DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

SEMINAR
Solving the Climate Change
Daniel Cohan
Associate Professor
Rice University

Friday, January 12, 2018

Time: 2:00 PM
Ryon Lab 201

Summary: Climate science conclusively shows that the Earth is warming, and that emissions of greenhouse
gases are the dominant cause. The Paris Agreement aims to limit warming to “well below 2°C”. What will it
take to meet that goal? This talk will examine how steeply and quickly emissions must be reduced to meet the
Paris goal. We’ll also look at the progress being made in the United States to meet our initial Paris pledge of a
26 percent emission reduction by 2025, and an 80 percent reduction by 2050. Meeting those goals will require
fundamental changes throughout the energy economy and beyond. The talk will incorporate findings from the
Cohan research group and others that quantify the co-benefits for air quality and health that can be achieved
while meeting our climate goals.

Bio: Daniel Cohan is an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University. His
research specializes in atmospheric modeling to inform environmental decision-making. In addition to 40 peer-
reviewed publications, he writes for The Hill, The Conversation, and Houston Chronicle on topics related to air,
climate, and energy. Dr. Cohan received a B.A. in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University, a Ph.D. in
Atmospheric Chemistry from Georgia Tech, and served as a Fulbright Scholar to Australia. He is a recipient of
an NSF CAREER award and was a member of the NASA Air Quality Applied Sciences Team.