Preface: Why You Need To Know About Climate Change |
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xiii | |
Acknowledgments |
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xxiii | |
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1 | (30) |
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What is the greenhouse effect and how does it warm the Earth? |
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1 | (1) |
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Why are scientists so certain the climate system is warming? |
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2 | (2) |
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How does global warming increase sea levels and what has been observed to date? |
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4 | (2) |
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Where does most of human-caused warming go? |
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6 | (1) |
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What fraction of recent global warming is due to human causes versus natural causes? |
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7 | (2) |
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How certain are climate scientists that humans are the primary cause of recent warning? |
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9 | (1) |
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How do scientists know that recent climate change is primarily caused by human activities? |
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9 | (3) |
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Why has the climate changed in the past, before there were human-caused greenhouse gas emissions? |
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12 | (1) |
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What are the climate system's amplifying feedbacks that turn a moderate initial warming into a big ultimate warming? |
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13 | (2) |
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Is the current level of atmospheric CO2 concentration unprecedented in human history? |
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15 | (2) |
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Are recent climatic changes unprecedented? |
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17 | (1) |
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Has recent human-caused climate change been occurring faster or not as fast as scientists predicted? |
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18 | (1) |
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Is there a difference between global warming and climate change? |
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19 | (1) |
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What are the sources of the most important human-caused pollutants that drive global warming? |
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20 | (1) |
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How does deforestation contribute to warming? |
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21 | (1) |
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What is global warming potential and why is it different for various greenhouse gases? |
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22 | (1) |
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Why does the rate of warming appear to vary from decade to decade? |
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23 | (1) |
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Has global warming slowed down or paused in recent years? |
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23 | (5) |
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Can we reach a point where emitting more CO2 into the air will not cause more climate change? |
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28 | (1) |
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Have we already crossed tipping points (points of no return) in the climate system? |
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28 | (3) |
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2 Extreme Weather and Climate Change |
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31 | (42) |
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What is the difference between weather and climate? |
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31 | (1) |
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Which extreme weather events are being made worse by climate change and which are not? |
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32 | (2) |
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What is the role of natural climatic variation, such as the El Nino--La Nina cycle, in extreme weather? |
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34 | (3) |
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Did climate change cause Hurricane Sandy (and why is that the wrong question to ask)? |
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37 | (3) |
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How does climate change affect heat waves? |
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40 | (2) |
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How does climate change affect droughts? |
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42 | (3) |
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How does climate change affect wildfires? |
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45 | (3) |
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How does climate change affect the chances of deluges or severe precipitation? |
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48 | (3) |
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Does climate change mean more snow or less, worse snow storms or weaker ones? |
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51 | (4) |
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How does climate change affect storm surge? |
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55 | (2) |
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Is climate change making hurricanes more destructive? |
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57 | (2) |
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What is Arctic amplification and how does it affect extreme weather? |
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59 | (3) |
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Is climate change and/or Arctic amplification affecting extreme weather in the northern hemisphere? |
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62 | (5) |
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Is climate change affecting tornado formation? |
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67 | (4) |
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In a warming world, why do some winters still seem unusually severe? |
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71 | (2) |
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3 Projected Climate Impacts |
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73 | (74) |
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What kind of impacts can we expect this century from business-as-usual climate change? |
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73 | (2) |
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What are the biggest sources of uncertainty in projecting future global warming? |
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75 | (3) |
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What do previous hot periods in Earth's climate tell us about what the future may hold in store? |
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78 | (2) |
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How could the thawing permafrost speed up global warming beyond what climate models have projected? |
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80 | (5) |
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How could an increase in wildfires speed up global warming beyond what climate models have projected? |
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85 | (3) |
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What are some other key positive or amplifying feedbacks affecting the climate system? |
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88 | (4) |
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What will the impacts of sea-level rise be? |
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92 | (4) |
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How will climate change lead to more destructive superstorms this century? |
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96 | (2) |
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What kind of droughts can we expect this century? |
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98 | (5) |
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What are the expected health impacts of climate change? |
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103 | (4) |
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How does global warming affect human productivity? |
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107 | (5) |
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Does carbon dioxide at exposure levels expected this century have any direct impacts on human health or cognition? |
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112 | (6) |
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What is ocean acidification and why does it matter to sea life? |
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118 | (3) |
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What is biodiversity and how will climate change impact it? |
