Climate Change & Solutions

What is the difference between weather, climate, global warming, and climate change?

Weather: conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time; can change within min or hrs.

Climate: How the atmosphere behaves over a long period of time and space; average regional weather patterns over decades.

Global warming: is the specific rise in Earth’s average temperature due to greenhouse gases

Climate Change: is the broader, systemic change in regional and global climate patterns, including sea-level rise and extreme weather

in short terms:

Weather: (Short-term)

Climate: (Long-term)

Global Warming: (Temperature Rise)

Climate Change: (Systemic Shift)

What are greenhouse gases, where do major human-caused greenhouse gases come

from, and how do they cause global warming?

CO 2 (fossil fuels), methane (livestock, rice), N2O (fertilizers), fluorinated gases (refrigeration)trap heat, causing Global Warming which has many downstream effects

What evidence shows that current climate change is mostly human-caused rather than

only natural cycling?

• Too fast: Current warming is roughly 10x faster than average post-ice-age warming.

• Too much: Atmospheric CO₂ is higher than at any time in at least the last 2 million years.

• Fossil fuel signature: Carbon isotopes show much of the added CO₂ comes from fossil fuels.

• Modeling comparisons: Climate models match observations only when including human emissions.

• Atmospheric pattern: Lower-atmosphere warming with upper-atmosphere cooling fits greenhouse gases, not increased solar energy.

Shorter term: Human-caused evidence: rapid warming, unusually high CO₂, fossil fuel carbon signatures, model comparisons,

and atmospheric warming patterns

How does climate change cause downstream effects for ecosystems, food systems, and

biodiversity?

• Ecosystems: wildfires, floods, landslides, coral reef loss, disease spread

• Food systems: crop stress, pollinator/pest die-offs and shifts, disrupted water supply

• Biodiversity: habitat loss, timing mismatches, extinction risk

What is the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy sources?

Renewable: Renewable energy sources take advantage of open energy systems and functioning ecosystem services.

Non-renewable: energy sources like fossil fuels can’t regenerate on human timescales like renewables like wind, solar

What is the One Health model?

“One Health” is just a name for the

understanding that:

• Humans are part of ecosystems, not separate from them.

• Healthy ecosystems provide services we depend on: food, clean water, clean air, climate regulation, and disease regulation.

• Biodiversity helps keep those ecosystem services stable.

• Pollution, habitat loss, and climate change weaken ecosystem function.

• When ecosystem function breaks down, human health risks increase

What individual and collective/system-level solutions can best reduce negative human

environmental impacts and climate change?

• Top Individual Solutions: Reduce meat/dairy, reduce food waste/compost, use solar panels & renewables.

  • Don't stress about being perfect, make manageable changes and educate, don't police other people.

• Top Structural Solutions: Tax carbon emissions, refrigerant management, build wind power.

  • Work with others to fight for for policy and structural changes!