Thin Ice (2013): Climate Scientists in the Trenches

Thin Ice (2013): Climate Scientists in the Trenches

As the filmmakers explain, the Thin Ice documentary (2013)project began over a cup of coffee at a climate change and governance conference in Wellington in 2006. Peter Barrett (Victoria University) suggested to Simon Lamb (then at Oxford University) that he make a film about the science of climate change with his friend David Sington (DOX Productions). The idea was to let people see an insider’s view of the astonishing range of human activity and scientific work needed to understand the world’s changing climate. Viewers would then be able to decide individually and collectively how to deal with the issue.

Climate science has been coming under increasing attack. Geologist Simon Lamb takes a look at what’s really happening with global warming by filming scientists in multiple disciplines at work in the Arctic, the Antarctic and around the world. The result is a unique exploration of the science behind global warming and an intimate portrait of a global community of researchers racing to understand our planet’s changing climate. Simon and David talked to researchers on four continents as they explained their work measuring changes in the atmosphere, oceans and ice sheets. They also discovered how scientists use computer models to understand the effects of those changes.

The key messages from this 73 minute film are that scientists can be trusted and that ultimately we have to quit using fossil fuels. We do not try and say how this should be done, but we hope that the film will lead audiences into some deeper thinking on the issue and perhaps even a shift toward solutions. - See more at: http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2013/04/thin-ice-the-movie/#sthash.JxRl7CNS.dpuf

The scientists:

MYLES ALLEN, ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICIST

Myles is interested in how human and natural influences on climate contribute to observed changes.

CLIFF ATKINS, GEOLOGIST

Cliff extracts glacial history from sediment cores by studying pebble shape and sediment texture and other features.

NANCY BERTLER, PALEOCLIMATOLOGIST

Nancy is using ice cores to study climate history over the 20,000 years in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica.

MARTIN BLUNT, PETROLEUM ENGINEER

Martin's research interests are in flow through porous media - applications include carbon capture and storage.

NEIL BOWLES, ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICIST

Neil works on space experiments for observing the planets and runs lab experiments for data analysis.

MARTIN BRASIER, PALEOBIOLOGIST

Martin has sought to expand our understanding of big transitions in the fossil record.

WALLACE BROECKER, OCEANOGRAPHER

Wally has been studying the oceans since 1953 when he began his PhD at Columbia University.

LIONEL CARTER, MARINE GEOLOGIST

Lionel's research centres on the use of cores from the sea floor to understand past changes in global climate.

NIKI DAVEY, MARINE BIOLOGIST

Niki studies sea cucumbers, an important part of the biomass and biodiversity of the oceans.

DAN DIXON, PALEOCLIMATOLOGIST

Dan's research is focused on the reconstruction of Antarctic climate from chemistry in snow and ice cores.

KATIE DUGGER, ECOLOGIST

Katie studies the effects of changes in landscape and climate on foraging ecology and survival of animals.

GAVIN DUNBAR, GEOLOGIST

Gavin has worked on sediment cores form the tropics to the poles, using geochemical techniques to estimate past temperature.

SIR LLOYD GEERING, THEOLOGIAN

Sir Lloyd continues to be one of NZ's more controversial theologians, debating religious and secular issues.

DAVID HARWOOD, GEOLOGIST

Dave is an expert in dating rocks with microfossils, especially diatoms (marine algae).

MATTHEW HUBER, PALEOCLIMATE MODELLER

Matt works to improve our understanding of Earth's warmer past with models used for modern climate.

PHILIP JONES, CLIMATOLOGIST

Phil is known mainly for the 150-year-long monthly time series of global surface temperatures.

BRIAN KARL, ECOLOGY TECHNICIAN

Brian has been  monitoring  Adelie penguins, their foraging, diet and movements for the last 22 years.

DANIEL KOSELI, ENGINEER

Daniel works with Fabian Moeller as an engineer monitoring CO2 injection into strata 600 m below ground level near Berlin.

ANDERS LEVERMANN, CLIMATE SCIENTIST

Anders uses computer models to study the behaviour of the Earth System with a particular interest in tipping points.

ADRIAN MACEY, FORMER NZ CLIMATE CHANGE AMBASSADOR

Adrian was until recently Vice-Chair (then Chair) of the UN Climate Change negotiations (Kyoto Protocol track).

MARTIN MANNING, ATMOSPHERIC CHEMIST

Martin led NZ's greenhouse gas research for over 20 years, then directing IPCC's WG-1 Technical Support Unit.

PAUL MAYEWSKI, PALEOCLIMATOLOGIST

Paul has led researchers investigating climate history in both the Arctic and the Antarctic for 4 decades.

MALTE MEINSHAUSEN, CLIMATE MODELLER

Malte models the cause & effect chain from CO2 emissions to temperatures to climate change impacts.

FABIAN MOELLER, ENGINEER

Fabian works with Daniel Koseli as an engineer monitoring CO2 injection into strata 600 m below ground level near Berlin.

HUGH MORTIMER, ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICIST

Hugh is now directing his research to developing satellite instrumentation to study the Earth’s atmosphere.

TIMOTHY NAISH, GEOLOGIST

Tim's  main research interest is the past behaviour of Antarctic ice sheets over millions of years.

SCOTT NODDER, MARINE BIOLOGIST

Scott's research includes iron cycling, carbon fluxes in marine ecosystems and ocean time-series observations.

LISA NORTHCOTE, MARINE TECHNICIAN

Lisa provides analyses for projects on water, sediment and life in the oceans around New Zealand.

RAY PIERREHUMBERT, ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICIST

Ray enjoys developing idealized mathematical models for addressing the big questions about Earth's climate.

ALEX PYNE, POLAR DRILLING TECHNOLOGIST

Alex has been developing  polar field and drilling equipment and managing operations for over 30 years.

JAME RAE, OCEANOGRAPHER

James' hiking and surfing in Scotland stimulated his interest in cold water, mud and the environment.

STEFAN RAHMSTORF, OCEAN MODELLER

Stefan studies the role of the oceans in climate change and is co-founder of the www.realclimate.org blog

ROS RICKABY, BIOCHEMIST

Ros is fascinated by the interactions between  organisms, ocean chemistry, atmospheric composition and climate.

KATJA RIEDEL, ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICIST

Katja's main research interests are greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and in ice cores.

LIZ SIKES, PALEOCEANOGRAPHER

Her main interest is the study of the climate variability in the ocean over thousands of years.

CRAIG STEVENS, OCEANOGRAPHER

Craig works on boundary layer problems, particularly ocean-atmosphere and ocean-sea ice interactions.

CRAIG STEWART, OCEANOGRAPHER

Craig studies ocean structure and currents by leaving recording instruments tethered on deep ocean moorings.

LONNIE THOMPSON

Lonnie's observations of glacier retreat in the last three decades show that glaciers around the world are melting.

MIKE WILLIAMS, PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHER

Mike's research focuses on how ocean and ice, including ice shelves and sea ice, interact around Antarctica.

TONY WILLIAMS, METEROLOGIST

Tony has been a weatherman for 43 years and still finds it fascinating.