Week 4 Questions: Environmental Devastation

[deholz]

Questions for David Archer, based on the readings

[timok15]

What for you is the most pressing angle of the climate crisis? For me, with the shifting human climate niche, our agricultural crops will be hit pretty hard, at least in the short term. What can you say about how you see us adapting to the very possible rolling crop failures due to infelicitous climate conditions? Or about the risks of current agricultural land becoming fallow in order to move things north?

[imilbauer]

To what extent can climate models predict the degree of human displacement that climate change will entail? How do we make sense of the fact that climate models can give us robust and detailed models of the climate based on the available evidence but cannot necessarily take into account geopolitical realities and the pace of technological advancement? Should we try to make our models more complex, such as by using game theory or AI? Or, how best can we accept the fact that our ability to predict sociopolitical factors is limited?

[miansimmons]

Some climate researchers say that with each degree of temperature rise, 1 billion humans will be left outside the temperature niche necessary for human inhabitance. Whether this prediction is fully accurate or not, it is evident that the number of climate refugees will continue to grow rapidly. In your opinion, what are the measures that governments can take to address the challenges of climate-related human migration? What is important to consider regarding this issue?

[lubaishao]

Population and immigration control in modern countries is clearly stricter than at any other time in history. The climate migrants who shaped nations and brought about social changes in the past are more likely to bring about conflicts today. Do you think the issue of climate migration will create widespread and consistent interstate conflict? Will the need for strong national borders have an impact on current democratic regime?

[oliviaegross]

An important point made throughout the Mann reading was that we must embrace scientific uncertainty as the scientific process builds on itself, new data comes to light, and sometimes it even changes our previous understanding. To what extent then are climate models helpful in predicting the degree of impact we will experience? Furthermore, how would you define their use, assuming it is not just about predictions? What political or cultural impact can they have?

[M-Hallikainen]

At my undergraduate university, Arizona State, a great deal of focus was put towards universal sustainability education. There was a dedicated sustainability college, mandatory gen-ed courses on sustainability, and a strong push for students of all disciplines to consider sustainability classes or minors with the idea that the future of every industry will need to consider sustainable development. Do you agree with this approach to sustainability education? How should sustainability and adaptation to our changing climate be taught in both higher and lower education?

[lucyhorowitz]

I'm curious about how it is to convey information about climate change to different audiences: from students in core classes to students in major classes to the general public to the scientific community. How much must the messaging differ between groups in order for the communication to be effective? This week we read from a highly technical summary for policymakers (although, do they read these themselves or have advisors who help them interpret?) and from a rather conversational pop science book. Each certainly has its place, but is something lost when removing the technical aspects? Is something else lost when removing the conversational aspects? What kind of balance can we strike?

[ldbauer1011]

For me, climate change is an issue that needs to be tackles locally on an international scale. Put another way, every state that contributes to climate change needs to devote resources on a local and regional level to help combat climate change at the source. Coming up with the solutions are important, but implementation is the other half of the battle that is talked about much less. How can climate change become a local issue? What are some ways to remind people that climate change is a broad issue that needs to be addressed everywhere?

[cbgravitt]

What do you think is/are the biggest blocker(s) preventing the positive climate policy that so many experts recommend from being implemented? Do you think there is a quick way around these blockers, and if so, what is it?

[tosinOO]

In your view, how big of a hindrance to our progress on climate change is the polarization around the conversation of climate change? Also, how much of an influence do lobbying interests (oil backed lobbies for example) have on these conversations?

[jamaib]

Although the future of our climate is fairly variable, it is a possibility that the issue of rising and lowering temperatures will cause climate migration due to some regions becoming inhabitable. As our human climate niche begins to get smaller, which regions will be hit first and the hardest? Moreover what will become of these regions and the entities within it (that is are the laws regarding relocations of businesses, corporations, people, etc. due to climate changes)?

[summerliu1027]

In your opinion, what is the most pressing aspect that global warming can cause in the near term, for instance, the next 5 years? Do we still have enough time to deal with the consequences, or are we beyond that point?

[AnikSingh1]

Is human migration just a short term way to alleviate stress from global warming, and if so, does this simple act not show more clearly how short sighted the humans of today are when regarding climate change? Instead of working towards the problem, it is much more in the interest of the individual to focus on what is directly affecting them rather than building unity to solve unprecedented obstacles like rising tides and sea-levels.

[DNT21711]

Based on your volumes of research into the longterm effects of greenhouse gases, what would you say are the most important but under-appreciated things that we need to be doing right now, as a global society, to either steer off or curtail this possible flood tide leading toward a 'climate tipping point'? Moreover, how can we better communicate the urgency of these actions to both policymakers and the general public?

[briannaliu]

Why do you believe it has been so difficult as a society to mobilize around climate change? What is the biggest barrier we as a society face in combatting the climate crisis?

When considering the progress we’ve made on climate action in the last 5 years, what is your reaction? Are you surprised, disappointed, hopeful? Do you tend to have a positive or negative posture toward the climate crisis?

