In October of 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former U.S. Vice President Albert Gore Jr. were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change." The recipients warned that global warming is a real global emergency that is "the greatest challenge we've ever faced." Gore’s film, "An Inconvenient Truth," is a documentary on global warming that won an Academy Award earlier in 2007. The IPCC is an international agency of the United Nations. Its mission is to provide an objective, scientific view of climate change. IPCC focuses on natural, political and economic impacts and risks of climate change, and possible response options. The IPCC was known for two decades of scientific reports that "created an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming."
Although all scientists do not agree, an overwhelming majority of researchers believe that climate change is real and that human activity is responsible for present weather trends. Furthermore, polling data generally find that a majority of Americans agree with researchers. They believe that efforts to lessen climate change should start immediately because reducing global warming will require long-lasting action based on long-term strategy.
Despite their fears about the effects of climate change, Americans are reluctant to supply the funds to tackle this challenge. This reluctance is promoted by climate change deniers who argue that warming trends are simply signs of another naturally occurring period of increasing temperature of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere.
Part I, The Threat of Climate Change, contains news items describing climate events that threaten life as we know it on the Earth. It also identifies popular websites fashioned by scientists and journalists to publicize mainstream scientific beliefs about the reality of climate change.
Evidence in support of climate change is presented in Part II, Climate Change is Real. This section begins with presentation of the two most highly regarded reports prepared by panels of distinguished scientists, namely, the IPCC and the Fourth National Climate Assessment. The unofficial proposals for dealing with climate change of concerned individuals and advocacy groups follows. Part II concludes with reports of the official actions by various nations to deal with global warming. Information is available about the programs of American states and cities in response to climate change.
Although it is the minority view of the scientific community, Part III, Climate Change Denial, identifies organizations that attribute warming temperatures and more severe weather events to natural changes in the Earth’s climate. They object to explanations that blame human activity for these climate phenomena and oppose policies intended to reduce these effects.
Annotated bibliographies of videos and books are contained in Part IV, Media Reports About Climate Change. The videos intended for children and adults are presented separately. Finally, because discussions of climate change involve a great deal of scientific terminology, Part V contains a Glossary of climate-change related terms.
Part I – THE THREAT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
A. NEWS REPORTS
Climate change is the subject of daily news reports in publications around the world. Here is a sample of what readers are likely to find in respected newspapers from throughout the U.S. about the varied harmful effects of climate change. In particular, young people across the country have expressed concern about climate change and have promoted action to deal with the problem.
Federal Report on Finances Warns of Climate Havoc
New York Times, September 8, 2020. A report commissioned by federal regulators overseeing the nation’s commodities markets (where trading involves primary or raw products like gold, fruit and sugar rather than manufactured products) has concluded that climate change threatens U.S. financial markets. The threats are a result of the costs of wildfires, storms, droughts and floods that affect insurance and mortgage markets, pension funds and other financial institutions.
Climate Change’s Giant Impact on the Economy: 4 Key Issues
New York Times, January 17, 2019. Many big economic questions in coming decades will come down to just how extreme the weather will be.
What is climate change? A really simple guide
BBC News, November 18, 2020. This is an excellent introduction to the topic of climate change. Many aspects of the topic are explored including data on the rise in global temperatures and sea levels, and explanations of greenhouse gases and anticipated effects on life as a result of increasing temperatures. The article concludes with wonderful interactive features that enable readers to determine the climate change on themselves such as the predicted temperature change in their nearest city and the carbon footprint of their normal diet.
Chicago Tribune, October 2, 2020. Governor J.B. Pritzker vows to fight global warming while supporting policies intended to promote Illinois’ climate-changing coal industry.
Philadelphia Inquirer, September 18, 2020. The Inquirer asked teens in Pennsylvania what got them to care about climate change, what scares them, and how they want to see leaders fight back in 2021.
New South Florida climate change financial report: Spend billions or lose much, much more
Miami Herald, October 13, 2020. A new report commissioned by the South Florida Climate Compact found that if the region doesn’t adapt to climate change, the damage could exceed $38 billion by 2070.
COVID-19 in an opportunity to build a Kansas City better prepared for climate change
Kansas City Star, July 8, 2020. The work of members of the Kansas City community to address public health, food security and economic stability during the pandemic may create a foundation for creating resilience in the face of climate change at the same time.
Green Space: Middle-school students attack climate change with ‘Super Plants’
San Francisco Examiner, September. 15, 2020. Three seventh grade students from the Proof School in San Francisco were awarded a prize by the International Our Echo Challenge for a proposal on Super Plants. They plan to create a wave of planting activism among their peers by using native supercharged plants that take in more carbon dioxide than normal.
