Indur M. Goklany
Encyclopedia
Indur M. Goklany is a science and technology policy analyst for the United States Department of the Interior, where he holds the position of Assistant Director of Programs, Science and Technology Policy.
He has represented the United States at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) and during the negotiations that led to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He was a rapporteur
for the Resource Use and Management Subgroup of Working Group III of the IPCC First Assessment Report
in 1990,
and is the author of Clearing the Air (1999), The Precautionary Principle (2001), and The Improving State of the World
(2007).
. His B.Tech degree is from the Indian Institutes of Technology
and his M.S. and Ph.D are from Michigan State University
.
s and ethanol
as he believes it drives the price of food beyond the reach of the poor. In an op-ed for The New York Times, he wrote, "Ironically, much of the hysteria over global warming is itself fueled by concerns that it may drive numerous species to extinction and increase hunger worldwide, especially in developing countries. Yet the biofuel solution would only make bad matters worse on both counts".
He took part in the making of Policy Peril: Why Global Warming Policies are More Dangerous than Global Warming Itself, a film created by the Competitive Enterprise Institute
.
He has also been critical of the Worldwide Fund for Nature and the United Nations Population Fund
over their stance on population growth saying, "For many groups like the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), World Population Day, which fell on July 11, is another chance to bemoan 'the relentless growth in human population,' while the United Nations Population Fund says 'stabilizing population would help sustain the planet.' The problem, however, is not population but poverty."
He is also a regular guest poster on Watts Up With That
.
He has represented the United States at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a scientific intergovernmental body which provides comprehensive assessments of current scientific, technical and socio-economic information worldwide about the risk of climate change caused by human activity, its potential environmental and...
(IPCC) and during the negotiations that led to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He was a rapporteur
Rapporteur
Rapporteur is used in international and European legal and political contexts to refer to a person appointed by a deliberative body to investigate an issue or a situation....
for the Resource Use and Management Subgroup of Working Group III of the IPCC First Assessment Report
IPCC First Assessment Report
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change first assessment report was completed in 1990, and served as the basis of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ....
in 1990,
and is the author of Clearing the Air (1999), The Precautionary Principle (2001), and The Improving State of the World
The Improving State of the World
The Improving State of the World: Why We're Living Longer, Healthier, More Comfortable Lives On a Cleaner Planet is a 2007 book by Indur M. Goklany, published by the Cato Institute. As per the title, it argues that the state of the world and humanity is rapidly improving.- Contents :The book lists...
(2007).
Education
Goklany holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineeringElectrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
. His B.Tech degree is from the Indian Institutes of Technology
Indian Institutes of Technology
The Indian Institutes of Technology are a group of autonomous engineering and technology-oriented institutes of higher education. The IITs are governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 which has declared them as “institutions of national importance”, and lays down their powers, duties,...
and his M.S. and Ph.D are from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
.
Views on climate change
Golanky has spoken against the use of biofuelBiofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
s and ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
as he believes it drives the price of food beyond the reach of the poor. In an op-ed for The New York Times, he wrote, "Ironically, much of the hysteria over global warming is itself fueled by concerns that it may drive numerous species to extinction and increase hunger worldwide, especially in developing countries. Yet the biofuel solution would only make bad matters worse on both counts".
He took part in the making of Policy Peril: Why Global Warming Policies are More Dangerous than Global Warming Itself, a film created by the Competitive Enterprise Institute
Competitive Enterprise Institute
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is a non-profit think tank founded on March 9, 1984 in Washington, D.C. by lobbyist Fred L. Smith, Jr to advance economic liberty and fight over-regulation by big government...
.
He has also been critical of the Worldwide Fund for Nature and the United Nations Population Fund
United Nations Population Fund
The United Nations Population Fund is a UN organization. The work of the UNFPA involves promotion of the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. This is done through major national and demographic surveys and with population censuses...
over their stance on population growth saying, "For many groups like the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), World Population Day, which fell on July 11, is another chance to bemoan 'the relentless growth in human population,' while the United Nations Population Fund says 'stabilizing population would help sustain the planet.' The problem, however, is not population but poverty."
He is also a regular guest poster on Watts Up With That
Watts Up With That
Watts Up With That? is a popular science blog, created in 2006 by California meteorologist Anthony Watts, that reports on anthropogenic global warming-related issues from a skeptical standpoint. The tagline of the blog is "News and commentary on puzzling things in life, nature, science, weather,...
.