A Way Forward: Cooperative Solutions to Our Climate Challenges

Abstract:

Solving the global climate crisis is a multidisciplinary challenge. The world is seeking solutions to climate change. The climate research and education community must move beyond the realm of debating the science – we MUST provide the solutions. The research community understands the science and many of the solutions very well. This project will address the specifics of solutions involving social, political and science disciplines. The content is targeted to multidisciplinary education at the senior undergraduate and graduate levels in universities and colleges. Humanity has already changed the climate and current greenhouse gas emission (GHG) projections indicate our world will warm 2-6° C within a young person’s lifetime. We must coordinate societal mitigation and adaptation policies, programs and technology transformations. There is now a dramatic need for many, many highly trained multidisciplinary climate change solutions professionals that understand the complexities of the challenges and can work through the social, political and science tribulations needed to sustain communities around the world.

This proposed education project:

• Provides an introduction to the social, political, technical, health and well-being challenges of climate change;
• Defines and describes the unprecedented changes to personal and community lifestyle, and consumption of energy and other resources;
• Examines ways and means for rapid transition of energy systems from fossil fuels to clean renewable technologies.
• Evaluates redevelopment of our infrastructure to withstand increasing weather extremes;
• Inventories possible abandonment and/or protection of infrastructure that cannot be redeveloped or reworked, particularly with respect to coastal zones where substantial populations currently live.

We propose an online living textbook project. Chapter contributions will be invited from outstanding solutions research professionals from around the world. The online presence is the best means to facilitate a multimedia presentation of the core content of the proposed text.