Study: Swift-changing weather could lead to increased flu risk
Atlanta Journal Constitution, February 4, 2020. University researchers found rapidly changing weather resulting from climate change could increase flu risk in densely populated areas.
B. POPULAR SCIENCE WEBSITE RESOURCES
Climate change is a highly complex topic with important scientific, economic, and social features. It has sparked varied discussions, the most heated of which present different views on the role of human activity in causing climate change. The sites listed below largely express these arguments in less technical language than governmental and scientific agency reports.
RealClimate contains commentary contributed by working climate scientists intended to provide straightforward presentation of the physical evidence for global warming. Prominent scientific journals (viz., Scientific American and Nature) have recognized this site for its contributions to understanding climate change. Content is mostly restricted to scientific topics and only rarely gets involved in political or economic implications of the science. One page on the site offers links to various climate change webpages that are grouped in terms of a person’s level of knowledge about the subject. For example, material is grouped for “complete beginners,” “those with some knowledge,” “informed but in need of more detail,” and “informed, but seeking serious discussion of common contrarian talking points”.
Skeptical Science is a non-profit climate science blog and information resource that publishes articles on current events relating to climate science and climate policy. A good place to begin studying this Website is the set of three links on the home page entitled "Newcomers, start here", "History of climate science", and "The Big Picture." Two additional approaches are available to analyze the merit of arguments that oppose mainstream scientific opinion. Climate misinformation by source presents lists of influential individuals grouped by profession (e.g., scientist, politician, or journalist) who have promoted opposing ideas. Each name is a link to the sceptic’s idea(s) coupled with the scientific information that discredits those ideas. Global warming and climate change myths contains hundreds of ideas that run counter to the findings of mainstream science. Each idea is linked to its description and the person responsible for proposing it. Evidence, then, is provided that shows why the idea is judged to be invalid.
The Scientific Guide to Global Warming Skepticism
This Guide examines both the evidence that human activity is causing global warming and the ways that climate ‘skeptic’ arguments can mislead by presenting only small pieces of the puzzle rather than the full picture. Importantly, the Guide explains the science in brief, plain language without getting too technical. Colorful visuals are useful explanatory devices.
Climate Central is a nonprofit news organization composed of scientists and science journalists who analyze and report on climate science. It surveys and conducts research on climate change and energy issues, and produces reports for distribution on multimedia platforms. Climate Central does not lobby nor does it support any specific legislation, policy, or bill. The “Videos” tab on the home page is a link to a set of informative interviews and presentations on various events related to climate change.
Part II – CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL
A. ASSESSMENT REPORTS
The most persuasive evidence about the reality of climate change is presented in two major reports prepared by official groups of distinguished scientists representing many countries and scientific fields, and by many public agencies and private organizations.
This 2018 report on the consequences of a temperature increase of 1.5°C above preindustrial levels was created for the purpose of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change and promoting sustainable development. Recent scientific climate research is reviewed, and the design and implementation of policy intended to diminish global warming is summarized. The IPCC concludes that if the global temperature rises by 1.5°C, humans will face unprecedented climate-related risks and weather events. The report offers the most extensive warning thus far on the risks of rising global temperatures. A synopsis of this report phrased in less technical language was produced by Cool Earth (a UK-based international non-governmental organization that protects endangered rainforests). An NBC news story offers an even briefer summary.
Fourth National Climate Assessment
In 2018, the U.S. Global Change Research Program issued an authoritative report on climate change and its impacts in the U.S. It consists of two volumes, each containing a concise executive summary: Volume I, Climate Science Special Report; and, Volume II, Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States. A Fifth National Climate Assessment is in preparation.
B. UNOFFICIAL PROPOSALS FOR DEALING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE
Concerned individuals and advocacy groups have offered ideas to lessen the effects of climate change, but their recommendations differ in scope and specifics. Although the three proposals presented below are intended to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the mechanisms proposed to achieve this reduction differ in important ways, including greater private-public sector coordination, more federal management of energy resources, limiting the political power of big oil, and defending the social and environmental rights of communities around the world.
Near-Term Federal Actions to Address Climate Change
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, February 2019. A growing majority of Americans favor stronger government action to deal with climate change. Recent events such as the wildfires in western states demonstrate both the rising costs of climate change to U.S. communities and taxpayers. These events suggest the economic benefits of a clean energy transition. While the U.S. has made progress in reducing its GHG emissions, much steeper reductions are needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Stronger action by the private sector and all levels of government are required to encourage the innovative technologies key to a thriving low-carbon economy.
