Discussion Group 2 - South Hills - Climate Change

How can we keep the Earth habitable for life as we know it? According to recent scientific reports, global warming is occurring faster than anyone expected five or ten years ago. Al Gore was a cockeyed optimist! Greenland is losing ice at a record pace, which we witnessed and I photographed in a recent flight over the North Atlantic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK1Hs_MMIQI

In addition to climate disruptions and droughts caused by atmospheric warming, we have problems with plastic pollution, ocean acidification, disease outbreaks, environmental refugees, polluting methods of energy production, petrochemical production that causes increased cancer rates in nearby communities, plant and animal extinctions, agricultural runoff, factory farm pollution, etc. These issues are all related.

What should be done to slow down warming, both individually and collectively? Should we rely on economic markets and individual actions such as recycling to address climate change and pollution, or should the government take stronger action? How quickly should we (and can we) transition to 100% renewable energy?

References:

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/DecadalTemp

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/global-maps

https://theconversation.com/plastic-in-drinking-water-what-are-the-risks-to-human-health-83844

https://www.ecowatch.com/first-of-its-kind-map-details-extent-of-plastic-in-five-ocean-gyres-1881935191.html

https://www.bing.com/search?q=should+fracking+be+banned&qs=HS&pq=should+fracking&sc=8-15&cvid=BF99B082B3794A1B93152FE4CAB11598&FORM=QBLH&sp=1

https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/methane-cow.htm