Description

Food and drink can be ordered off the normal menu. Everyone will be responsible for their own meal and drink. A 20% gratuity will be added to your bill for the use of the room and the size of the party. Prof. Pope's talk will begin at 11:30A. Is Climate Change an Existential Threat to Humanity? Climate change is in the news all the time. Much of the media and many politicians talk about climate change in terms of a crisis, the most urgent problem facing humanity and an even existential threat to humanity. Data on the U.S. National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) site show the average global surface temperature has increased about one degree Celsius over the past century. However, it is interesting that there has been a slight decrease in the maximum temperature in Burnet County over this time period. It's a serious problem, but is climate change an existential threat to humanity? I will talk about my views on this subject from the perspective of a chemical, environmental and reservoir engineer who has studied this subject for many years, read numerous scientific books and papers on the subject, and as someone who has done independent scientific analysis and modeling. I will also briefly mention my vies about its relationship to energy and food supply, economics and social justice in places such as India from the point of view of someone who grew up on a farm in Oklahoma. Bio Dr. Gary Pope is Professor Emeritus at UT-Austin. Dr. Pope received his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Oklahoma St. University and a PhD in chemical engineering from Rice University. After receiving his PhD, he worked for Shell Development Company in Houston, Tx. Dr. Pope then became a professor in the Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering Department at UT-Austin where he held the Texaco Centennial Chair in Petroleum Engineering until he retired. Dr. Pope was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1999. In 2018, he was chosen as UT Inventor of the Year. He has more than 400 publications and 50 years experience with both oil and gas production and groundwater remediation, including numerous field projects using surfactants and water-soluble polymers. He co-founded Ultimate EOR Services in 2013 to provide laboratory and modeling services to companies worldwide.