| Preface: Why You Need To Know About Climate Change |
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xiii | |
| Acknowledgments |
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xxiii | |
| 1 Climate Science Basics |
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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 | (3) |
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Where does most of human-caused warming go? |
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7 | (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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10 | (2) |
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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 | (2) |
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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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14 | (1) |
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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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24 | (4) |
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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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29 | (2) |
| 2 Extreme Weather and Climate Change |
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31 | (46) |
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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 Hurricanes Sandy and Harvey (and why is that the wrong question to ask)? |
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37 | (4) |
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How does climate change affect heat waves? |
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41 | (3) |
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How does climate change affect droughts? |
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44 | (3) |
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How does climate change affect wildfires? |
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47 | (3) |
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How does climate change affect the chances of deluges or severe precipitation? |
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50 | (3) |
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Does climate change mean more snow or less, worse snowstorms or weaker ones? |
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53 | (4) |
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How does climate change affect storm surge? |
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57 | (1) |
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Is climate change making hurricanes more destructive? |
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58 | (3) |
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What is Arctic amplification and how does it affect extreme weather? |
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61 | (3) |
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Is climate change and/or Arctic amplification affecting extreme weather in the Northern Hemisphere? |
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64 | (6) |
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Is climate change affecting tornado formation? |
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70 | (3) |
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In a warming world, why do some winters still seem unusually severe? |
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73 | (4) |
| 3 Projected Climate Impacts |
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77 | (74) |
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What kind of impacts can we expect this century from business-as-usual climate change? |
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77 | (2) |
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What are the biggest sources of uncertainty in projecting future global warming? |
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79 | (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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82 | (2) |
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How could the thawing permafrost speed up global warming beyond what climate models have projected? |
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84 | (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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89 | (3) |
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What are some other key positive or amplifying feedbacks affecting the climate system? |
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92 | (4) |
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What will the impacts of sea-level rise be? |
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96 | (5) |
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How will climate change lead to more destructive superstorms this century? |
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101 | (2) |
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What kind of droughts can we expect this century? |
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103 | (6) |
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What are the expected health impacts of climate change? |
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109 | (4) |
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How does global warming affect human productivity? |
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113 | (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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118 | (5) |
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What is ocean acidification and why does it matter to sea life? |
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123 | (3) |
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What is biodiversity and how will climate change impact it? |
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126 | (3) |
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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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129 | (4) |
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How is climate change a threat to national, regional, and global security? |
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133 | (4) |
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What is the plausible best-case scenario for climate change this century? |
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137 | (3) |
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What is the plausible worst-case scenario for climate change this century? |
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140 | (6) |
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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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146 | (5) |
| 4 Avoiding the Worst Impacts |
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151 | (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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151 | (2) |
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What is the December 2015 Paris climate accord and why is it so important? |
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153 | (3) |
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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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156 | (3) |
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What kind of greenhouse gas emissions reductions are needed to keep warming well below 2°C? |
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159 | (1) |
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What would the economic cost of meeting the 2°C target be? |
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160 | (4) |
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What happens if we miss the 2°C target? |
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164 | (1) |
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Can we adapt to human-caused climate change? |
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165 | (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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169 | (6) |
| 5 Climate Politics and Policies |
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175 | (24) |
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What climate policies are governments around the world using to fight climate change? |
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175 | (1) |
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176 | (2) |
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What are cap-and-trade and carbon trading? |
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178 | (4) |
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What are China and India doing to restrict carbon dioxide emissions? |
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182 | (3) |
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What is the United States doing to restrict carbon dioxide emissions? |
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185 | (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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187 | (3) |
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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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190 | (5) |
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What are climate science deniers? |
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195 | (4) |
| 6 The Role of Clean Energy |
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199 | (64) |
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What kind of changes in our energy system would a 2°C target require? |
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199 | (2) |
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What is energy efficiency and what role will it play? |
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201 | (5) |
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Will nuclear power be a major factor in the effort to minimize climate change? |
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206 | (3) |
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What role does natural gas have in the transition to a 2°C world? |
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209 | (3) |
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How much can solar power contribute to averting dangerous climate change? |
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212 | (4) |
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How big a role will wind power play in averting dangerous climate change? |
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216 | (2) |
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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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218 | (6) |
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What is bioenergy and what is its role in cutting carbon pollution? |
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224 | (4) |
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What other carbon-free forms of energy can contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emissions? |
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228 | (3) |
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How can we reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector? |
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231 | (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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234 | (5) |
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What role can electric vehicles play? |
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239 | (5) |
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What are hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles? |
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244 | (3) |
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What are the challenges facing hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as a climate solution? |
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247 | (7) |
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What role can energy storage play in the transition off of fossil fuels? |
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254 | (3) |
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What can the agricultural and livestock sector do to minimize climate change? |
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257 | (4) |
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What role can energy conservation play? |
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261 | (2) |
| 7 Climate Change and You |
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263 | (20) |
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How will climate change impact you and your family in the coming decades? |
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263 | (1) |
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How might climate change affect the future price of coastal property? |
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264 | (4) |
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How might climate change affect decisions about where to live and retire in the coming decades? |
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268 | (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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269 | (2) |
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Should climate change affect how you invest for the future? |
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271 | (1) |
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How can you reduce your carbon footprint? |
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272 | (3) |
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What role can dietary changes play in reducing your carbon footprint? |
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275 | (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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276 | (4) |
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Do we still have time to preserve a livable climate with a U.S. President who rejects climate science? |
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280 | (3) |
| Primary Sources |
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283 | (2) |
| Notes |
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285 | (14) |
| Index |
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299 | |
Biežāk uzdotie jautājumi par e-grāmatām