KEEP EXPLORING
OK, this is the part where we "nerd out." Knowing what to do, and how, is important.
Understanding the "why" is important, too. Here are a few places to explore, to learn more, and stay on top of some of the latest news about climate science and solutions.
But first, what does "DRAWDOWN" mean?
“Drawdown” refers to a future point in time when the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. This is when we begin the process of reversing the impacts of global warming. It is a critical turning point for all life on Earth.
The Science Behind the Solutions
Earth is heating up.
It's been a gradual process that is now speeding up.
In fact, it's happening faster than scientists predicted even a few years ago.
We have data to help us see what that looks like:
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This graphic from NASA tells a story of natural fluctuations in global temperatures. But things have shifted over the last century.
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We're seeing the impacts right here: longer, hotter summers, increased fire danger, rising sea and bay levels, worsening air quality, prolonged droughts, challenges to our farm communities, and the Bay Area's infrastructure.
Climate Solutions 101:
six short videos from Project Drawdown
These videos from Project Drawdown average 15 minutes each, and tell the story of how the solutions that already exist can be implemented right where we live, from "Setting the Stage" to "Making It Happen".
Interactives
Here are two games and two interactive tools that show how different strategies effect global temperatures. We're on a timeline with real-world consequences. See how the numbers change when we implement different solutions. What are the combinations that make the most difference? What solutions surprise you?
Think you know what it's going to take to save the planet from the worst effects of climate change?
Can you can reach "net zero" by 2050?
Play The Climate Game, and find out what it takes.
developed by The Financial Times and Infosys
The Solutions Game is a great launching point for meaningful climate discussions and brainstorming climate actions. It's a creative, inspiring, team-building approach to leverage tools and connections for meaningful local change.
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Whether at work, in a classroom, in a community group or with friends, The Solutions Game helps players explore a wide variety of actionable climate solutions, and help prioritize which to focus on.
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You can play online or sign up to order the boxed game to play in person (available in February 2022).
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My Climate Action Plan (MyCAP) is a personal tool for anyone who wants to take action to protect our planet, both at work and at home. Big change starts with small actions. MyCAP will help you understand your carbon footprint and set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound) goals to reduce your footprint and stay accountable for a year of powerful impact. We encourage you to focus on four key impact areas of Food, Transportation, Energy and Waste and how your goals in each area fit in within your community - be it a company, household, city, state, or country.
Click on this link
MyCAP, a user-friendly Climate Action Plan tool that anyone and any business can use. Try it out!
* The Business Council on Climate Change (BC3) is a membership-driven nonprofit organization of corporate sustainability leaders implementing and championing tangible climate action. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and working closely with the city of San Francisco, the organization serves as a platform to share climate change programs and incubate collaborative multi-sector engagement, while providing a model to replicate its innovative work.
We talk a lot about the need for better public transportation here in the Bay Area - it's a challenge to use it consistently, instead of our cars. What does your dream of fast and efficient rail transportation look like? This game from the SF Chronicle lets you build your dream BART map, one stop at a time. In this game, you control the fate of BART’s future expansion. Will you focus on building where people live or where they work?
BART has been shuttling people around the Bay Area for 50 years, expanding to 50 stations and 131 miles of tracks over that time. But it has also suffered from a constant complaint that it could be so much more. With “Build-a-BART,” you can craft the BART map of your dreams.
from MIT and Climate Interactive:
Click on this link
En-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator
and discover this fast, powerful climate solutions simulation tool from Climate Interactive and MIT. It's a great to explore and understand the real impact of various strategies to keep global temperature rise below 1.5* centigrade. 1.5 doesn't sound like a lot, but that's the temperature measured in Celsius, which equals 2.7* Fahrenheit. All of a sudden, things start feeling a "bit warmer".
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Using the simulator, move the toggle bars and explore how emphasizing different solutions make a difference - or don't change much at all. If nothing is done, and we continue "Business As Usual", we're on track to raise global temperatures 6.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
And that's a lot, more than can be expected to sustain life as we know it.
This is what the dashboard looks like:
As you move the toggles, you'll see the affect your strategies are predicted to have over time:
News You Can Use
Here are just a few websites that curate climate news. Visit these websites for an idea of what climate actions are happening around the Bay Area, California, the nation, and the world. You can sign up for regular posts right to your email inbox.
Inside Climate News is non-partisan, Pulitzer Prize winning non-profit news organization, focusing on environmental journalism. The publication writes that it "covers clean energy, carbon energy, nuclear energy and environmental science—plus the territory in between where law, policy and public opinion are shaped."
KneeDeep Times is a digital magazine featuring stories from the frontlines of climate resilience. Resilience is defined as the ability to recover quickly from or adjust easily to change. With a geographic focus on the San Francisco Bay Area, the magazine will also explore West Coast, national and global topics relevant to local action.
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How we respond to climate change varies with every individual. The good news is, it’s never too late to start. This series is for those who want to respond to climate change, but don’t know where to begin.
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GreenBiz provides intelligent, focused content on business, technology, and sustainability for people from every industry and discipline. Since 1991, GreenBiz has chronicled and been a catalyst for thought leadership in aligning environmental responsibility and profitable business practices.
Climate Nexus is dedicated to changing the conversation on climate change and clean energy, improve public understanding of the clean energy transition, and its economic, health, and environmental benefits. Check these links: Food, Business, Health, Energy, and Science.
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization focused on climate justice solutions, and dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future using the power of storytelling to illuminate the way toward a better world.
Environmental Health Sciences publishes The Daily Climate and Above the Fold newsletters, and Environmental Health News, and is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing the amount of science and journalism in public discussion on health, equity, and the environment.
If ever time was of the essence, it is now.
If ever a region could meet the challenge, it is the Bay Area.
Together, the Bay Area can make a world of difference.