Democracy Itself Is the Solution to the Climate Crisis
Maude Barlow is the author of international best sellers about water conservation.
The most serious threats to climate are also the greatest danger to democracy. Four steps are proposed that will strengthen democracy while reducing the climate change crisis: reign in the power of big oil; reject carbon markets; promote climate justice; and, protect water.
New York Times, February 21, 2019. A portion of House Resolution 109 – 116th Congress concentrates on climate change by calling on the federal government to discourage the U.S. from relying on fossil fuels and to curb planet-warming GHG emissions. The Green New Deal calls for the launch of a “10-year mobilization” to reduce carbon emissions in the U.S. by obtaining 100 percent of the country’s electricity from renewable and zero-emissions power, digitizing the nation’s power grid, upgrading every building in the country to be more energy-efficient, and changing the nation’s transportation system by investing in electric vehicles and high-speed rail.
C. OFFICIAL STEPS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE
Concern about climate change has resulted in official action by the leaders of nations, states, and cities. In the case of nations, such action led to the negotiation of international treaties that call on countries to voluntarily initiate steps that reduce GHGs. Individual U.S. states and cities have undertaken actions on their own suited to the geographic, commercial, and broader economic circumstances confronting them.
INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS
Climate change is influenced by the actions of all nations on the planet. GHG rapidly disperses across the globe, thereby increasing the importance of lessening climate change by means of international collaboration and agreement. Efforts by only a handful of concerned countries, heroic though they may be, can at best slightly lessen the problem. However, on their own they cannot effectively develop and apply the programs required to reduce warming of the Earth. Instead, negotiations begun in the early 1990s have attempted to fashion agreements among nations that will effectively limit global warming, primarily by voluntarily reducing GHGs.
Before describing the major international treaties dealing with climate change, two services that report on international efforts are identified below: IISD and WNA. These services are an excellent starting point for the study of international efforts to affect climate change.
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
Established in 1990, IISD is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. By means of its Earth Negotiations Bulletin, it provides coverage of selected UN environmental and development negotiations. IISD focuses on some of the greatest challenges facing our planet, including climate change and natural resources destruction. Through research, analysis and knowledge sharing, IISD identifies and champions sustainable solutions to these issues.
WNA is an international organization that promotes nuclear power and supports the companies that make up the global nuclear industry. Its 2017 Policy Responses to Climate Change offers a thorough review of international agreements on climate change. Consistent with the commercial interests of its members, this document makes the case for increased reliance on nuclear power due to its limited emissions of GHG. The document emphasizes nuclear energy generation in certain treaties, for example, the Kyoto protocol.
Below are descriptions of six international treaties on climate change presented in chronological order from earliest to most recent. Links are provided to the text of each of the agreements.
1. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty adopted on May 9, 1992. Countries could begin signing it in June of 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The treaty was in force on March 21, 1994, after a sufficient number of countries had ratified it. The UNFCCC objective is to "stabilize GHG concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system". The framework sets non-binding limits on GHG emissions for individual countries, and contains no enforcement mechanisms. Instead, the framework outlines how specific international treaties may be negotiated to specify further action towards the objective of the UNFCCC.
Agreed in 1997, the UNFCCC's Kyoto Protocol was a first step towards achieving more substantial global emission reductions. It set binding emission targets for developed countries that have ratified it, such as the EU Member States. Kyoto limited the emission increases of the remaining countries for the first commitment period from 2008 to 2012. The U.S., which produces a large share of total global GHG emissions, did not ratify the protocol. China and several other countries with large GHG emissions do not have binding emission targets. Countries were expected to meet their target mainly through domestic policies and measures. A brief summary of the Protocol is available on YouTube.
3. Cancun Agreements
The Agreement was adopted at the UN Climate Conference in Mexico (December, 2010). It provides for resources to help developing nations adapt to climate change and adopt measures to create low-emission economies. The agreement includes a time schedule for reviewing the objective of keeping the average global temperature rise below 2°C. The agreement confirmed that, by 2020, developed countries would create a $100 billion climate fund for developing countries, and proposed a Green Climate Fund through which much of the funding will be channeled. A nice summary of the Agreements was published by the World Resources Institute.
