Young British Green Bloggers (part 1): Niel of Climatico Analysis
Posted on 09. Oct, 2009 by annied in Green News, green media, greenblogs, young
Name: Niel Bowerman
Blog: Climatico Analysis (one of several contributors)
Age: 22
From: West London
Day job? PhD student at Oxford University studying the economics of atmospheric physics: anthropogenic emissions cause increase risk of extreme weather events (causing hurricanes droughts more likely)
How did you get involved with green issues?
So when I was younger, I had thought for a while that computer games were my thing and I wanted to go into Artificial Intelligence and do some of the maths and coding around AI. But then I thought it wouldn’t really benefit world at all.
One summer I was in Tibet hiking in the Himalayas and … got sick. We had to be taken down to the nearest tiny little village in which in the middle of it there was this device that was a kettle that was balanced up on top of a set of mirrors and I put my hand underneath the kettle and I remember feeling this extreme heat—you know like when you open an oven door and the heat hits you—but I was touching nothing at all, it was just air. The mirrors had been focusing the sunlight into this kettle. That was all the energy this tiny little village needs, it was about three or four houses, that was their entire energy input. And I remember thinking to myself, “hey, if these guys here in the middle of nowhere can all the energy they need from renewables, then why can’t we in the West, with all our technology, do the same?”
That inspired me.
Later on (in life) I was hiking up a volcano… sleeping in car, I remember waking up and looking at the sunrise seeing all way out to the sea, the clouds floating, but then in foreground there were these gigantic… white glistening majestic turbines….I realized this is what I want to do with my life and … I’ve been working on climate change and energy issues ever since.
How and why did you decide the topic for your blog?
Essentially most of my work focuses on climate change, particularly climate policy. I like policy. It moves faster and there’s more room for debate…. I work in science and stay in touch with policy side… it formalizes the thought process.
As a policy pundit, are you optimistic about the Copenhagen negotiations?
I would describe myself as a realistic optimist. In that respect, many countries are going to have to change their positions a bit in order to get a deal at Copenhagen. But at the same time, that’s totally not beyond possibility. I think that the reason we haven’t seen so much movement so far is possibly because countries are trying to keep their cards close to their chests in the run up to Copenhagen and then they can play them at the last minute. Hopefully they’ll get more play out of them… which is unfortunate because it seems as though the negotiations are going really slowly. I am optimistic but I’m also realistic about it.
What other environment related blogs to you read?
Climate Progress by Dr. Joseph Romm. He has amazing insights into policy, particularly US policy.
Do you cycle? What’s your ride?
I live in Oxford and cycle everywhere…. I’ve got a cheap second hand bike from friend.
Do you have a favorite cycling trip/excursion?
With my dad we went from Chester all the way to Oxford and there were some funny moments: my dad stopping really really suddenly and my sister and I smacking right into the back of him. He got a bent wheel.
Do you have a favourite eco-friendly item that you own?
My rail card it lets me get the train and travel anywhere eco efficiently, my bicycle, my laptop because it lets me coordinate with other green people without having to travel. And my Mac, I have a Mac iBook G4.
Have any green sins you’d like to confess?
I live in a house full of environmentalists and the thing that I get most is not recycling properly. You know it’s quite stressful when you’re making dinner you just want to throw things out the way and carry on cooking and so sometimes a little bit of cardboard gets in the regular rubbish bin. And so I get a lot of stick from my housemates. That’s undoubtedly my green sin.
Steven
Oct 9th, 2009
Nice article. Looking forward to part 2!