Climate Science

How would you clearly explain the difference between 'weather' and 'climate' to someone who confuses the two? Why can individual cold days or storms be misleading when people talk about climate change? What kinds of long-term data do scientists use to define a region’s climate? How does thinking in terms of climate instead of daily weather change the kinds of questions we ask about the future? Can you think of examples where media or politicians have mixed up weather and climate, and what effects that had?

What is the basic greenhouse effect, and why is it essential for life rather than automatically a bad thing? How do human activities enhance the natural greenhouse effect and shift Earth’s energy balance? Which greenhouse gases matter most, and how do their lifetimes and strengths differ? How would you respond to someone who says that climate change must be natural because climate has always changed? What aspects of the physics behind global warming do you find most convincing or easy to grasp?

What are some of the most visible ways climate change is already affecting the place where you live, if at all? How do rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns affect agriculture, water supply and food security? Which communities around the world are most vulnerable to climate impacts, and why? How do climate impacts interact with existing social inequalities, such as poverty or discrimination? What kinds of stories or images have most shaped your understanding of climate change’s real-world consequences?

What is a climate model, and how is it similar to or different from a weather forecast model? Why is uncertainty an unavoidable part of climate projections, and how should it be communicated honestly? How can multiple models and scenarios still point toward very similar overall conclusions about warming? What are some common misunderstandings people have about uncertainty in climate science? How do your own decisions change, if at all, when you think in terms of ranges and probabilities rather than certainties?

What is the difference between mitigating climate change and adapting to its impacts, and why are both needed? What kinds of actions can individuals, cities and nations take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? How should responsibility for climate action be shared between wealthy nations and poorer countries still developing? What does climate justice mean, and how does it relate to race, class, and colonial history? If you could prioritize three climate policies at a national or global level, what would they be and why?