Apple users running MacOSX 10.4 or later must install Microsoft's Silverlight software in order to view the streaming videos. Once installed, restart your browser before viewing. Silverlight 4.0 intel (14MB) | Silverlight 1.0 ppc (5MB) WATCH AND LISTEN shorter Taking the Temperature, BBC This series "focuses on the battle against climate change and the people and ideas making a difference." Videos and text, wide-ranging topics. The Measure of a Fog Ian Cheney, undark.org This set of short videos offers a condensed and accessible survey of some of the complexities for humans seeking to understand and solve climate change. Segments address "Distance," "Carbon," "Energy," "Geoengineering," "Politics," and "Ethics," and a "Finale" offers a condensed version of the whole. (4-13 minutes, 2016-2017) The Secrets of the "Climate Paradox" Planet Advocates A short animated summary of key ideas about the difficulty of thinking about and acting on climate change. These broadly accepted ideas are, in this case, drawn from Per Espen Stoknes' book "What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming: Toward a New Psychology of Climate Action." (8 minutes, July 2015) Climate Change Stories Sometimes it is best to hear directly from people who are experiencing climate change in their own lives and thinking about what to do about it. Several groups have begun collecting such stories: "Climate Matters Documoments" for Hawaii; Climate Minnesota, Climate Wisconsin, and Climate Stories NC (North Carolina) for those states; and (for people living around the U.S., including numerous Native communities, and some from other countries), the Climate Listening Project, Americans on the Front Lines of Climate Change, the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, and the Climate Stories Project. (varied) EveryDayClimateChange Housed on Instagram and with a good presence on Facebook, this collection of donated professional photos documents the actual effects of climate change on people, wildlife, and landscapes around the world. You can read a story by Katherine Bagley of InsideClimate News about this initiative here. (photos) CO2 and Climate Calculator with Emission Controls Model by Scott Denning; video produced by the Fort Collins Sustainability Group This is an excellent site for anyone who wants to see (in a simple model) how various dates and rates of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions will affect the atmospheric concentration of these gases and the ensuing planetary temperature changes. Easy to use and understand, with help from the embedded video, good explanations, some real data for those who want to see it, and clear graphics. The model allows you to set different dates and rates for richer and poorer countries, as defined by the UN. (5 minutes) longer Climate Change: Simple, Serious, Solvable Scott Denning, Colorado State University This three-part talk by (Changing Climates @ Colorado State) climate scientist Scott Denning is an excellent, super-accessible, and energizing introduction to the subject. Videotaped by the University of Wisconsin Whitewater in November 2017, it is divided here into three sections. First, in "Simple," Denning lays out the very basic, long-understood reasons the planet is warming from our use of carbon-based fuels. Second, in "Serious," he talks about some of the ways this warming presents serious problems that demand to be addressed. And finally, in "Solvable," he offers good reasons to think we can indeed address them in ways that will improve our future prospects. (14-21 minutes, 2017) Decoding the Weather Machine Nova, PBS An excellent overview of climate change, tethered to the changing perceptions of a weather forecaster, but quite wide-ranging and watchable, with lots of good scientists interviewed along with compelling real-world visuals. (1hr 53min, 2018) Our Year of Extremes: Did Climate Change Just Hit Home? Ann Curry, NBC News An excellent feature story about recent extremes (cold in the East, drought in the Southwest, wildfires, flash floods, Arctic ice melt, Superstorm Sandy) and their connections with climate change‒considered on the ground, through interviews with climate scientists and with people who have experienced these events first-hand. (42 minutes; also divided into shorter sections, 2014) READ books The Thinking Person's Guide to Climate Change Robert Henson. American Meteorological Society (distributed by the University of Chicago Press), 2014, 416pp. Formerly The Rough Guide to Climate Change, of which this is essentially the 4th edition, this book is an excellent, highly readable overview, with major sections on the basics, the symptoms, the science, debates and solutions, "what you can do," and resources. A staff writer at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, NCAR, Henson is a gifted explainer of complicated subjects. He addresses common questions and confusions, offers vivid examples relevant to everyday life, includes many photographs, graphs, and other helpful illustrations, and makes clear where and why scientists are more or less confident about their data and predictions. The Hot Topic: What We Can Do about Global Warming Gabrielle Walker and Sir David King, Harcourt, 2008, 225pp. With a cool-headed framework emphasizing the urgency of dealing with carbon emissions, these two distinguished authors offer very clear, readable, and down-to-earth explanations of critical information first about the problem and then about technological and political solutions. Although their main focus is on large-scale solutions, they are also clear about the importance of a wide range of individual actions. Though naturally it is occasionally a little out of date, this book remains an excellent primer. Field Notes from a Catastrophe Elizabeth Kolbert, Bloomsbury, 2006, 192pp. Perhaps THE