The Death of a Climate Giant

The global warming movement is in mourning this week.

Dr. Stephen Schneider, who died suddenly yesterday of a heart attack, devoted his life to the climate cause. If Al Gore is the poster child of the climate campaign, Stephen Schneider was the science, messaging and brains behind the show. This humble genius was a power-broker who changed the world and was doing it well before most others arrived on the scene.

Schneider had long been an inspiration in his ability to inspire other scientists, politicians and average citizens to care about global warming, which was, and still is, no small task. I first met him more than 10 years ago when he spoke at the annual conference of faith-based global warming groups. What impressed me most was how he commanded the awe and respect of religious leaders of all denominations. He had the unique ability to speak with both scientific authority and with respect and honor for those who took stock in the power of faith. He knew, early on, the climate movement needed their voices and clout. Part of his genius was his ability to bring together people of all stripes.

His book Science as Contact Sport, released this year, outlined the day-in and day-out challenges he faced in grappling with global warming for a whopping four decades, offering details of the tumultuous scene he so deftly navigated. Our lack of real progress on the climate front so far, he concluded, is due to  “ignorance, greed, denial, tribalism, and short-term thinking.” Yet despite his land-mine riddled world, in which the media and politicians so often insisted on pitting his expertise against skeptics with a sliver of his training, Schneider continued to be a leader, and continued to maintain an optimistic, enthusiastic and upbeat attitude about our ability to solve this crisis.

In seeking examples of leadership, others looked to Schneider. Those looking for a target did too. Tim Flannery, the chairman of the Copenhagen Climate Council  noted that Schneider had “been so effective at countering climate skeptics and lobbyists that he’s become a special target of their campaign to discredit leading scientists.”

His death is too early for us and for the planet. We can each honor his memory by humbly doing our part to address global warming. When I heard him speak in Los Angeles, I asked him what he tells people who want to make a difference, since this issue can be daunting and depressing and discouraging. In his answer, Schneider emphasized that environmentally-literate individuals empower the movement and can counter unscientific arguments from others. And despite all the potential that he had to become disillusioned in his long political fight, Schneider also maintained that simple consumer changes, such as switching light bulbs, turning off lights, and driving less do indeed make a difference.

The global warming movement will continue but, this week, it is pausing to remember a man who tirelessly worked to help the world save itself.  I would encourage you to honor his memory by reading Schneider's book and becoming more climate-literate or by joining our recent Change.org campaigns to combat climate misinformation: here and here.

Photo credit: Joi Ito, Flickr User

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