This episode is from the WNYC archives. It may contain language which is no longer politically or socially appropriate.

Moderator: Martin J. Maloney.

Max E. Britton, Assoc. Prof of Biology at NWestern University
Walter Shoot, Research Assoc. in Geography at Northwestern University
Sverre Petterssen, Prof. of Meteorology at the University of Chicago.

Difference between climate and weather is made. Both Shoot and Petterssen have slight Scandinavian accents and it is sometimes hard to follow who is who. Petterssen speaks first. Shoot follows on glaciers. Britton speaks third and describes what an ecologist does. Organisms as sensitive indicators of environment. Climate history by using fossils. 8:45 Is it possible to tell whether the climate will be getting warmer?

Britton: animals will tell us before our instruments will. Petterssen: I don't know. We can say what has happened but not what is happening now. But there has been a warming trend over the last 50 years. From 1900 to 1940 an increase in temperature. Winter temperature in Chicago is up 2.5 degrees. Shoot: The glaciers have been receding. Glaciers expansion peak at about 1750. Then constant till 1900. Then they began to recede. Very quickly by the 20s,30s and 40s. Discovery of a bronze weapon in the melted glacier.

What practical effect does the change in climate have in the Arctic? Soil changes. Vegetation changes. Possibility for an Arctic trade route. Polar ice thickness has been reduced by 40% over a period of 60 years. If this trend continues it will take not be a problem to get rid of the ice in summer and Arctic sea route will be navigable.

Discussion of changes for the Antarctic. No comparable changes to those in the Arctic. Changes for the rest of the world? Tropics unlivable?
Will have most changes in the northern latitudes. Britton: Forests to grasslands. But no way of predicting when changes will occur. Have to watch out for the fact that plants are made to order. Plant breeders. Case in Iceland where grain is grown where there used to be glaciers. Everything goes very slowly. Britton: I have to disagree. Definite trends showing elevation in temperatures. Rather abrupt changes. Anyway to guess if trend will continue? Some records indicate we have hit the maximum. Information is inconclusive. Can we account for the change? Difficult question. No two climatic changes brought about by same forces. People say it has to do with atomic bomb explosions. True? The atomic bomb came on the market in the 1940s and the main climatic changes occurred before then. Energy of bomb compared to the energy in the atmosphere - a drop in the bucket.

Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection

WNYC archives id: 5779
Municipal archives id: LT5985