Adopted at the 2011 UN conference in South Africa, the Durban Platform outlined a roadmap towards a new legal framework by 2015, applicable to all Parties to the UN climate convention. It also anticipated a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, starting in 2013. Agreement was reached on the design and governance arrangements for the new Green Climate Fund. The planning and outcomes of the conference are summarized by the UNFCCC.
Adopted on December 12, 2015, during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement set the long-term goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C. The Agreement requires all Parties to put forward their best efforts through Nationally Determined Contributions and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead. This includes requirements that all Parties report regularly on their emissions and on their implementation efforts. Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. The Agreement was in force on November 4, 2016, after at least 55 Parties to the Convention (accounting in total for at least an estimated 55 % of the total global GHG emissions) deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with the Depositary. Importantly, the Agreement does not contain an enforcement provision to assure compliance by the countries that are signatories. President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Agreement in June of 2017. The Natural Resources Defense Council has summarized what the Paris Agreement does, how it works, and why it’s so critical to our future.
Achieving the global aims of the Paris Agreement will require each country to take action. Reflecting its “common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities,” each government can update or submit its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which describe its climate goals and activities, in particular those relating to mitigation. Each NDC will be updated every five years and should propose goals that are more ambitious than previous ones. The Katowice package provides detailed guidance on how NDCs are to be presented.
NATIONAL PROGRAMS
Nation-states are, and will continue to be, the most important political units that take responsibility for organizing human responses to global environmental change. Nation-states differ with respect to their commitment to address climate change and the type of actions they take to deal with the problem. Furthermore, the viewpoint towards climate change of a given nation-state may vary over time due to changes in the power of political parties within the country.
There is no better illustration of wavering political commitment to a nation’s measures for dealing with climate change than the U.S. According to the Pew Research Center, “most Americans support a role for scientists in climate policy, and there is bipartisan support for expanding solar and wind energy.” Nonetheless, there is concern about the economic effects if fossil fuel is no longer relied upon. These different perspectives were reflected in Obama era regulations intended to reduce GHG emissions from coal-fired power plants that were weakened by the following Trump administration. Hence, development of a nation’s climate policy can be a fitful process of progress followed by backsliding.
Climate Action Tracker (CAT) is an independent scientific analysis produced by three research organizations that have tracked climate action since 2009. Assessments are provided of climate change commitments made by 36 countries and the EU responsible for approximately 80% of global emissions. Details about a country’s climate change plans are available by clicking on the image of the country on the CAT map.
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is an independent monitoring tool for tracking countries’ climate protection performance. Published annually since 2005, it aims to improve the availability of information in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries.
The entries below are brief descriptions of the efforts to address climate change in nations whose economies are responsible for the largest share of GHG emissions. For the U.S., see Fourth National Climate Assessment.
Australia - What is Australia doing to tackle climate change?
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth and is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Despite the country’s vulnerability, and despite increasing statements from investors and regulators about climate change risks, Australia receives the lowest rating in the 2020 Climate Policy rating by the CCPI. The government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison has continued to worsen performance at both national and international levels. Under the Paris Climate Agreement, Australia set a target for 2030 of making a 26-28% reduction in its emissions compared with 2005 levels. These goals have been criticized for being too low, and the United Nations reported that Australia was not on track.
Brazil – Forest degradation outpaces deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: Study
Massive deforestation in the 20th and 21st centuries has diminished one of the planet’s best tools to absorb carbon. Efforts to preserve the rainforests have run into financial interests that support increasing agriculture and mining to promote Brazil’s economy. President Jair Bolsonaro’s government has rolled back decades of progress on clean energy and reducing deforestation. Forest degradation has been connected to outbreaks of infectious diseases as a result of increased contact between humans and displaced wildlife. These findings could have major implications for Brazilian national commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement.
Canada – Canada's Climate Plan
The federal Government of Canada is committed to taking action that ensures a safe climate, healthy environment, and prosperous future. The Advisory Council on Climate Action explores ways to reduce carbon pollution while encouraging economic growth. Its focus is on two key sectors: transportation and buildings. Together, these two sectors account for more than a third of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. A final report summarizing its recommended actions is available. Canadians are also concerned about managing their forests in a way that does not promote climate change due to deforestation. Some provinces have passed legislation to reduce GHG emissions (e.g., British Columbia has its own Climate Change Accountability Act).
China – Understanding How China Is Championing Climate Change Mitigation
China attaches great importance to climate change. Outstanding achievements have been made. It has formulated policies and taken measures to mitigate climate change in the overall context of its national sustainable development strategy. In accordance with the UNFCCC and its own national circumstances, the government in 2007 formulated China's National Climate Change Programme. It outlines the guidelines, basic principles, and specific objectives in addressing climate change. Nonetheless, its 2018 carbon emissions increased by 4.7 percent.
