The 20th Anniversary of the "Hansen Hearing", June 23, 2008: Resources

On June 23, 1988, in sweltering heat, James Hansen told a U.S. Senate committee that the year's record temperatures were not the result of natural variation. Global warming had arrived.

Exactly twenty years later, the Worldwatch Institute and the United Nations Foundation commemorated the historic turning point by hosting an event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., where Hansen reflected on the past 20 years and outlined the immediate action required to avert catastrophic and irreversible climate change.

Many thanks to the event's sponsors, including the Center for Global Development, Cool Air - Clean Planet, Environmental and Energy Study Institute, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists, World Resources Institute, and the World Wildlife Fund.

• Audio from the event at the National Presss Club

  • Welcome and Introduction by Christopher Flavin, President of the Worldwatch Institute (mp3)
  • Introduction by Timothy Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation (mp3)
  • National Press Club presentation by Dr. James Hansen (mp3)
  • Questions from the audience (mp3)

• Hansen's presentation to the National Press Club and House of Representatives' Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming

• Exclusive Hansen opinion piece discusses the 20-year anniversary

• Q/A interview with Hansen, published in World Watch magazine

• Worldwatch press statement

• Press coverage of the event

  • The Washington Post: Turning Up the Heat on Climate Issue by David A. Fahrenthold

  • The New York Times: Years Later, Climatologist Renews His Call for Action by Andrew C. Revkin

  • The Associated Press: NASA warming scientist: 'This is the Last Chance' by Seth Borenstein

Many regard Hansen as the Paul Revere of climate change. This three-part series, written by staff writer Ben Block, documents how Hansen sounded the alarm in 1988, and recalls what has transpired since.

• Part One: The Early Years
• Part Two: The Testimony
• Part Three: An Outspoken Truth

Photo slideshow of the National Press Club Event

Photos courtesy sardari.com