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121 | (2) |
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How will climate change affect the agricultural sector and our ability to feed the world's growing population? |
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123 | (5) |
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How is climate change a threat to national, regional, and global security? |
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128 | (3) |
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What is the plausible best-case scenario for climate change this century? |
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131 | (4) |
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What is the plausible worst-case scenario for climate change this century? |
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135 | (5) |
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What do scientists mean by "irreversible impacts" and why are they such a concern with climate change? |
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140 | (7) |
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4 Avoiding the Worst Impacts |
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147 | (24) |
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What is the biggest source of confusion about what humanity needs to do to avoid the worst climate impacts? |
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147 | (2) |
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What is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change? |
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149 | (2) |
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Why did scientists and governments decide 2°C (3.6°F) was the limit beyond which climate change becomes "dangerous" to humanity? |
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151 | (3) |
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What kind of greenhouse gas emissions reductions are needed to achieve a 2°C target? |
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154 | (1) |
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What would the economic cost of meeting the 2°C target be? |
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155 | (3) |
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What happens if we miss the 2°C target? |
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158 | (1) |
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Can we adapt to human-caused climate change? |
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159 | (4) |
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What is geoengineering and can it play a major role in reducing the impact of climate change? |
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163 | (8) |
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5 Climate Politics and Policies |
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171 | (22) |
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What climate policies are governments around the world using to fight climate change? |
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171 | (1) |
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172 | (2) |
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What are cap-and-trade and carbon trading? |
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174 | (4) |
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What is China doing to restrict carbon dioxide emissions? |
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178 | (2) |
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What is the United States doing to restrict carbon dioxide emissions? |
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180 | (2) |
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How do different political parties view climate science and policies in the United States and around the world? |
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182 | (2) |
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Is there are a large-scale effort to spread misinformation on climate science and, if so, who funds it? |
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184 | (4) |
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What are climate science deniers? |
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188 | (5) |
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6 The Role of Clean Energy |
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193 | (58) |
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What kind of changes in our energy system would a 2°C target require? |
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193 | (2) |
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What is energy efficiency and what role will it play? |
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195 | (4) |
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Will nuclear power be a major factor in the effort to minimize climate change? |
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199 | (2) |
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What role does natural gas have in the transition to a 2°C world? |
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201 | (3) |
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How much can solar power contribute to averting dangerous climate change? |
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204 | (3) |
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How big a role will wind power play in averting dangerous climate change? |
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207 | (1) |
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What is carbon capture and storage (a.k.a. carbon sequestration) and what role can it play? |
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208 | (6) |
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What is bioenergy and what is its role in cutting carbon pollution? |
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214 | (4) |
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What other carbon-free forms of energy can contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emissions? |
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218 | (3) |
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How can we reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector? |
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221 | (3) |
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What challenges have limited the marketplace success of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles to date? |
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224 | (4) |
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What role can electric vehicles play? |
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228 | (5) |
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What are hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles? |
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233 | (3) |
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What are the challenges facing hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as a climate solution? |
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236 | (7) |
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What role can energy storage play in the transition off of fossil fuels? |
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243 | (2) |
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What can the agricultural and livestock sector do to minimize climate change? |
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245 | (4) |
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What role can energy conservation play? |
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249 | (2) |
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251 | (18) |
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How will climate change impact you and your family in the coming decades? |
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251 | (1) |
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How might climate change affect the future price of coastal property? |
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252 | (3) |
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How might climate change affect decisions about where to live and retire in the coming decades? |
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255 | (1) |
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What should students study today if they want to prepare themselves for working in a globally warmed world? |
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256 | (2) |
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Should climate change affect how you invest for the future? |
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258 | (1) |
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How can you reduce your carbon footprint? |
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259 | (3) |
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What role can dietary changes play in reducing your carbon footprint? |
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262 | (1) |
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What is the best way to talk to someone who does not accept the growing body of evidence on climate science? |
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263 | (3) |
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Do we still have time to preserve a livable climate? |
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266 | (3) |
Primary Sources |
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269 | (2) |
Notes |
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271 | (16) |
Index |
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287 | |