Egypt – Egypt, SEKEM, and Climate Change
Egypt’s large population makes the country extremely vulnerable to climate change. The delta and the narrow valley of the Nile represents 5.5% of the area of Egypt, but has over 95% of its people and its agriculture. Moreover, the densely populated Nile delta is seriously threatened by sea level rise. Research is underway to develop a national action plan. The nation agrees about the value of a "Green Transformation" to Egypt's competitiveness and future development prospects. SEKEM is an organization founded to bring about social and cultural renewal in Egypt on a sustainable basis, primarily addressing climate change by applying biodynamic agricultural methods See also: SEKEM – A Blooming Oasis in the Egyptian Desert; and How Climate Change and Population Growth Threaten Egypt’s Ancient Treasures. The SEKEM Story: A Miracle in the Desert Became Reality is an excellent video.
European Union - EU Climate Action
Preventing dangerous climate change has a high priority for the European Union. Europe is working hard to cut its GHG emissions substantially while encouraging other nations and regions to do likewise. According to the European Council, EU leaders have committed to transforming Europe into a highly energy-efficient, low carbon economy. The EU also has a goal of reducing GHG emissions by 80-95% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. EU Climate Action and the European Green Deal provides detailed information about its mitigation goals.
India – What India Should Do to Tackle Climate Impacts
Frightful warnings about catastrophic numbers of deaths and destruction of vast portions of arable farming land aroused Indians to address global climate change. India’s population and emissions are increasing fast. The country’s ability to remedy poverty without massive fossil fuel use will decide the fate of the planet. In 2018, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency announced the country’s first state energy efficiency preparedness index to achieve India’s climate commitments. However, preparedness for reducing GHG differs greatly from state to state. With the experience of clean air during the COVID-19 lockdown, the crisis presents an opportunity for India to accelerate a transition away from coal to renewable energy as well as accelerate an uptake of electric mobility. There are no clear signs that India is seizing this opportunity. While no new coal power stations have been built in 2020, the government is encouraging more coal mining and increased coal production which is not consistent with a green recovery. India needs to develop a fair transition strategy to phase out coal for power generation before 2040.
Japan – The Carbon Brief Profile: Japan
Japan is experiencing various problems associated with climate change: more frequent and severe flooding caused by torrential rains; more heatstroke cases; and, lower crop yields due to higher temperatures. In June 2019, Japan, the world’s fifth-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, announced its plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 and achieve decarbonization later. In October of 2020, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that Japan is “aiming to cut greenhouse gases to zero by 2050 and become a carbon-neutral society”. This major shift in position brings Japan into line with the European Union, which set a target of being carbon neutral by that same date last year. While steps are being taken to increase renewable energy, Japan also plans to roll out new coal-burning power stations. To achieve its goals, new solar cells and carbon recycling would be key. In light of its unique characteristics (smaller renewable resources, large presence of heavy industry, issues with nuclear and climate control systems) Japan faces many challenges in long-term climate change mitigation.
South Africa – South Africa’s National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
South Africa’s National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) supports the country’s ability to meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The Strategy identifies the country’s weaknesses in causing climate change and puts forward plans to reduce them. It outlines the required resources to demonstrate progress on climate change mitigation. It gives effect to the National Development Plan’s vision of creating a low-carbon, climate resilient economy and a just society. The 10-year plan, being coordinated by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, will be reviewed every five years.
South Korea – The Carbon Brief Profile: South Korea
Beginning in 2009, there has been a series of nationally determined commitments for the reduction of GHGs. Although there have been plans to increase reliance on renewable energy sources and nuclear power, the country continues to replace older coal-fired plants with newer ones. The nation’s economic success has been driven primarily by energy-intensive industries, which in turn are fueled largely by coal. The “Green New Deal” announced in July of 2020 did not include net zero emissions target by 2050, a carbon tax, nor a commitment to end financing coal power plants overseas. South Korea is highly likely to miss its very weak Paris Agreement 2030 target. The country is nowhere near achieving the emissions reductions necessary to limit warming to 2°C, let alone 1.5°C as per the Paris Agreement.
STATE PROGRAMS IN AMERICA
U.S. states and regions have had to address climate change on their own due to federal inaction. A number of states have independently established programs and regulations that address climate change. The particular characteristics of each state’s economy, resource base, and political structure create different opportunities for dealing with climate change.
