6 hours of Professional Development (In application process)
2 hours Reading Prior to Workshop, 2 hours After workshop
Facilitated by Colleen Ahern-Hettich
and Dr. Jack Parker
Climate Change is referred to by many as the single most important
challenge facing civilization today. A brief history of climate
research, human impacts on climate, and current international agreements
on safe temperature increases as well as opportunities and solutions to
this challenge will be reviewed. Prior to the workshop, participants
will: 1) read an article detailing facts and figures related to fossil
fuel consumption and impact on global warming resulting in climate
change; 2) read an essay exploring the moral and ethical issues of
choosing to continue warming the atmosphere; 3) read an overview of why
climate change poses significant challenges to our perceptual, cognitive
and affective information-processing systems, making it and its threats
difficult to engage with and appreciate. During the workshop,
participants will view and discuss top climate scientist James Hansen’s
TED Talk titled Why I must speak out about climate change (20 minutes).
Finally, a short review of climate impacts facing South Florida will be
given and renewable energy sources as alternatives to fossil fuel use
will be discussed.
Objectives:
-Describe how humans are impacting climate
-Explain how global warming relates to current extreme weather events
-Describe expected impacts of climate change on South Florida
-Explain the importance of 2 degrees centigrade in relation to climate
change
-List six psychological challenges posed by climate change to the human
moral judgment system
-List six strategies that can be used to bolster the recognition of
climate change as a moral imperative
-Identify opportunities to address human caused climate change
-List renewable energy sources that are available as alternatives to
fossil fuels
Resources :
Reading--- Prior to workshop:
David Orr – Long Tails and Ethics: Thinking about the Unthinkable
Bill McKibben - A Matter of Degrees, 2 page article from
Orion Magazine, or Global Warming’s Terrible New Math, 9
page article from Rolling Stone
David Roberts - Why Climate Change Doesn’t Spark Moral Outrage,
and How it Could
Other articles/resources
of Interest:
John Dorschner -
Rising Sea Levels, Falling Real Estate Values, Miami
Herald
Lisa Bennett -10
things you want to know about human nature if you’re fighting climate
change Grist.org
Energy Conservation -
Take
Personal Action
Miami-Dade County Resources on Climate Resilience
Climate Central
- An independent
organization of leading scientists and journalists researching and
reporting the facts about our changing climate and its impact on the
American public
Climate Central Maps -
Sea Surge
Video
Jim Hansen –
Why I must speak out
about climate change (TED Talk, February 2012)
PowerPoint -
Climate Change and
Sustainable Energy for a Warming Planet by Jack Parker
Top
climate scientist James Hansen tells the story of his involvement in the
science of and debate over global climate change. In doing so he
outlines the overwhelming evidence that change is happening and why that
makes him deeply worried about the future.
Since the late 1970s, Hansen has focused his research on Earth's
climate, especially human-made climate change. Hansen is known for his
testimony on climate change to congressional committees in the 1980s
that helped raise broad awareness of the global warming issue. Hansen is
recognized for speaking truth to power, for identifying ineffectual
policies as greenwash, and for outlining the actions that the public
must take to protect the future of young people and the other species on
the planet.
Evaluation:
Evaluation will include completion of readings, workshop, and
participant must develop a discipline specific lesson plan that
incorporates exploration of an understanding of human contributions to
climate change and opportunities for solutions. Lesson plan is due to
the director of Earth Ethics Institute within three weeks of the
workshop, and will be posted on the Earth Ethics webpage.
Hosted by EEI and CTD. To register and for more
information:
http://www.mdc.edu/ctd/catalog/workshops/ctd0488g.htm |