Internationally-Renowned Climate Scientist and Communicator Anthony Janetos Passes Away

Dr. Anthony Janetos, an internationally-renowned climate change expert and communicator, passed away on August 6 from pancreatic cancer at the age of 64. Well-loved and respected, Janetos was described as “vital, energetic, engaged, and intelligent,” and as a “modest, loving man, and great fun to be with” by his family and friends.

A leader in climate science, Janetos spent his career working with the Environmental Protection Agency on its acid rain program and as a manager and team leader for NASA, where he founded a Land-Cover and Land-Use Change Program. He held leadership roles at the Heinz Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment, the Joint Global Change Research Institute at the University of Maryland, and the World Resources Institute. He also contributed to last year’s National Climate Assessment, helped author Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, and advised the United Nations. In 2013, he joined Boston University as the Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future and as a Chair and Professor of the Earth and Environment Department.

Janetos was not only an expert climate scientist, he was also a successful and effective science communicator. Over the years, EESI had the privilege of hosting Janetos at three of our briefings: The Effects of Climate Change on Forest Resources; Ecosystem Thresholds and Climate Tipping Points: Implications for Policymakers; and Findings from the IPCC Working Group II Report: Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. “Tony was terrific, so committed and easy to work with,” said EESI Executive Director Carol Werner. “He had the unique ability to merge policy, economics, and science to bring people together, and we are grateful for his time and contributions to both EESI and the broader science community.”

Janetos is survived by his wife, his children, his brothers, many nieces and nephews, other family members, his pets, and countless friends and colleagues. He will be dearly missed.

 

Author: Heather Luedke