Several sources are available that describe the mitigation efforts of each state. Each of these sources uses a similar device for determining information about climate change in a given state. A map of the U.S. is presented in which each state is a link to the appropriate climate information. Simply click on the state about which you are curious.
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)
C2ES is recognized as an influential and pragmatic voice on climate issues. C2ES State Climate Policy Maps illustrate where relevant laws or initiatives have been enacted. Five categories of mitigation action are discussed: GHG emission targets, carbon pricing, renewable and alternate energy standards, energy company decoupling policies, and low-carbon fuel standards. Details about a state’s plans for each of the five mitigation actions is available by clicking on the state in the five U.S. maps provided.
The nonpartisan Georgetown Climate Center (GCC) seeks to advance effective climate and energy policies in the U.S. It serves as a resource to state and local communities that are working to cut carbon pollution and prepare for climate change. GCC furnishes information about each state’s climate laws, policy, and plans. Again, specific information is available by clicking on the state of interest in the U.S. map.
Climate Central is an independent organization of leading scientists and journalists researching and reporting about changing climate and its impact on the public. States at Risk is a project aimed at showing how Americans in all 50 states are experiencing the impacts of climate change. Five threats — extreme heat, drought, wildfires, coastal flooding and inland flooding — are described for each of the 50 states. Again, clicking on a state in the U.S. map will reveal information about the threats it faces from climate change.
CITY PROGRAMS IN AMERICA
Many municipalities across the U.S. are doing their part to combat climate change. At least some communities believe that it is necessary to act on their own following the Trump administration’s announcement that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. Local governments are leading mitigation efforts by encouraging sustainability and reducing GHG emissions. The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy is an international alliance of cities and local governments. Its shared long-term vision promotes and supports voluntary action to combat climate change that will create a low emission society able to maintain itself in the face of climate change.
A number of U.S. cities are doing an exemplary job at combating climate change. According to World Wildlife Fund and Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), some of the largest cities in the U.S. have already set emissions reduction goals that align with the scientific consensus of what will be required to avoid the most disastrous effects of climate change. Many have committed to developing and implementing full-scale climate ordinances, and benchmarking institutional, commercial, or residential building portfolios to reduce wasted energy and lower energy costs. The 2015 ICLEI report contains detailed case studies of Atlanta, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, and Portland, Oregon. The most recent municipal climate change developments are described on a separate ICLEI web page.
A detailed description of the actions required to create community resilience is available from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. The actions include: choosing cool roofs to reduce heat sensitivity; installing cool pavements to reduce heat exposure; increasing canopy cover and vegetation to reduce heat exposure; and, raising awareness and preparing for extreme heat. Examples are provided of actual implementation of these actions in various U.S. cities.
PART III - CLIMATE CHANGE DENIAL
It seems hard to deny the realities of climate change while its effects visibly wreck communities and raise temperatures worldwide. Nevertheless, there are well-known individuals who attribute warming temperatures and more severe weather events to natural changes in the Earth’s climate. Deniers argue that human endeavors are not significant contributors to climate change and object to explanations that blame human activity for these climate phenomena. They oppose policies intended to reduce these effects and argue that resources devoted to climate regulation are wasted.
Deniers believe that over the past 2 million years, Earth has switched between glacials — periods of time when large ice sheets were present in the Northern Hemisphere — and interglacials — periods of time without these ice sheets. Deniers state that the Earth is experiencing one of these naturally occurring interglacial periods. Further, they contend that it is the practice of science itself which affords incentives for researchers to produce evidence supportive of human responsibility for climate change (for example, financial return from publishing books on climate change).
Two organizations that promote skepticism about climate change are the Cato Center for the Study of Science and the Heartland Institute. It should be pointed out that some skeptics that block action on climate change are invested in or supported by the fossil fuel industry (e.g., the Cato Institute was founded and is supported by Charles Koch) or the tobacco industry.
Part IV – MEDIA REPORTS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
A. VIDEOS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
Videos dealing with climate change are plentiful and not difficult to find. The topic is treated in different ways for presentation to different audiences, most notably children and adults.. Below is a small sample of these videos.
Videos for Children
Education plays a significant role in preparing children to address challenges they are likely to face in life. Middle- and high school curricula should include content on climate change so that children can become involved in efforts to reduce climate change in their homes and communities. The videos and teaching materials listed below are designed to develop students’ awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of the environment. The material is intended to build their skills and ability to make informed decisions, and to encourage them to take personal responsibility for sustaining the environment and the quality of life that depends on it.
