Science and Society – Climate Change Vulnerability
Animportantlearninggoalforourcourseistothinkcriticallyandethicallyabouthowandbywhomscienceisconducted,andtothinkaboutthesocietalimpactsofbiologicalresearch.Tothatend,pleasereadthefollowingexcerptsandre Thereadingswillcoversensitivesubjectsandthequestionsmaypushyououtsideyourcomfortzone.Thatisok.Researchshowsthatwithalittlediscomfortcomesthegreatestgains. Feelfreetopostaboutthisassignment(asanyother)onPiazza,keepinginmindthatforeveryonetoexpresstheiropinionsandparticipateindiscussionsaboutsensitivesubjects,theyneedtofeelsafe,theirexperiencesneedtofeelhonored,andtheyneednotfearretaliation.Thus,itisbesttoestablishgroundrulesfordiscussions.TheUniversityofMichiganCenterforResearchonLearningandTeachingofferstheserulestoestablishtofosteramoreproductivediscussion: • Respectoneanother’sviews. • Criticizeideas,notindividuals. • Committolearning,notdebating. • Avoidblameandspeculation. • Avoidin • Acknowledgethatone’sopinionsareformedbytheiruniqueexperiences. • Nohatespeechorbullying. (Weaddedthelasttwo.) Assigment 3 Inthelastweeksofthequarter,wewilldivedeeplyintoclimatechange.InLecture26wewillexploremanyexamplesofthebiologicalimpactsofclimatechange.Asasupplementtothoseactivities,wewouldlikeyoutothinkaboutclimatechangeandtheimpactitishavingonhumans,andspeci
Pleasereadtheabstractofthepaperandthe Usethe Thismapshowseachcountry’scontributiontoclimatechange(carbondioxideemissions)andvulnerabilitytoclimatechange(severityofimpacts)in2010(top)andtheprojectedvaluesin2030(bottom).Countriesincyan(thecoloronthediagonal)achieve“equity”whereintheeconomicgaintheyachievefromemittingCO2isapproximatelythesamevalueasthecosttosocietyenduredbecauseofclimatechange.Economicgainsspeci 1. Considertherangeofcolorsamongthecountriesonthemap. a. Whatdoesitmeanforacountrytobecoloredthedarkestblue(labeled“FreeRider”intheupperleftofthelegend)?
b. Whatdoesitmeanforacountrytobecoloredthedarkestgreen(labeled“ForcedRider”inthelowerrightofthelegend)?
2. Thetoptenemittingcountriesgenerate>60%oftotalemissions:China(21.1%),theUSA(14.1%),andIndia(5.2%)arethelargestemitters(%oftotalglobalemissionsshowninparentheses).Indiaisprojectedtoachieve“equity”by2030:movingfromfreeridingin2010(mediumblue)toequityin2030(cyan).Inprincipletherearetwowaysforacountrytomoveinthisway:reduceemissionsorendurelargercostsofclimatechange.TheprimaryreasonIndiaisgoingtochangeisbecausethecostsofclimatechangewill“catchup”tothegainsfromeconomicgrowthcontributingtoclimatechange.Inotherwords,Indiawillgetricherbutenvironmentaldisastersandhealtharelikelytogetworse.Commentontheethicsofachieving“equity”inthiswayasopposedtobeingachievedbyreducingemissions.
3. Countriesvaryinbothwealth—measuredinGrossDomesticProduct(GDP)—andvulnerabilitytoclimatechange:
Describethe“unevenimpactofclimatechange”showninthisgraph.
4. Convertingknowledgetoaction:EffortssuchastheParisClimateAgreementaimtomitigateclimatechangethroughcollectiveinternationalaction.Ifyouwerenegotiatinganagreementforcollectiveaction,howwouldyoudecidehowmuchandinwhatwayseachcountryshouldcontributeandwhy?
