Kaitlin Alexander

University in Canada

I became hooked on climate science when I was fifteen years old, and ever since, have dreamed of the day when I can be paid to sit at a computer and play with mathematical models. However, since everyone and their dog is currently shouting about whether or not global warming is a problem, I feel a civic responsibility to spread accurate information about the science of climate change. What do researchers know? And why aren't people listening? These are the questions I try to answer, both here at NextGen and on my blog, http://climatesight.org.

Articles by Kaitlin Alexander

Stalin Believed in Gravity. Do You? May 11, 2012 Here's a classy way to slam people you disagree with: compare them to terrorists, dictators, and mass murderers. Such was the recent, and highly controversial, tactic of the Heartland Institute, one of the most influential mouthpieces for climate change denial.

Climate Change and Heat Waves- A Depressing Cycle April 4, 2012 As a matter of statistics, it's very exciting that we can now attribute specific heat waves to climate change. On the other hand, it's very depressing, because it goes to show that such extreme weather events will become far more likely as the climate continues to change.

An Open Letter to the Future March 19, 2012 These days, long-term thinking means planning for 2050, and even that is rare. So when I look forward to the year 5000, I ask myself this question: "What if the ancient Greeks had caused global climate change back in their day?" Would we still look upon their civilization so favorably?

Considering our Climate: Tar Sands vs. Coal March 6, 2012 Different types of fossil fuels are present in different amounts in the ground. Here's an interesting question: how much global warming would each type of fuel cause if we burned every last bit of it?

Controversy at the Heartland Institute February 24, 2012 In recent years, the Heartland Institute has led the way in a crusade against climate science. As NGJ's Kaitlin Alexander reports, Heartland's recently leaked memo only confirms a larger struggle between scientists and powerful lobbying groups.

What Amount of Global Warming is Human-Caused? February 1, 2012 The bad news? As NGJ's Kaitlin Alexander reports, recent research shows that humans are responsible for over 100% of global warming. The good news? We have created this problem entirely on our own, giving us the power to stop climate change in its tracks.

What Happened in Durban? December 16, 2011 What agreement did the world's leaders come to that has them so proud? They agreed to figure out a deal by 2015. They have committed our generation to a future where global warming spins out of our control. What is there to celebrate about that?

Aerial View of Melting Glaciers in Antactica

Uncertainty in Climate Science November 9, 2011 The scientific community has known for a long time that greenhouse gases are warming our climate, with human activity as a primary cause. NGJ's Kaitlin Alexander on why a bit of uncertainty about the effects of climate change doesn't excuse us from tackling the problem.