[AudreyPScott]

Communication of the climate crisis is a critical element of finding paths forward for humanity -- but academics are not always known for communication breadth with wide audiences. In your experience, what points about global warming resonate the most strongly with "in-the-know" geophysics majors and the scientific community, to non-major students in core classes, and to the general population outside the university system?

[madsnewton]

Thinking about climate change just in terms of the global temperature rising by a few degrees can feel very abstract sometimes. Do you think it can be more beneficial to communicate the need for climate action when talking about the noticeable effects of climate change, rather than just focusing on estimates of how much the global temperature is expected to rise and the estimated year that is the point of no return? Also, do you think there be more of an emphasis put on other environmental risk factors other than CO2 emissions, such as NOx emissions and free radicals, microplastics, etc.?

[kallotey]

In the Mann piece, he says that we must embrace scientific uncertainty. Seeing how climate impacts have exceeded earlier scientific projections, it would be wise to approach climate change with greater precaution. That being said, the climate change movement is very saturated, perhaps overly saturated with extreme caution or nonchalance. Where do you think we can begin to steer the movement to have concentrated action (continue release news at our current pace, dial it back), and how should we steer it (locally, globally)?

[mibr4601]

Media headlines aim to boost their clicks and viewership by resorting to alarming blockbuster headlines. Should there be a change in media approach towards more hopeful content rather than sensationalizing negative news for the sake of increasing clicks and engagement?

[WPDolan]

A significant amount of resources has been invested in technologies that attempt to offset or "reverse" ecological damage done by previous human activities. To what extent can future humans recover from the significant warming and the ecological damage caused by previous generations?

[maevemcguire]

As we have read and you have written about, the paleoclimatic record shows cycles of warming and cooling. Can we expect that to still happen even if we’ve exponentially surpassed the natural warming cycle? Is there any hope of potentially using this natural paleoclimatic cycle to our benefit in climate change mitigation strategies?

[ghagle]

We spend lots of political energy and, now with the IRA and other policies, money on combatting greenhouse gas-caused climate change. However, our readings today don't necessary forecast a catastrophic future. Yes, there are going to be problems getting food into the hands of those who need it, millions and millions of people that need a new home, and major geopolitical paradigm shifts. However, these things seem, to me at least, far more fixable than completely upending the entire history of capitalism which has always been about burning fuels and polluting the planet. Are we being a little too ambitious? To what extent should we divert our resources away from solely fighting climate change and towards preparing for what might be inevitable--the problems listed above?

[emersonlubke]

How accurate have our climate models of the past borne out to be? At this point we as a society have been collectively thinking about and discussing climate change for decades, and I know for a fact that over the years we've made models predicting what 2024 would like. Are models from say 8-12 years ago accurate? What can we learn from past models' projections for the current day vs what the current day actually looks like?

[Hai1218]

How can the understanding of the ‘human temperature niche’ and the projected massive displacement of populations guide global humanitarian responses and policies? What role does the narrative of resilience and adaptation play in addressing the psychological impact of climate-induced displacement on affected populations? Do you think framing the crisis that appeals to emotion works better than those that appeals to reason?

[gabrielmoos]

We learned in the readings that the 2˚C number does not equally affect the land and the water (7.5˚C for the land). The readings also stated that aquatic environments are expected to have much smaller changes due to climate change. I’ve read about kelp forests as potential carbon sinks, but increasing ocean temperatures are reducing CO2’s solubility in water. Could the warming of the Earth create a flywheel effect in which temperatures rise, water warms, and less CO2 gets absorbed, thus temperatures rise more? Are some regions of the world more negatively affected by the changing carbon cycle than others?

[GreatPraxis]

Considering your extensive research on the processes of greenhouse gasses, do you believe there is a viable technological solution on the horizon for effectively reducing carbon emissions, such as carbon capture? Alternatively, do you think a technological "silver bullet" for addressing climate change is distant, and we must focus on reducing carbon emissions through more stringent regulations?

[ejcrane]

Given the current state of corporations presenting two sides--one pretending to be more virtuous, while the other continues to act on its own financial incentives--do you worry that even with companies starting to pledge net-zero carbon emissions, they'll turn back on their pledges in secret, like Volkswagen lying about emissions tests?

[Daniela-miaut]

I found that hints of climate change is not regarded as noticeable in most people's daily life. I am curious about your insights on raising public awareness on climate issues. How can you present evidence in a more persuasive way? What do you think are the guidelines for making people realize the urgency of climate issues? What actions would you encourage individuals to take? How would you address the pessimistic feeling among the young generation?

[aaron-wineberg02]

I noticed that when you book airline tickets, you can see the carbon emissions listed. How can climate change be brought into the forefront of the typical western consumer's mind? Could this improve the eagerness to adress climate change or do people still not grasp the fundamentals.

[agupta818]

I think the consequence of human migration from climate change is extremely concerning and clearly already a reality. How do you see the role of human migration in the context of mitigating the effects of climate change? Are there specific strategies or policies you would recommend to address both the environmental and societal aspects of this, like climate refugee rights and border policies?

[aidanj5]

How does the warming of the planet affect biosystems such as those under the ground, submerged in cave water systems, or in other novel environments? This connects to another question, what sort of creatures or habitats does a warming planet favor?