Robert M. Carter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert M. Carter
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| Born |
Robert Merlin Carter
9 March 1942 Reading, England
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| Died | 19 January 2016 (aged 73) Townsville, Australia
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| Nationality | English |
| Other names | Bob |
| Citizenship | British, Australian |
| Alma mater | University of Otago, University of Cambridge |
| Awards | Hochstetter Lecturer, Geological Society of New Zealand (1975), Honorary Fellow, Royal Society of New Zealand (1997) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Earth Science, Geology, Paleontology |
| Institutions | University of Otago, University of Adelaide, James Cook University |
| Thesis | The Functional Morphology of Bivalved Mollusca (1968) |
| Doctoral advisor | M. J. S. Rudwick |
Robert Merlin "Bob" Carter (born March 9, 1942 – died January 19, 2016) was a scientist from England. He studied ancient life forms (paleontology), rock layers (stratigraphy), and the geology of the ocean. He was a professor at James Cook University in Australia.
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Early Life and Education
Robert Carter was born in Reading, England, on March 9, 1942. In 1956, when he was 14, his family moved to New Zealand. He went to Lindisfarne College there.
He studied geology at the University of Otago in New Zealand. He earned his first degree in 1963. After that, he went back to England to study at the University of Cambridge. In 1968, he earned his Ph.D. in paleontology. His special research project was about how clams and other two-shelled sea creatures are built.
A Career in Earth Science
Bob Carter started his teaching career at the University of Otago in 1963. He became a senior lecturer after getting his Ph.D. in 1968. Later, he became a professor and led the School of Earth Sciences at James Cook University in Australia. He worked there from 1981 to 1998.
He also held research positions at James Cook University and the University of Adelaide. He studied many topics related to Earth science. These included ancient life, how rocks form, and changes in sea levels and climate change. He did important research on New Zealand's climate history, looking back almost four million years.
Carter retired from James Cook University in 2002. After retiring, he worked with several groups that had different ideas about climate change. He helped start the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition. He also advised other science groups, like the Institute of Public Affairs and the International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC).
He was also involved in important scientific projects. He chaired a panel for the Australian Research Council. He also directed the Australian office for the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP), which studies the Earth's crust under the ocean.
Robert Carter was a member of several important scientific groups. These included the American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of Australia. He passed away on January 19, 2016, at age 73.
Views on Climate Change
Robert Carter had different views on climate change than many other scientists. He questioned some of the statements made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He believed that claims about dangerous human-caused global warming were not fully proven.
He was part of research groups that explored these different ideas. For example, in 2006, he pointed out that global average temperatures had not risen much for eight years, even though carbon dioxide in the air was increasing. Other scientists, like Chris Mooney, said this was misleading. They explained that 1998 was an unusually warm year due to a strong El Niño event.
In 2007, he took part in a discussion after a TV show called The Great Global Warming Swindle. This show also presented different views on climate change. Some scientists, such as David Karoly and Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, disagreed with Carter's position.
Carter also wrote articles about his views in economic journals. In 2009, he co-wrote a paper suggesting that the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (a natural climate pattern) explained most of the global temperature changes over the past 50 years. Other scientists published a response in the same journal, disagreeing with this idea.
He spoke to government groups about his views. He testified before the Parliament of Australia and the United States Senate. He also spoke for the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC). This group publishes reports that offer different perspectives on climate change. Carter helped write some of their reports.
Documents from a group called The Heartland Institute showed that Carter received payments from them. This group shared his views on climate change. Carter did not deny receiving these payments. However, he strongly stated that these payments did not change his scientific opinions.
Awards and Honors
Robert Carter received several awards for his work:
- 1975 – Hochstetter Lecturer, Geological Society of New Zealand
- 1992 – Allan P. Bennison Distinguished Overseas Lecturer, American Association of Petroleum Geologists
- 1997 – Honorary Fellow, Royal Society of New Zealand
- 1998 – Special Investigator Research Award, Australian Research Council
Selected Publications
- Carter, Robert M. (1998). "Two models: global sea-level change and sequence stratigraphic architecture". Sedimentary Geology.
- Carter, Robert M. (2004). "New Zealand Maritime Glaciation: Millennial-Scale Southern Climate Change Since 3.9 Ma". Science.
- Carter, Robert M. (2005). "A New Zealand climatic template back to c. 3.9 Ma: ODP Site 1119, Canterbury Bight, south‐west Pacific Ocean, and its relationship to onland successions". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
- Carter, Robert M.; de Freitas, Chris; Goklany, Indur M.; Holland, David; Lindzen, Richard S. (2007). "Climate Science and the Stern Review". World Economics.
- Carter, Robert M. (2008). "Knock, Knock: Where is the Evidence for Dangerous Human-Caused Global Warming?". Economic Analysis and Policy.
- McLean, J. D.; de Freitas, C. R.; Carter, R. M. (2009). "Influence of the Southern Oscillation on tropospheric temperature". Journal of Geophysical Research.
- Land, Marissa; Wust, Raphael A.J.; Robert, Christian; Carter, Robert M. (2010). "Plio-Pleistocene paleoclimate in the Southwest Pacific as reflected in clay mineralogy and particle size at ODP Site 1119, SE New Zealand". Marine Geology.
- Carter, Robert M. (2010). Climate: the Counter Consensus. Stacey International.
- Carter, Robert M.; Spooner, J. (2013). Taxing Air: Facts and Fallacies about Climate Change. Kelpie Press.
