Andrew Weaver
Andrew Weaver is a prominent Canadian scientist and climate modeler recognized for his significant contributions to understanding climate change. He is best known for developing the UVic Earth System Climate Model, a sophisticated supercomputer that analyzes historical temperature data and forecasts future climatic conditions. Weaver's work has been instrumental for politicians and policymakers seeking to address environmental issues. Born on November 16, 1961, in Victoria, British Columbia, he pursued an extensive education in mathematics and geophysics, earning degrees from the University of Victoria, Cambridge University, and the University of British Columbia.
Weaver's scientific career includes various international experiences, but he gained particular recognition after returning to Victoria in 1992, where he worked on climate modeling at the University of Victoria. He played a key role with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and contributed to the Kyoto Protocol, which aimed to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to his scientific achievements, Weaver entered politics in 2013 as a member of the Green Party, becoming the first Green Party candidate elected to a Canadian provincial legislature. He served as an MLA until 2020. Alongside his research and political endeavors, Weaver is a published author and has received numerous accolades for his work in climate science.
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Andrew Weaver
Scientist
- Born: November 16, 1961
- Place of Birth: Victoria, British Columbia
Contribution: Andrew Weaver is a Canadian scientist and climate modeler best known for his contributions to atmospheric studies and climate change, particularly the creation of the UVic Earth System Climate Model, a supercomputer capable of analyzing past temperatures and predicting future conditions. The climate model has been used by politicians and policymakers to analyze climate conditions affecting the earth. In 2013, Weaver was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as a member of the Green Party.
Early Life and Education
Andrew Weaver was born on November 16, 1961, in Victoria, British Columbia. His geophysicist father, John Weaver, served as the dean of science at the University of Victoria. In 1983, Weaver received a bachelor of science degree from that university. He then attended Cambridge University in England, where he earned a certificate of advanced studies in mathematics in 1984, and then the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where he ultimately received a PhD in applied mathematics in 1987.
Scientific Career
After graduating, Weaver’s work took him to places such as Seattle, Washington; Australia; and Montreal, Quebec; however, it was not until he returned to Victoria in 1992 that he began his work on climate change. Working in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, Weaver has shed light on climatic effects on Canada, the Gulf Stream, and the oceans, and he has linked human activities to these effects. Weaver was eventually named the Lansdowne Professor and Canada Research Chair in climate modeling and analysis at the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences.
Weaver created the UVic (University of Victoria) Earth System Climate Model (ESCM) in the late 1990s. Since that time, scientists have been able to use mathematical and physical concepts to understand different weather conditions in the past and present and predict those of the future. This computer model also allows scientists to understand the effects humans have had on the environment and the effect humans will have in the future. Information from the ESCM supplies scientists and policymakers with a three-dimensional view, offering insightful information about environmental issues while helping them find ways to alleviate these issues going forward.
During the 1990s, Weaver also worked with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and was a key contributor to the Kyoto Protocol. Adopted on December 11, 1997, in Kyoto, Japan, this protocol asked countries around the world to commit to lowering their production of greenhouse gases. The Kyoto Protocol went into effect on February 16, 2005 and was replaced by the Paris Agreement in 2016. Weaver also worked on the panel with former US vice president Al Gore; the IPCC and Gore were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
In 2008, Weaver published Keeping Our Cool: Canada in a Warming World, a book dedicated to explaining climate change so that the general public, and not just scientists, can understand and take the necessary steps needed to help save the earth. Filled with diagrams, tables, and in-depth explanations, the work focuses on the dangers of greenhouse gases. The book even went as far as to predict that if something is not done, the human race—and 80 percent of the world’s species—will not survive to the end of the twenty-first century.
Weaver also wrote Generation Us: The Challenge of Global Warming (2011) and is credited with writing (and peer writing) more than two hundred scientific journal articles. Along with his work, he has a long list of awards, including being named a Guggenheim fellow, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and a fellow of the American Meteorological Society.
Political Career and Personal Life
Already involved in politics due to his push for environmental change, Weaver decided to run for office himself in 2012. He soon rose from regular membership in the Green Party of British Columbia to deputy leader. In May 2013, Weaver was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. As the MLA for Oak Bay–Gordon Head, he was the first Green Party candidate elected to a Canadian provincial legislature. He held that office until 2020, when he chose not to seek reelection due to personal issues.
Weaver is married to Helen Raptis, a professor of education at the University of Victoria. They have two children. Together with Charles Curry and Ed Wiebe, the couple runs Solterra Solutions, a consulting company that offers climate, educational, and forensic services.
Bibliography
“Kyoto Protocol.” United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. United Nations, Dec. 2012. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.
Littlemore, Richard. “Andrew Weaver, Climate Crusader.” BC Business. Canada Wide Media, 2 May 2011. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.
Pynn, Larry. “Climate-Change Expert Becomes First Green Party MLA.” Vancouver Sun. Postmedia Network, 15 May 2013. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.
Sarachik, Edward. “The Model Maker.” Time 17 Feb. 2003: 49. Print.
“Scientist Speaks Up.” Vancouver Sun. Postmedia Network, 20 Sept. 2009. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.
Weaver, Andrew. “Meet Andrew Weaver.” Green Party of BC. Green Party Political Association, 2013. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.
Zussman, Richard. "B.C. Green Leader Andrew Weaver will not seek re-election in 2021." Global News, 7 Oct. 2019, globalnews.ca/news/5998552/bc-greens-leader-andrew-weaver-not-seek-re-election/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.