Dr Richard Betts

Scientist interviewed at Premiere
Location:
Met Office Hadley Centre, Exeter, UK
Day job:
Climate scientist, Head of Climate Impacts, IPCC Lead Author
Dream job:
Ex-climate scientist (job not required because no climate change)
Film:
The Age of Stupid - UK Premiere
Time on the job:
5 minutes
Jet, jeep, bus or bike:
Train and bike. Please can South West Trains provide more room for bikes?
Original connection:
Started getting weird emails about something called Age Of Stupid.
Why did you get involved?:
With such a hard-hitting movie it was important to say whether it was scientifically sound.
Memorable moment:
Getting dragged up on stage at a moment's notice at the Leicester Square premiere, to be interrogated by Franny.
Scared of:
Getting dragged up on stage at a moment's notice at the Leicester Square premiere, to be interrogated by Franny.
Guilty of:
Working too much on climate change at expense of family
Planning to spend profits on:
What profits? Should I have charged you?
Will we save ourselves now we have the chance?:
Who knows? We can give it a good try though.

Biography:

Degree in Physics, Masters in Meteorology and Applied Climatology, PhD in Meteorology. Started at Met Office Hadley Centre in 1992 as climate
scientist. Published papers on climate change and its impacts on ecosystems and water resources, and on the contribution of deforestation
to climate change, in journals such as Nature, Science and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. Lead author on the 2007 IPCC report,
which was awarded Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. Lead author on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, which was awarded the Zayed Environment
Prize with Kofi Annan. Contributor to the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change. Leads a team of climate scientists researching the
impacts of climate change, and advising government, business and NGOs on the impacts of unmitigated climate change and on adapting to the climate
change that is already happening.