SocSci Acadec Section Summaries

What does Earth System Science (ESS) provide for understanding climate change?

Key concepts for understanding the nature of the Earth’s climate and climate change.

What are the four subsystems of Earth that interact to shape climatic conditions?

Earth, water, air, and living organisms.

What are Forcings in the context of climate change?

Events such as volcanic eruptions, variations in solar energy, and rising greenhouse gas concentrations that can tip the balance between subsystems.

What are positive feedbacks in climate change?

Reactions in nature that drive climate change even more.

What do negative feedbacks refer to in climate science?

Reactions in nature that act against the initial drivers of climate change.

Who studies climate history through natural evidence?

Historical climatologists and paleoclimatologists.

What is the Anthropocene?

A term describing the current epoch marked by significant human impact on climate and geology.

When did the Holocene epoch begin?

Around 11,700 years ago at the end of the last ice age.

What significant societal changes began around the end of the Middle Holocene?

The formation of large agrarian societies.

What was the Little Ice Age (LIA)?

A period of cooler global temperatures from around 1300 to 1850 CE.

What is the primary cause of the Anthropocene?

The burning of fossil fuels.

What historical event is connected to the onset of the Anthropocene?

The beginning of the Industrial Revolution around 1800.

What major change occurred around 1950 linked to the Anthropocene?

The Great Acceleration, marked by rapid growth in human population and greenhouse gas emissions.

Why did the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) form in 1988?

To facilitate cooperation between scientists and governments regarding climate change.

What do many people's views on climate change align with in the United States?

Their identification as a Democrat or Republican.

What is the goal set by governments to limit global warming?

To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the twenty-first century.

How have young people contributed to the climate crisis discourse?

By raising their voices about the failure of adults in power to address the climate crisis.