12 Videos to Help Us Understand Climate Change
Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is an award winning, multi-disciplinary environmental education program for educators and students in pre-K through grade 12. PLT is one of the most widely used environmental education programs in the world. None of the animated videos is longer than seven and a half minutes. There are short descriptions of the content and approach of each video. The contents of the videos address the most important aspects of climate change, including the carbon cycle, climate science, and the effects of climate change.
Trans.MISSION, a new project pairing leading scientists with award-winning artists to communicate cutting edge science, created this video. Within three minutes the fundamentals of Climate Science are described. The science can be a little tricky to explain, but this video makes it easy to understand. The video shows orange-suited scientists taking ice samples containing little bubbles that tell us how much carbon dioxide existed in the atmosphere in years past. Scientists have compared this information with carbon emissions today.
Climate Change (according to a kid) - YouTube
This is a brief animated description comparing how climate has changed due to human activity. Appropriate for young children. Use prior to a classroom discussion on climate change.
NASA Videos and teaching material about climate change
In the course of its exploration of space, NASA has collected many observations of the Earth that are used in discussions of climate change. Based on this information, NASA created a treasure trove of teaching material for educators around the theme “Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” Vital Signs offers introductions to organizations that provide reviewed listings of the best available student and educators resources (both videos and teaching materials) related to global climate change. Among NASA products are a series of fascinating videos about different aspects of climate change: Sting of Climate Change (NASA uses honey bees as tiny data collectors to understand how climate change is affecting pollination and plants); Temperature Puzzle (discusses the impacts on global warming of the sun's energy, Earth's reflectance, and GHGs); and, The Home Frontier (what we learn about Earth from NASA exploration). Some of the videos have instructions for downloading and embedding the video into a personal website.
Videos for Adults
How climate change impacted the world in 2019
This video is a compilation of CNN news clips showing the devastating effects of climate change throughout the world. Among the topics covered are: the melting of ice in the Artic and Greenland; floods of farmlands in the U.S.; hurricanes in the Bahamas; and, fires in Brazil and Borneo. There is no discussion of climate science – just video of the damage caused by global warming.
The Most Important Thing You Can Do to Fight Climate Change: Talk About It
This is one of many videos featuring lectures by climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, called by some the Evangelist of Climate Change. After describing the arguments put forward by people on both sides of the issue of climate change, Hayhoe warns that simply rehashing the same data and facts we've been discussing for years will not change any minds. Rather the key to having a real discussion is to connect over shared values like family, community and religion -- and to prompt people to realize that they already care about a changing climate.
10 of the Best YouTube Videos on Climate Change
This collection of videos presents different approaches (comedic to serious lectures) for addressing a variety of issues that surface during debates about climate change. A synopsis precedes each video.
This site contains a playlist of provocative Ted talks on different aspects of climate change. The talks are presented by prominent believers in climate change, including Greta Thunberg, Albert Gore and James Hansen. The speakers represent different fields of endeavor such as investment, law, economics, and different branches of environmental science.
B. BOOKS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change has inspired the writing of a great many books. They range from grimly realistic descriptions of the severity of the crisis to optimistic visions of social and technological solutions. Below are four lists of “best” books that appeared in respected literary publications. Brief descriptions of each recommended book are available on each of the four sites.
The 10 Hottest Climate Change Books of Summer
The Revelator, an online news and ideas initiative of the Center for Biological Diversity, provides editorially independent reporting, analysis and stories dealing with all aspects of ecology. The reviews were published in August of 2020 and were prepared by John R. Platt, the editor of The Revelator and an award-winning environmental journalist in his own right. Some of the selections (e.g., “Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It”) are intended for school age readers.
The Year You Finally Read a Book About Climate Change
This April, 2020 collection of 21 books was selected by the editors of the Books and Climate desks of the New York Times. Each of the chosen books is briefly reviewed. All manner of climate change issues is covered in the collection.
The 10 Best Books on Climate Change, According to Climate Activists
Climate activist Julia Fine prepared this collection for the April 24, 2020 edition of TeenVogue (an American online publication targeted at preteen girls that was launched in 2003 as a sister publication to Vogue magazine). Each of the 11 books selected was recommended by a credentialed climate activist.
13 Must-Read Books on the Environment and Climate Change
This collection was recommended by the staff of Earth Day Network, an organization whose mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Most of the selections were published since 2017. The recommended books cover a range of topics, including sea-level rise, species protection, plastics pollution and the climate refugee crisis.
