Aquarium. Reservations are required by calling 858.534.5771.

ROB DAVIS

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