Dr Jim Salinger is regarded as one of the most important figures in climate change science worldwide. He has devoted his life to measuring, analysing and communicating about climate change. In 2007 he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize (shared with a group of scientists and also former Vice President Al Gore). In 2024, he was named New Zealander of the Year. Here is his extraordinary story.
Podcast introduction:
Back in the early 1970’s, which is well over 50 years ago now, a young scientist by the name of Jim Salinger started analysing weather readings from around New Zealand and offshore islands. Looking at the data as far back as 1950, he soon realised that the climate was warming up, contrary to what other scientists were saying at the time. He published his findings in an international journal and got a lot of attention. He continued to work in the field and build upon his research. In a 1989 interview, the now Dr Salinger predicted that by the year 2000, the effects of climate change would very obvious indeed. And, as we now know, he was right. In 2007 Jim and a group of IPCC scientists won a Nobel Peace Prize, shared with former Vice President Al Gore for their climate change communication work. And just a month before I interviewed him, Jim had been crowned as New Zealander of the Year 2024.
I sat down with Jim at his home in Queenstown with a sweeping view of the Wakatipu Basin to interview him for this podcast episode. What was clear is that he’s still as passionately involved in science and communication as ever. He’s also in hot demand. During the interview, he received a request for information from an ex Prime Minister of New Zealand, and when we finished recording he jumped in his car to head to Wānaka to take part in a panel discussion about climate change in front of a sold out festival audience.
Dr Jim Salinger is an extraordinary scientist and a great communicator. So here’s his story.
Useful links:
- Radio New Zealand – 28 March 2024: Climate Scientist Dr Jim Salinger named New Zealander of the Year 2024
- Stuff article – 27 March 2024: Climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger named Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year
- YouTube – video of Dr Jim Salinger receiving New Zealander of the Year 2024 award
- Book: Living in a warmer world: How a changing climate will affect our lives – ed. Jim Salinger
- A series of recent articles written and published by Dr Jim Salinger
- New Zealand Herald – 28 Feb 2018 – Climate scientist Jim Salinger: a letter to my grandchildren
