Tony Haymet

Tony Haymet is the new face of global warming at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where in 1956 then-Scripps Director Roger Revelle established an atmospheric carbon dioxide monitoring program that laid the foundation for what concerns us today.

In his first year, Haymet has positioned Scripps for a leadership role in global warming. In February, he hosted a press conference to discuss the climate change assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In May, Haymet opened the Birch Aquarium at Scripps’ newest exhibit, “Feeling the Heat: The Climate Challenge.” He also is vice chair of Mayor Sanders’ “CleanTech Initiative,” which promotes environmentally sustainable business practices in San Diego.

Haymet says he wants to spend more time on what he calls “freedom to fail” projects. “What I mean by that are high-risk projects that might not work but if they do, there’s a high return,” he says. “That’s what we used to do when we had more discretionary money.” Subjects might include studies of ocean acidity and climate change.