Of course, Hansen, the director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and UNC's Frey Foundation Distinguished Visiting Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, had no control over Tuesday's outdoor setting, chosen by students who are attempting to convince the university to go coal-free for the environment's sake. His speech inside the warmer confines of Memorial Hall the night before was a more hospitable situation.
Whether one believes the prolific volume of work done by the global warming scientists -- and there are many in that camp -- or remain skeptical because of the voluminous body of work done by many scientists debunking many of the alarmist claims, not to mention scandalous revelations recently about the shoddy science and infusion of politics into some of the global warming studies, it is good that UNC has made this topic one for public discussion with such a noted scholar. We hope to see a credentialed skeptic given a similar forum soon.
Meanwhile, on another positive note, Chancellor Holden Thorp has established an Energy Task Force to study UNC's carbon-reduction plan and to be chaired by environmentally conscious developer Tim Toben, who is chairman of the N.C. Energy Policy Council. Looking for clean, more efficient and, hopefully, less expensive energy to put the university on a sustainable path is welcome news, indeed.
