Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know

Cover Page
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication Page
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
1 Climate Science Basics
What is the greenhouse effect and how does it warm the Earth?
Why are scientists so certain the climate system is warming?
How does global warming increase sea levels and what has been observed to date?
Where does most of human-caused warming go?
What fraction of recent global warming is due to human causes versus natural causes?
How certain are climate scientists that humans are the primary cause of recent warning?
How do scientists know that recent climate change is primarily caused by human activities?
Why has the climate changed in the past, before there were human- caused greenhouse gas emissions?
What are the climate system’s amplifying feedbacks that turn a moderate initial warming into a big ultimate warming?
Is the current level of atmospheric CO 2 concentration unprecedented in human history?
Are recent climatic changes unprecedented?
Has recent human- caused climate change been occurring faster or not as fast as scientists predicted?
Is there a difference between global warming and climate change?
What are the sources of the most important human- caused pollutants that drive global warming?
How does deforestation contribute to warming?
What is global warming potential and why is it different for various greenhouse gases?
Why does the rate of warming appear to vary from decade to decade?
Has global warming slowed down or paused in recent years?
Can we reach a point where emitting more CO 2 into the air will not cause more climate change?
Have we already crossed tipping points (points of no return) in the climate system?
2 Extreme Weather and Climate Change
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Which extreme weather events are being made worse by climate change and which are not?
What is the role of natural climatic variation, such as the El Ni ñ o– La Ni ñ a cycle, in extreme weather?
Did climate change cause Hurricanes Sandy and Harvey (and why is that the wrong question to ask)?
How does climate change affect heat waves?
How does climate change affect droughts?
How does climate change affect wildfi res?
How does climate change affect the chances of deluges or severe precipitation?
Does climate change mean more snow or less, worse snowstorms or weaker ones?
How does climate change affect storm surge?
Is climate change making hurricanes more destructive?
What is Arctic amplifi cation and how does it affect extreme weather?
Is climate change and/ or Arctic amplifi cation affecting extreme weather in the Northern Hemisphere?
Is climate change affecting tornado formation?
In a warming world, why do some winters still seem unusually severe?
3 Projected Climate Impacts
What kind of impacts can we expect this century from business- as- usual climate change?
What are the biggest sources of uncertainty in projecting future global warming?
What do previous hot periods in Earth’s climate tell us about what the future may hold in store?
How could the thawing permafrost speed up global warming beyond what climate models have projected?
How could an increase in wildfi res speed up global warming beyond what climate models have projected?
What are some other key positive or amplifying feedbacks affecting the climate system?
What will the impacts of sea- level rise be?
How will climate change lead to more destructive superstorms this century?
What kind of droughts can we expect this century?
What are the expected health impacts of climate change?
How does global warming affect human productivity?
Does carbon dioxide at exposure levels expected this century have any direct impacts on human health or cognition?
What is ocean acidifi cation and why does it matter to sea life?
What is biodiversity and how will climate change impact it?
How will climate change affect the agricultural sector and our ability to feed the world’s growing population?
How is climate change a threat to national, regional, and global security?
What is the plausible best- case scenario for climate change this century?
What is the plausible worst- case scenario for climate change this century?
What do scientists mean by “irreversible impacts” and why are they such a concern with climate change?
4 Avoiding the Worst Impacts
What is the biggest source of confusion about what humanity needs to do to avoid the worst climate impacts?
What is the December 2015 Paris climate accord and why is it so important?
Why did scientists and governments decide 2 ° C (3.6 ° F) was the limit beyond which climate change becomes “dangerous” to humanity?
What is the November 2021 Glasgow climate pact and why is it so controversial?
What kind of greenhouse gas emissions reductions are needed to keep warming well below 2 ° C?
What would be the economic cost of meeting the 2 ° C target?
What happens if we miss the 2 ° C target?
Can we adapt to human- caused climate change?
What is geoengineering and can it play a major role in reducing the impact of climate change?
5 Climate Politics and Policies
What climate policies are governments around the world using to fi ght climate change?
What is a carbon tax?
What are cap- and- trade and carbon trading?
What are China and India doing to restrict carbon dioxide emissions?
What is the United States doing to restrict carbon dioxide emissions?
How do different political parties view climate science and policies in the United States and around the world?
Is there a large- scale effort to spread misinformation on climate science and, if so, who funds it?
What are climate science deniers?
6 The Role of Clean Energy
What kind of changes in our energy system would a 2 ° C target require?
What is energy effi ciency and what role will it play?
Will nuclear power be a major factor in the effort to minimize climate change?
What role does natural gas have in the transition to a 2 ° C world?
How much can solar power contribute to averting dangerous climate change?
How big a role will wind power play in averting dangerous climate change?
What is carbon capture and storage (a.k.a. carbon sequestration) and what role can it play?
What is bioenergy and what is its role in cutting carbon pollution?
What other carbon- free forms of energy can contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emissions?
How can we reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector?
What challenges have limited the marketplace success of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles to date?
What role can electric vehicles play?
What are hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen fuel- cell vehicles?
What are the challenges facing hydrogen fuel- cell vehicles as a climate solution?
What role can energy storage play in the transition off of fossil fuels?
What can the agricultural and livestock sector do to minimize climate change?
What role can energy conservation play?
7 Climate Change and You
How will climate change impact you and your family in the coming decades?
How might climate change affect the future price of coastal property?
How might climate change affect decisions about where to live and retire in the coming decades?
What should students study today if they want to prepare themselves for working in a globally warmed world?
Should climate change affect how you invest for the future?
How can you reduce your carbon footprint?
What role can dietary changes play in reducing your carbon footprint?
What is the best way to talk to someone who does not accept the growing body of evidence on climate science?
Do we still have time to preserve a livable climate?
PRIMARY SOURCES
NOTES
INDEX