What is Climate Change?
What is climate change? What’s causing it? What will it mean for the world as a whole? And what does it mean to “fight” climate change? This first episode takes a look at the big picture. It also introduces our core three concepts: climate change mitigation, adaptation to climate change, and climate justice.
Questions
How are greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming?
What is the difference between global warming and climate change?
What are four to five ways climate change will affect the world?
What is the importance of +1.5 degrees Celsius?
What is climate change mitigation? What is adaptation to climate change? What is climate justice?
Voices
Many of the young people I interviewed from various regions of the state show up in this episode. In order of first appearance, they are: Nef (Los Angeles), Michael (Huron), Monique (Riverside), Hriday (Livermore) , Elias (El Centro), Kaitlin (Ukiah) , Tehlias (Ukiah), Diego (Chula Vista) , Domingo (Watsonville), Frank (Watsonville), Mikayla (Windsor), Nadine (San Rafael), Isha (Oakland), Zeke (Canyon Arroyo), Brooke (Big Pine), Ivan (San Joaquin), Elizabeth (Delano), Karissa (Delano), Jayson (Sacramento), and Amber (San Diego).
I also spoke with my scientist-collaborator, Nancy Freitas.
Listening
Want to listen on another platform? You can find Future Imperfect on Apple Podcasts and on Stitcher.
Resources
If you want to dig deeper into some of the topics in this episode, here are some places to begin.
The Causes of Climate Change from NASA
Climate Basics for Kids from Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Our World in Data
What is a Carbon Sink? from LiveScience
Analysis: How much ‘carbon budget’ is left to limit global warming to 1.5C? from Carbon Brief
Climate Models from NOAA
Is the ozone hole causing climate change? and Are the ozone hole and global warming related? from NASA
What is ‘climate justice’? from Yale Climate Connections
The Environmental Justice Movement Is Rooted In Black History from 350.org
Principles of Climate Justice from the Mary Robinson Foundation
If you’re really diving deep, check out these sources:
Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Climate Change playlist from UC Berkeley
Summer Reading List on Climate Justice from Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University