Climate change issues have become far more complex and better studied over the last few years. Making sense of how the causes and effects of climate change create a coherent framework can empower learners to engage in productive discourse and to ask deeper questions. Historical contexts, current approaches to mitigate climate change, and future demands are all a part of the ongoing research and efforts. This global, social justice issue will only become more pressing, and we need to support students in making informed decisions about their actions going forward. It is for this reason that we (a physics instructor and an energy consultant) have joined together to create a list of topics that all students should consider as they move through our educational programs.

1.
Earth Science Communications Team
, see <https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide> for “
‘Vital Signs’ NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
.”
2.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
, see <https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/carbon-dioxide-now-more-than-50-higher-than-pre-industrial-levels> for “
Carbon Dioxide Now More Than 50% Higher Than Pre-Industrial Levels
(
2022
).”
3.
S.
McCartney
,
A.
Mehta
,
A.
Ruane
, and
D.
Bader
, “
Introduction to NASA Resources for Climate Change Applications
(
NASA Applied Remote Sensing Training Program
, Washington, D.C.,
2021
).
4.
Mark
Lynas
,
Benjamin Z.
Houlton
, and
Simon
Perry
, “
Greater than 99% consensus on human caused climate change
,”
Environ. Res. Lett.
16
(
11
),
114005
(
2021
).
5.
Zeke
Hausfather
,
Henri F.
Drake
,
Tristan
Abbott
, and
Gavin A.
Schmidt
, “
Evaluating the performance of past climate model projections
,”
Geophys. Res. Lett.
47
(
1
),
e2019GL085378
, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085378 (
2020
).
6.
Barry S.
Levy
and
Jonathan A.
Patz
, “
Climate change, human rights, and social justice
,”
Ann. Glob. Health
81
(
3
),
310
322
(
2015
).
7.
Marshall
Burke
,
Solomon M.
Hsiang
, and
Edward
Miguel
, “
Climate and conflict
,”
Annu. Rev. Econ.
7
(
1
),
577
617
(
2015
).
8.
Daniel J.
Vecellio
,
S. Tony
Wolf
,
Rachel M.
Cottle
, and
W. Larry
Kenney
, “
Evaluating the 35 °C wet-bulb temperature adaptability threshold for young, healthy subjects
,”
J. Appl. Physiol.
132
(
2
),
340
345
(
2022
).
9.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
, see <https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/> for “
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
” (
2022
).
10.
Climate targets generally refer to a plan to reduce annual additional emissions rates versus a pre-defined baseline. In many cases, climate targets are set at the country level; however, many states, jurisdictions, and even companies have set their own climate targets, while the European countries in the EU-27 have put forward climate targets and policies collectively.
11.
United Nations Framework: Convention on Climate Change
, see <https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement> for “
The Paris Agreement.
12.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
, see <https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGIII_FullReport.pdf> “
Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change
” (
2022
).
13.
As of 2021, the average atmospheric concentration of CO2 was 415 parts per million (ppm), which is ∼50% higher than the value of 280 ppm, which has been measured from the late 1700s pre-industrial levels. Retrieved from: Carbon Brief, “Met Office: Atmospheric CO2 now hitting 50% higher than pre-industrial levels” from <https://www.carbonbrief.org/met-office-atmospheric-co2-now-hitting-50-higher-than-pre-industrial-levels/> (Retrieved March 6, 2023).
14.
EPA
, see <https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/understanding-global-warming-potentials> for “
Understanding Global Warming Potentials
” (Retrieved November 29, 2022).
15.
Here, we are showing the 100 year equivalency values, which are commonly used in the United States, as reported by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The 20 year equivalency values, GWP20, are higher for shorter-lived gases such as methane at 81–83 vs the GWP100 value of 27–30.
16.
Alfredo
Rivera
,
Kate
Larsen
,
Hannah
Pitt
, and
Shweta
Movalia
, see <https://rhg.com/research/preliminary-us-emissions-2021/> for “
Preliminary US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Estimates for 2021, Rhodium Group
” (
2022
).
17.
IEA
, see <https://www.iea.org/news/defying-expectations-co2-emissions-from-global-fossil-fuel-combustion-are-set-to-grow-in-2022-by-only-a-fraction-of-last-year-s-big-increase> for “
Defying Expectations, CO2 Emissions From Global Fossil Fuel Combustion Are Set to Grow in 2022 by Only a Fraction of Last Year's Big Increase
” (
2022
).
18.
World Resources Institute
, see <https://www.wri.org/data/world-greenhouse-gas-emissions-2018> for “
World Greenhouse Gas Emissions: 2018
” (Retrieved March 6, 2023).
19.
Elissa
Levy
,
Abigail
Daane
, and
Leslie
Chamberlain
, “
An energy unit fueled by climate change
,” in this Special issue on teaching about the environment, sustainability, and climate change in The Phys. Teach. (
2023
).
20.
Hannah
Ritchie
,
Max
Roser
, and
Pablo
Rosado
, see <https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-other-greenhouse-gas-emissions> for “
CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
” (
2020
).
21.
Zhiyuan
Fan
and
S.
Julio Friedmann
, “
Low-carbon production of iron and steel: Technology options, economic assessment, and policy
,”
Joule
5
(
4
),
829
862
(
2021
).
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