This is an informal working where I post interesting climate change teaching resources.
Philosophy
Hardin, Garrett. “The tragedy of the commons.” science 162.3859 (1968): 1243-1248.
Geoengineering
Geoengineering Earth’s Atmosphere: How It Could Affect Astronomy
Geoengineering Policy Resources
Climate Change Teaching Cases
Columbia Riverkeeper v. Pruitt – Complaint 2017-02-23
Solar Energy
China builds world’s biggest solar farm
Are the Syrians the first official climate change refugees?
The Economics of Climate Change Mitigation
Where Electric Vehicles Actually Cause More Pollution Than Gas Cars
State of the Climate 2014 – NOAA
When the End of Human Civilization Is Your Day Job
Stranded Assets
Online courses and teaching materials
Making Sense of Climate Science Denial
This is a MOOK on climate science communication. I have not reviewed the lessons, but their video on Antarctic ice and the myth that it is increasing is great:
I suspect there are many parts of this that would be useful in climate change classes.
Teaching Climate/Energy Law & Policy
A great collection of climate change and energy teaching resources.
Watch 25 Years of Arctic Sea Ice Disappear in 1 Minute
Climate Change Teaching Cases
US Cases
Columbia Riverkeeper v. Pruitt – Complaint 2017-02-23
Sinnok v. Alaska – state children’s case dismissed by trial court.
Foreign Law Cases
Dutch Climate Case
Urgenda WWW Site – URGENTA Wins The Case For Better Dutch Climate Policies
Dutch government ordered to cut carbon emissions in landmark ruling (Guardian)
Indian Drought Case
Abhiyan v. Union of India, Writ Petition (Civil) No. 857 of 2015 (2016) __ S.C.C. __ (India)
Conventional wisdom suggests that energy efficiency (EE) policies are beneficial because they induce investments that pay for themselves and lead to emissions reductions. However, this belief is primarily based on projections from engineering models. This paper reports on the results of an experimental evaluation of the nation’s largest residential EE program conducted on a sample of more than 30,000 households. The findings suggest that the upfront investment costs are about twice the actual energy savings. Further, the model-projected savings are roughly 2.5 times the actual savings. While this might be attributed to the “rebound” effect – when demand for energy end uses increases as a result of greater efficiency – the paper fails to find evidence of significantly higher indoor temperatures at weatherized homes. Even when accounting for the broader societal benefits of energy efficiency investments, the costs still substantially outweigh the benefits; the average rate of return is approximately -9.5% annually.
Climate Science Materials
Climate Change and Existing Law: A Survey of Legal Issues Past, Present, and Future
Atmospheric chemistry teaching materials
General materials on atmospheric chemistry
Ocean current teaching materials
NOAA site explaining the physics of ocean currents
Climate Denial Crock of the Week
Climate Change Communication and Denial
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States – 2009
The National Global Change Research Plan 2012-2021, NRC 2012
A Darker View of the Age of Us – the Anthropocene
Energy Law
Annual Energy Outlook 2014 (AEO2014)
The Annual Energy Outlook 2014 (AEO2014), prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), presents longterm annual projections of energy supply, demand, and prices focused on the U.S. through 2040, based on results from EIA’s National Energy Modeling System (NEMS). NEMS enables EIA to make projections under alternative, internally-consistent sets of assumptions, the results of which are presented as cases. The analysis in AEO2014 focuses on five primary cases: a Reference case, Low and High Economic Growth cases, and Low and High Oil Price cases. Results from a number of other alternative cases also are presented, illustrating uncertainties associated with the Reference case projections. EIA published an Early Release version of the AEO2014 Reference case in December 2013.
NAS Climate Change Project – original link
Advancing the Science of Climate Change
Limiting the Magnitude of Future Climate Change
Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change
Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change
Climate and Social Stress: Implications for Security Analysis (2012)
Attacks on Renewable Energy Policy by Fossil Fuel Interests 2013-2014
EPA
Burger M, Carlson AE, Gerrard M, Hein JF, Schwartz JA, Benes KJ. Legal Pathways to Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under Section 115 of the Clean Air Act. Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School. 2016. (International air pollution provision)
Climate Change in the United States: Benefits of Global Action
ShareA new EPA report, Climate Change in the United States: Benefits of Global Action, estimates the physical and monetary benefits to the U.S. of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. This report summarizes results from the Climate Change Impacts and Risks Analysis (CIRA) project, a peer-reviewed study comparing impacts in a future with significant global action on climate change to a future in which current greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.