best single place to start learning about climate change, this book (first published as a series of articles for The New Yorker magazine) offers lucid, compelling stories about the science of and scientists working on climate change, its current and likely effects on landscapes and ecosystems, and its impacts on human individuals and cultures. It has justly been called the Silent Spring for this topic, and for our times. The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth Tim Flannery. Grove Press, 2005, 321 pp plus notes and index. Australian zoologist, paleontologist, and writer Flannery provides a well-researched, expansive, lively overview of "the history of climate change, how it will unfold over the next century, and what we can do about it"--with particular attention to the effects on living creatures, including people. Paying more attention to the southern hemisphere than American books typically provide, and taking advantage of his own scientific training as he works through information from other specializations, this leading public scientist puts his story-telling skills to good use in this important and engaging book. Why We Disagree About Climate Change: Understanding Controversy, Inaction and Opportunity Mike Hulme. Cambridge University Press, 2009, 432pp. A smart, thorough, and readable examination of the many reasons we don't agree about climate change, which Hulme understands as equally a physical and a social phenomenon "best understood as an idea that binds together the physical world and our cultural imagination." Looking at this idea from "seven different standpoints" (science, economics, religion, psychology, media, development, and governance) the book offers a wealth of references, examples, and powerful thinking tools. Elucidating many of the fascinating but deeply challenging reasons that this is such a complicated issue, Hulme, a prominent English climate scientist with a good deal of experience working at the science-policy boundary, argues that we can make good use of the problem as a way of thinking anew about our role in the world. articles & essays National Climate Assessment 4, Vol. II: Impacts, Risks and Adaptation in the United States November, 2018 An essential resource. The latest of these regular, congressionally-mandated reports collects and contextualizes the work of hundreds of scientists and thirteen federal agencies. This year's version focuses on regions (rather than the whole nation); adds chapters on air quality, US international interests, and complex interactions among parts of the human-climate world; and increases coverage of the economic impacts of climate change and of risk management. Begin with the online version of the report itself, by reading Chapter 1: Overview. Both accessible and packed with information, including lots of embedded links, this chapter is far more concrete andu specific than the "Summary Findings" and other front matter. (If you missed 2017's Volume I on the science, you can simply read Chapter 2: Our Changing Climate in this new report.) For the framing of reliable climate reporters, see the good summary discussions in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Atlantic. Circle of Blue has a good piece focused on water issues, which are relevant to all of us. Two good list-like summaries are in Grist (regional impacts) and CNN (key takeaways focused on human health). Finally, if you are a teacher, take a look at the NCA resources assembled by the Clean Network. 'A Kind of Dark Realism': Why the Climate Change Problem Is Starting to Look Too Big to Solve Steven Mufson, Washington Post, December 2018 In the lead-up to the 24th UN climate conference in Poland, a grim picture is emerging, as this very good, important, but chilling article illustrates. For two other strong articles along the same lines, see Climate Change Is More Extensive and Worse than Once Thought, by AP's Seth Borenstein (November 2018), and Robin McKie's Portrait of a Planet on the Verge of Climate Catastrophe in The Guardian (December 2018). Climate of Change: Six Part Multimedia Series on Global Warming in Asia The Straits Times, Singapore, October 2018 A rich newspaper series on this topic. Clicking on the photos with the headlines at this link will take you to the main stories about energy, mosquitoes and disease, food, extreme weather and refugees, water availability and drought, and coral reefs, in locations that include not just Singapore, the newspaper's home, but also South Africa, Australia, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Nepal. Relevant, of course, to inhabitants of this part of the globe, but also a useful primer for those whose perspective centers on North America and Europe. Surrendering to Rising Seas Jen Schwartz, Scientific American, August 2018 This exemplary piece about some reasonably successful managed retreating and restoration on the New Jersey shore is informed by the lived experience of residents, local activism, insurance, recovery money, the logistical and policy complications of buyouts, localized forecasting of sea level rise, short sales, the West Antarctic ice sheet, satellite data, marsh restoration, and more. Our Climate Future Is Actually Our Climate Present Jon Mooallem, New York Times Magazine, April 2017 This thoughtful and challenging essay is well worth reading and contemplating. The subtitle suggests its concerns, which touch on art, imagination, emotion, sea level rise, social injustice, sliding baselines, and human cognition: "How do we live with the fact that the world we knew is going and, in some cases, already gone?" Part of an issue of the NYT Magazine focused on climate change. The Planet Can't Stand This Presidency Bill McKibben, New York Times, 2017 The lead piece here by McKibben is political, as the title suggests, though it keeps a clear focus