Online lecture by Dr Roger Pielke, Jr
In this lecture, Dr Pielke will explain how the biggest story in climate science in decades has been mostly ignored. The secretive committee responsible for official IPCC scenarios has declared the high‐end scenarios, RCP8.5, SSP5‐8.5, and SSP3‐7.0, to be implausible. These scenarios have dominated climate research, headlines and policy for the better part of two decades. This event received very little media coverage. The Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant, headlined it as: UN Climate Panel Drops Doomsday Scenario. A Dutch science journalist posted on X: “This is so huge. Mindblowing. Crazy. The IPCC admits what’s been circulating for a while: the highest doomsday scenario, 8.5, no longer matches reality”. The German Die Welt declared: “The most sensationalist of all climate scenarios (RCP8.5) has determined scientific studies, media and politics, yet it is unrealistic; now it is actually being phased out.” English‐speaking media in the US and Europe have largely ignored this inconvenient story, hence this lecture. Dr Pielke will also touch on a new study that finds the IPCC Summary for Policymakers has
systematically amplified climate science beyond what the underlying report actually says. This is a not‐to‐be‐missed lecture; it will also lead to a great Q&A and discussion.
Event details
- Date: 24 June 2026 – 18:00 GMT
- Location: online
- Entrance fee: request via email jim@jimobriencsr.com
(unless you are on the mailinglist already)
Roger Pielke, Jr. is an American political scientist and a senior fellow at the`conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute. He describes himself as an “undisciplined professor” of science, policy and politics. He holds degrees in mathematics, public policy and political science, all from the University of Colorado. In 2006, he received the Eduard Brückner Prize in Munich, Germany, for outstanding achievement in interdisciplinary climate research. Formerly a Scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research, in 2012 Roger was awarded an honorary doctorate from Linköping University in Sweden and was also awarded the Public Service Award of the Geological Society of America. A prolific writer, his interests include understanding the politicization of science; decision making under uncertainty; policy education for scientists in areas such as climate change and disaster mitigation. He is also author or co‐author of many books, including The Honest Broker: Making Sense of Science in Policy and Politics, The Climate Fix: What Scientists and Politicians Won’t Tell you About Global Warming and The Rightful Place of Science: Disasters and Climate Change.
Watch the lecture here.
Other events
October 11, 2026: Roger Pielke Jr. to Speak at Clintel Event in Driebergen
The American scientist Roger Pielke Jr. is one of the most interesting and outspoken voices in the international climate debate. On Sunday afternoon, October 11, he will come to Driebergen, the Netherlands, at Clintel’s invitation for an extensive lecture on extreme weather, climate-related damages, climate scenarios, and the politicization of climate science.
Le 11 octobre 2026 : Roger Pielke Jr. prendra la parole lors d’un événement Clintel à Driebergen
Le scientifique américain Roger Pielke Jr. est l'une des voix les plus intéressantes et les plus franches du débat international sur le climat. Dimanche 11 octobre après-midi, il se rendra à Driebergen, aux Pays-Bas, à l'invitation de Clintel, pour une conférence approfondie sur les phénomènes météorologiques extrêmes, les dommages liés au changement climatique, les scénarios climatiques et la politisation de la climatologie.
Am 11. Oktober 2026: Roger Pielke Jr. spricht bei einer Clintel-Veranstaltung in Driebergen
Der amerikanische Wissenschaftler Roger Pielke Jr. zählt zu den interessantesten und engagiertesten Stimmen in der internationalen Klimadebatte. Am Sonntagnachmittag, dem 11. Oktober, wird er auf Einladung Clintels nach Driebergen in den Niederlanden reisen, um dort einen ausführlichen Vortrag über Extremwetterereignisse, klimabedingte Schäden, Klimaszenarien und die Politisierung der Klimawissenschaft zu halten.
