Life and achievements
Early life
Stephen H. Schneider was born in New York City on February 11, 1945. Born into a Jewish family, Schneider was fascinated with science and environmental problems. He completed his undergraduate studies at Columbia University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. This academic interest and his passion for solving real-life challenges saw him further his education at Columbia, where he received a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Plasma Physics in 1971.
Schneider became concerned with the environment at the end of the 1960s when the world began to express concern over pollution and environmental degradation. He was especially interested in the new discipline of climatology and the effects of human activities on the Earth's climate. This interest led him to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship. Schneider also started his pioneering work on climate modeling during this period, emphasizing the impacts of greenhouse gases and aerosols on climate.
At NASA, Schneider worked with other famous scientists. In his studies of the possible cooling influence of aerosols, together with the warming influence of greenhouse gases, he became one of the top climate scientists. In his early work, he demonstrated how he could use various sciences, including physics and environmental science, to analyze various climates. His work at NASA set him up for his entire career in studying and combating climate change.
Legacy
A lot can be said about Stephen Schneider's contributions to the field of climate science. He played a significant role in establishing the current climate change science, primarily through the IPCC, and his efforts in fostering the interdisciplinary study of climate systems. He was also very good at translating climate science for policymakers and the general public. Schneider was an eloquent speaker passionate about climate change and the need to act on it now; he often painted a picture of what would happen if no action was taken towards reducing greenhouse emissions and the moral imperative of humanity to mitigate global warming.
Schneider was not only an author of numerous publications and research but also the one who influenced the development. He had a significant impact on the development of global climate policy; he advised several U.S. presidents and international organizations. His call for science to be brought to the policy arena aided in defining climate change as a policy issue, not simply an environmental one. He gained a lot of recognition for his work in the IPCC, and the collective Nobel Peace Prize awarded in 2007 for the IPCC's work further emphasized the significance of his work.
Besides his scientific contribution, Schneider left behind several students and young scientists he mentored. He was mainly credited for promoting interdisciplinarity in research and for inspiring a new generation of climate scientists to be both scientists and communicators. His journal, Climatic Change, is still helpful in providing a platform for discussing climate science and policy, extending his work's impact.
Stephen H. Schneider's work is still considered invaluable for climate science, and his message to act now still echoes in today's climate policy debates. His efforts in the scientific world and in society have shaped the current and future approaches to the climate change challenge.
Milestone moments
Mar 30, 1971
Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering and Plasma Physics from Columbia University
Stephen Schneider earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering and plasma physics at Columbia University.
His dissertation provided the background for his environmental concerns, especially climate change.
This is because Schneider, like so many other physics majors, was able to approach the analysis of climate systems using the principles of engineering.
This curiosity led him to focus his skills on investigating climate change, which began a long and fruitful tenure in climate science.
The burgeoning interest in environmental problems in the late 1960s and the 1970s formed Schneider's early years.
At this time, awareness of the effects of air pollution, depletion of resources, and ecological impact of human activities was growing.
These trends explain why Schneider redirected his efforts toward studying climate change.
After joining the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Schneider began the groundbreaking work on the impacts of greenhouse gases and aerosols on climate.
Schneider's research as a postdoctoral fellow at NASA was instrumental in developing the new science of climate modeling.
Jun 30, 1972
NCAR Postdoctoral Fellowship
After his work at NASA, Schneider received a highly coveted postdoctoral appointment at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado.
At NCAR, Schneider further pursued his work on climate models and helped to advance the understanding of climate on Earth.
His period at NCAR established him as one of the premier experts on the subject of climate dynamics worldwide.
Schneider's work at NCAR was instrumental in moving the climate models forward to simulate future climate conditions.
He co-founded the Climate Project, which involved scientists from various fields to analyze the effects of human activities on climate in the long run.
His creativity and ability to work with others made climate modeling an essential tool in studying and prognosis future climate variations.
Jul 30, 1988
The first is participating in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Schneider was a founding member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which the United Nations set up to review the science of climate change.
From 1988 until he died in 2010, Schneider participated in all important IPCC assessment reports.
His participation in the IPCC was instrumental in defining the scientific opinion on climate change and determining the global policy response.
In his IPCC work, Schneider was known to distill scientific information into policy implications that could be implemented.
He was a Coordinating Lead Author for several chapters, and his work mainly involved evaluating important risks and climate change.
These were useful in shaping climate change into an international issue that needed an international response.
Mar 7, 1992
This year, she was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.
In 1992, Stephen Schneider received a MacArthur Fellowship, the so-called 'genius grant,' for his capacity to translate scientific knowledge into public knowledge.
The fellowship was awarded for his work in climate science and for his attempts to raise awareness of climate change.
The MacArthur Fellowship was a testament to Schneider's work connecting science with policy.
His work stressed the need to translate the results of his research into a form that could be used to influence policy and action.
Schneider's activism for climate change was based on the premise that scientists have a social role they need to play.