1. United States adults in the 6 Americas, March 2012
(992 people surveyed by Yale/George Mason University)
How do our class data compare to the national data?
Alarmed
Concerned
Cautious
Disengaged
Doubtful
Dismissive
Highest Belief in Global Warming
Most Concerned
Most Motivated
Lowest Belief in Global Warming
Least Concerned
Least Motivated 10%
15%
6%
29%
26%
13%
2. Americans believe that climate change will
be harmful to……
March 2012 data from Yale Project on Climate Change Communication
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Plants and animals
Future generations of people
People in developing countries
People in the US
People in their community
People in their family
Themselves
Percent of people who believe that climate change
will be harmful to...
3. Do Americans believe that climate
change is happening?
Data from Yale Project on Climate Change Communication
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
November 2011 March 2012
PercentofPeople
Climate change is
happening
Climate change is
not happening
4. Do Americans believe that climate
change is caused mostly by humans?
March 2012 data from Yale Project on Climate Change Communication
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
November 2011 March 2012
PercentofPeople
Climate change is caused
mostly by human activities
Climate change is not
caused mostly by human
activities
6. Example: the aging movie star
From ages 20-35, the actress was offered many
leading movie roles.
She continued auditioning for these roles, but
starting around age 40, she noticed that she was
being offered fewer and fewer leading roles.
She is now 50 years old and has not been offered a
leading role in over 5 years. Her agent suspects that
she is not being offered these parts because she
looks older than the other younger actresses who
are auditioning.
7. • What could the actress do to attempt to
mitigate this situation?
• What could the actress do to attempt to adapt
to this situation?
• What are the pros and cons of mitigation?
• What are the pros and cons of adaptation?
8. Climate change mitigation: working to
decrease greenhouse gas emissions in an
attempt to reduce the severity of future
climate change
Climate change adaptation: working to
adjust to the unavoidable aspects of climate
change that we are already experiencing and
may experience in the future
10. Scientists believe that the
number of 100 degree
days per year will increase
during the next century,
depending on greenhouse
gas emissions.
11.
12.
13. Lowering of
floodplains
Lowering (excavating) an area of the floodplain increases the room for the river at
high water levels.
Deepening
summer bed
The river bed is deepened by excavating the surface layer of the river bed. The
deepened river bed provides more room for the river.
Water storage The Volkerak-Zoommeer lake provides temporary water storage when exceptional
conditions result in the combination of a closed storm surge barrier and high river
discharges to the sea.
Dike
relocation
Relocating a dike land inwards increases the width of the floodplains and provides
more room for the river.
Lowering
groynes
Groynes stabilize the location of the river and ensure that the river remains at the
correct depth. However, at high water levels groynes can form an obstruction to
the flow of water in the river. Lowering groynes increases the flow rate of the
water in the river.
High water
channel
A diked area that branches off from the main river to discharge some of the water
via a separate route.
Depoldering The dike on the river side of a polder is relocated land inwards. The polder is
depoldered and water can flood the area at high water levels.
Removing
obstacles
Removing or modifying obstacles in the river bed where possible, or modifying
them, increases the flow rate of the water in the river.
Strengthening
dikes
Dikes are strengthened in areas where creating more room for the river is not an
option.
Room for the River
Notas do Editor
The six climate change personalities should be written on the board before class starts. As students come into the classroom, they should place a mark on the board beneath their climate change personality. The instructor can quickly tally the class results at the beginning of class and compare the class results to the results of the national survey. This is a good time to speculate about why (if applicable) the class data are different than the national data.
Data source: http://environment.yale.edu/climate-communication/files/Six-Americas-September-2012.pdf
Accessed June 20, 2014
There are several aspects of these data that could be discussed as a class. For example, why is it that more Americans believe that people in developing countries will be harmed by climate change than people in the United States?
Data source: http://environment.yale.edu/climate-communication/files/Six-Americas-September-2012.pdf
Accessed June 20, 2014
Students will have recently completed case studies 5.1 and 5.2, investigating climate models, changes in greenhouse gas concentrations, and the potential impact of increased greenhouse gases on civilization. Students could be prompted to speculate on why national attitudes about climate change are changing. How could changing public attitudes influence government, industry, etc. response to climate change?
Data source: http://environment.yale.edu/climate-communication/files/Six-Americas-September-2012.pdf
Accessed June 20, 2014
Data source: http://environment.yale.edu/climate-communication/files/Six-Americas-September-2012.pdf
Accessed June 20, 2014
Define mitigation vs. adaptation and use a non-climate change example to illustrate the difference between mitigation and adaptation. (Next slides.)
Possible mitigation strategies: hair color, younger wardrobe, plastic surgery. Pro: potential to continue getting the roles to which the actress is accustomed. Mitigation strategies like hair color and wardrobe changes will require minimal work, time, or commitment. Con: there is no guarantee that these mitigation strategies will result in the actress being offered the desired roles. Mitigation strategies like plastic surgery are extreme and will not necessarily have the desired outcome.Possible adaptation strategies: stop auditioning for lead roles playing young women—try for supporting roles and/or middle-aged characters. Pro: greater chance to land parts if more age-appropriate roles are sought. Con: adaptation strategy requires a significant change in career trajectory and goals. Supporting roles instead of lead roles may result in less compensation for work.
This is an opportunity to ask students about the pros and cons of mitigating climate change and adapting to climate change. The following questions could be posed to the class: (1) Which strategy—mitigation OR adaptation—is not dependent on people believing that humans are causing climate change? (2) Is mitigation OR adaptation more costly? (3) Would one strategy require more lifestyle changes than another? (4) Which is easier?
Next, introduce the gallery walk, emphasizing that students will be learning about climate adaptation strategies only.
Insurance industry slide
Credit: NOAA
Image source: http://www.climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/billion-dollar-weather-disasters-1980
Accessed June 20, 2013
Heat wave slide.Credit: US EPA
Source: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/health.html
Accessed June 20, 2014
Heat wave slide.Credit: US EPA
Source: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/midwest-adaptation.html
Accessed June 20, 2014
Flood slide
Credit: Wikipedia Commons
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seattle_-_Eastlake_floating_homes_03.jpg
Accessed June 20, 2014