The report shows that global action on climate change will significantly benefit Americans by saving lives and avoiding costly damages across the U.S. economy.
Clean Power Plan
Clean Power Plan Final Rule – August 2015
Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Clean Power Plan Final Rule
Legal Memorandum Accompanying Clean Power Plan for Certain Issues
Fact Sheets
- EPA Fact Sheet: Overview of the Clean Power Plan Final Rule – structure of the grid and building blocks of the plan
- Clean Power Plan: Key Changes and Improvements
- EPA Fact Sheet: Clean Power Plan By The Numbers – CBA analysis
- Benefits of a Cleaner, More Efficient Power Sector
- Components of the Clean Power Plan: Setting State Goals to Cut Carbon Pollution
- The Role of States: States Decide How to Meet Their Goal
- Built on a Solid Legal and Scientific Foundation
- Clean Energy Now and in the Future
- Clean Energy Incentive Program
- Energy Efficiency in the Clean Power Plan
- Keeping Energy Affordable and Reliable
- Opportunities for Nuclear Power
- Renewable Energy in the Clean Power Plan
AEP v. Connecticut’s Implications for the Future of Climate Change Litigation
Carbon Tax/Cap and Trade
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/07/australia-scrap-carbon-tax-emissions-trading
EPA Power Plant Rule
Clean Power Plan Final Rule – August 2015
Clean Power Plan Blog Post: Power Plant Compliance and State Goals
EPA Fact Sheet: Clean Power Plan – Built on a Solid Legal & Scientific Foundation
EPA Fact Sheet: Clean Power Plan By The Numbers
EPA Fact Sheet: Overview of the Clean Power Plan Final Rule
EPA Fact Sheet: Clean Power Plan By The Numbers
EPA Fact Sheet: Clean Power Plan and the Role of States
EPA Fact Sheet: Energy Efficiency in the Clean Power Plan
Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Clean Power Plan Final Rule
David Hawkins on the NRDC Blog discussing how the state goals were set.
The EPA’s Clean Power Plan: Understanding and Evaluating the Proposed Federal Plan and Model Rules – Duke
CBA for social cost of carbon, also good adlaw case on CBA
State of the Climate – NOAA
State Climate Change Programs
California
California Climate Change Planning Law – 2016
California’s Proposed Compliance Plan For The Federal Clean Power Plan – August 2016
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union v. Corey, 730 F.3d 1070, 1077 (9th Cir. 2013), cert. denied, 30 June 2014. The USSC let’s stand the opinion upholding California’s plan to regulate transportation source emissions. This was attached for allocating too much carbon to the life-cycle analysis of ethanol.
Los Angeles Water Department incentives to reduce water use, including xeriscaping.
Books on climate science and politics
http://www.merchantsofdoubt.org/
http://www.meteo.psu.edu/holocene/public_html/Mann/books/hockeystick/
http://www.amazon.com/Science-Contact-Sport-Inside-Climate/dp/1426205406
Articles on climate science and politics
The Economist Special Report on Climate Change – 2015
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/climate-action/whos-polluting-the-climate-conversation
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/28/opinion/mann-climate-change-email-attacks
The consensus on climate change
http://theconsensusproject.com/
http://www.skepticalscience.com/tcp.php
http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus
Sea Level Rise
Ocean warming may well turn out to be the greatest hidden challenge of our generation. This report represents the most comprehensive review to date on ocean warming. To build up the report, leading scientists from around the world were invited to join with colleagues to contribute individual chapters. It contains many recommendations from the scientists on capability gaps and research issues that need to be resolved if we are to tackle the impacts of ocean warming with greater confidence in the future. The focus of the report is on gathering facts and knowledge and communicating this to show what is now happening in and to the ocean. There is purposefully much less focus on political ramifications. We hope that this report will help stimulate further debate and action on such issues.
Our Rising Oceans (Antarctica) VICE, Season 3, Episode 1
Resources on the impact of coastal sea level rise
California Coastal Commission – Sea level rise
Includes draft plan on coast
Good Ted talk on sea level rise
Storm Surge Inundation (SLOSH Maximum of Maximums)
Great teaching tool for extreme weather and sea level rise, along with the maps from Climate Central:
Surging Seas – Climate Central
http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/
The NOAA maps pick up where Climate Central leaves off because Climate Central only goes to +10 and that is not even a big storm for those of us on the Gulf Coast.:-)
Glacial cycles
Earth in 1000 Years – what drives ice melting in climate cycles?
International Water Issues
National Security Issues
Forest Fires
Dry Days Bring Ferocious Start to Fire Season
Transportation