Interview with Professor Anthony Broccoli

Professor Anthony Broccoli, Ph.D. is an associate chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University, as well as the co-director of the Climate and Environmental Change Initiative and director of the Center for Environmental Prediction for the university. Prior to his work at Rutgers, Broccoli worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey, one of the world’s most established climate modeling centers. He is currently on sabbatical, working at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts.
“I’m not sure my definition [of progress] would be profound,” he says. “In science, progress is defined as a better understanding of how the world works. More broadly, I think progress is making the world a better place to live.

Connelly: What work are you currently working on at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts?

Professor Broccoli: I'm collaborating with scientists who work to understand past climates by studying deep sea sediments and other geological evidence. By combining the evidence they have gathered with the results from our climate model experiments, we can develop a better understanding of the mechanisms that shape the earth's climate.

Connelly: What is the nature of your work with The Rutgers Climate and Environmental Change Initiative?

Professor Broccoli: The Rutgers Climate and Environmental Change Initiative has three major goals: to understand the mechanisms that drive global and regional climate change; to predict the future of the climate system as well as the impacts of change on a densely populated, coastal society; and to educate society about the causes and consequences of climate change.

Connelly: Can you explain for Progressiveu.org readers what exactly climate modeling is?

Professor Broccoli: While many scientists can perform experiments in their laboratories, climate scientists don't have laboratories. We perform our experiments by simulating the earth's climate using computer programs that include the physical laws that govern the behavior of the climate system. This allows us to perform "what-if" experiments to study the processes that affect the earth's climate.

Connelly: Your work involves the simulation of climate change in past climates. What can we learn about our world from analyzing past climates?

Professor Broccoli: We know that the climate changed dramatically in the past in response to natural processes. But studying how the climate responded to such processes in the past, we can better understand how it can change in the future, whether the causes are natural or a result of human activities.

Connelly: What do you think is the most common misconception people hold about climate change?

Professor Broccoli: Some people are not aware that the climate is changing and that human activities--primarily the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels--are a primary cause of climate change.

Connelly: As an educator, do you often encounter these misconceptions?

Professor Broccoli: There has been much progress in recent years. Awareness of climate change has increased, but there are still a good fraction of the people I meet
who are unaware of the significance of climate change.

Connelly: You earned your Ph.D from Rutgers University. In what way has the study
of the environment at Rutgers changed in the time since you’ve been a student here?

Professor Broccoli: Rutgers has long been a leader in the study of the environment. It has
built upon this strength and is even stronger now, especially in areas like climate change.

Connelly: What, to you, is the most interesting aspect of your work?

Professor Broccoli: I became a scientist because I'm fascinated by our natural world, and it's great fun to try to understand how it works. I also enjoy sharing my knowledge with others, whether in the classroom at Rutgers or with journalists and the general public.

Connelly: What do you think of current governmental policy toward climate change?

Professor Broccoli: There seems to be a growing recognition that there is a problem that needs
to be addressed. How best to do so is the challenge for policymakers.

Connelly: Does what occurs in the political world ever interfere with your work?

Professor Broccoli: Politics has not interfered with my work

Connelly: Bill McKibben of Mother Jones magazine recently wrote that an issue like climate change is to big to be left up to politicians to address. What do you think of this line of reasoning?

Professor Broccoli: We can all do things to reduce our carbon footprint, whether it's buying a more fuel-efficient car or improving the energy efficiency of our homes and businesses. But to drastically reduce carbon emissions, energy policy must be developed at the national and international levels by the leaders that we elect. Each of us can help make that happen by letting our leaders know that the issue is important to us.