15 Books for Budding Environmentalists
Through the transformational power of storytelling, books can inspire students to become involved in trying to solve our planet’s greatest challenges. Moved by the hope that it will motivate a future generation to work to protect the environment, the staff of Earth Day Network compiled a list of some of its favorite books on preservation of the earth, its climate, its natural resources, and its inhabitants. The collection is subdivided into selections appropriate for four different age groups, beginning with ages 4 to 6 years old, and ending with 13 years and older.
Part V - GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Because discussions about climate change involve a great deal of scientific terminology, it is likely that those interested in learning more about the subject will have to familiarize themselves with a fair number of technical words and expressions. Note that each technical item in the glossary below has a link to more detailed information about the term and its relationship to climate change.
Anthropogenic – man made impact on the environment.
Atmospheric sciences - study of the atmosphere, its processes, the effects other systems have on the atmosphere, and the effects of the atmosphere on these other systems.
Cap and trade system - a market-based approach to controlling pollution that allows corporations or national governments to trade emissions allowances under an overall cap, or limit, on those emissions.
Carbon footprint - set of GHG emissions caused by an organization, event or product
Carbon neutral - having a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in carbon sinks. In order to achieve net zero emissions, all GHG emissions will have to be counterbalanced by carbon absorption.
Carbon sink - a forest, ocean, or other natural environment viewed in terms of its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Carbon tax - a tax on energy sources which emit carbon dioxide; a form of ecotax.
Climate change - includes both global warming and its effects, such as changes to precipitation, rising sea levels, and impacts that differ by region.
Climate forcing - any influence on climate that originates from outside the climate system itself, including changes in the energy output of the sun, changes in the atmospheric concentration of GHGs, volcanic eruptions, and aerosols.
Deforestation - the decrease in forest areas across the world that are lost for other uses such as agricultural croplands, urbanization, or mining activities. Greatly accelerated by human activities since 1960, it has negatively affected the earth’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide.
Ecotax - fiscal policy that introduces taxes intended to promote ecologically sustainable activities by means of economic incentives.
Electronic vehicle (EV) - a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion by storing electricity in an energy storage device, such as a battery.
Emissions - exhaust like gas, liquid, heat, sound, light, and radiation that is released or discharged into the environment. GHGs from various sources are emissions known to contribute to global warming and climate change.
Energy mix - a group of different primary energy sources (e.g., fossil fuels, wind, or sun light) from which secondary energy for direct use - such as electricity - is produced.
Fossil fuel – fuels composed of hydrocarbons found within the top layer of the earth’s crust.
G-20 countries - the Group of 20 is composed of finance ministers and central bank governors from 19 of the world's largest economies and the European Union. The G-20 was formed in 1999 as a forum for member nations to discuss key global economic issues.
Global warming - a long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s climate system that is an aspect of climate change. Global warming is revealed by temperature measurements and by multiple effects of the warming.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) - a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, including water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Without GHGs, the average temperature of Earth’s surface would be about −18 °C (0 °F), rather than the present average of 15 °C (59 °F).
Interglacial period - a geological interval of warmer global average temperature lasting thousands of years that separates consecutive glacial periods.
Keeling Curve - a graph of the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere based on continuous measurements taken at the Mauna Loa Observatory on the island of Hawaii from 1958 to the present day.
Meteorology - the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting.
Methane – a colorless, odorless flammable gas which is the main element of natural gas. It is a GHG released in rice production and fossil fuel extraction, and by enteric fermentation (chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganism that takes place in the digestive systems of animals).
Mitigation - attempt to slow the process of global climate change, usually by lowering the level of GHG in the atmosphere. Planting trees that absorb carbon dioxide from the air and store it is an example of one such strategy.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) – a GHG that, in 2018, accounted for about 6.5 percent of all U.S. GHG emissions from human activities. Human activities such as agriculture, fuel combustion, wastewater management, and industrial processes increase the amount of N2O in the atmosphere.
Ozone depletion – though not strongly connected to climate change, the ozone layer prevents most harmful ultraviolet wavelengths of ultraviolet light from passing through the Earth’s atmosphere. Depletion increases the risk of skin cancer, sunburn, and cataracts.
Renewable energy - energy that is collected from natural resources that are not finite or exhaustible, but which are naturally replenished, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.
Resilience - strengthening the ability of human and non-human systems to withstand and respond to changes in the earth’s climate.
Sustainability - process of change in which the thoughtful utilization of resources improves both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations.
Tipping points in the climate system - thresholds in the climate system that, when exceeded, can lead to large changes in the state of the system that are often irreversible.