on the issue of climate action. Posted here because of the set of short pieces by scientists and journalists that follow on the same link. These sketches lay out ramifications for several specifics: Hawaiian honeycreepers (rare island birds), Costa Rican cloud forests, NASA's Clarrio Mission to measure incoming and outgoing solar radiation, Joshua Trees (a tall tree-like desert yucca), horseshoe crabs, the Thwaites Glacier on Antarctica, and an aquifer under California's Mojave Desert. Let Them Drown: The Violence of Othering in a Warming World Naomi Klein, London Review of Books, June 2016 This essay connects the dots between the current climate crisis and the insights of post-colonial theorist Edward Said about war, poverty, racism, and "othering," which he influentially defined as "disregarding . . . the humanity of another culture, people or geographical region." Not a quick read, but thought- and conversation-provoking, especially for post-high-school classrooms. Short Answers to Hard Questions About Climate Change Justin Gillis, New York Times, November 2015 A short, clear, unflinching piece on the title subject from a journalist who has been following this story for the Times for a long time now. Climate Change 2014, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report, Synthesis, November 2014 For a quick summary of this important work on global climate change, in a user-friendly format, this is the place for the big picture regarding current and projected changes in climate, effects on humans and other living things, adaptation possibilities, and the needs for mitigation. Surprisingly readable, as these reports go, and full of important information, with key graphics included. To read about how conservative the IPCC tends to be (that is, underestimating the severity of the problem), see leading climate reporter Chris Mooney's piece, which focuses on the example of scientific studies of sea-level rise. The Turning Point: New Hope for the Climate Al Gore, Rolling Stone, June 2014 Addressing impressive advances in renewable energy (including its affordability) energy, the size of the climate problem, and developments on the policy front, Gore offers a compelling case for eyes-open optimism. Adapting to a Warmer World: No Going Back Olive Heffernan, Nature, November 2012 An excellent introduction to adaptation efforts now underway around the world (both large and small scale, top-down and grassroots), as mitigation efforts flounder and severe weather events become more frequent and damaging. Temperature Rising Justin Gillis, New York Times, 2010-2013 This excellent series looks at "the central arguments in the climate debate" and the "evidence for global warming and its consequences." Topics range from paleo clues to sea level futures, melting arctic sea ice to heat waves, political headwinds to the need for new crop varieties and farming techniques. websites 53 Sources for Climate Change News A good annotated list of (and links to) comprehensive sources. The Weather Channel This is a steady source of good stories about climate change. See: The Climate 25, very short interviews with a wide range of people on subjects including security, economics, science, and global climate change effects; United States of Climate Change, a set of 50 state-specific stories; and Exodus: The Climate Migration Crisis. Yale Climate Connections This site continues to expand what it does. The core is a series of punchy 90-second radio podcasts looking at how the climate is changing and how we are responding to these changes. Other resources of various kinds also appear, including short annotated bibliographies on very specific topics (ICYMI, a sibling of this website, 100 Views of Climate Change), annotated (with publishers' descriptions) bookshelves on broad topics (social sciences, economics, literature, movies, and so forth), and some feature stories. Drawdown The Drawdown Project, 2017 This interesting site accompanies the book of the same name. Representing the work of many people who set out research the relative benefits of 100 existing solutions with which we might address climate change, it includes an intriguing list of solutions summarized by rank. Would you have guessed that educating girls and reducing food waste make the top ten along with offshore wind turbines and solar rooftops and farms? Climate Changed Bloomberg.com, 2017 A new (2017) central hub for all the climate-related stories (and short videos) Bloomberg publishes on this topic. They are many and varied, and of course often include a financial angle. India Climate Dialogue This is an interesting collection of stories about what's happening in India on the climate change front‒both effects being felt and actions being taken. Setting Up the Climate Chessboard Mark Trexler, GreenBiz, December 2015 An invention of Climate Web, this is a clever framework for thinking about the push-pull, up-and-down, left-hand vs. right-hand dynamics of possible climate actions and the both-sides-at-once positions so many of us inhabit. Lots of good links. Keep It in the Ground The Guardian, 2015 In early 2015, this leading newspaper decided to foreground climate change, partly with a targeted divestment campaign, partly with increased coverage overall. The results have been rich: varied, illuminating, appalling, inspiring, lively, and very well worth the time to explore, with this homepage as a portal. Responding to Climate Change (RTCC) This is "a news and analysis website focused on providing the latest updates and insight into global low carbon developments." A good place to follow UN talks, but the content reaches well beyond this important topic, with interesting stories about policy, business, technology, energy, transport, living, and nature. Everything You Need to Know about Global Warming Brad Plumer, Vox.com, May 2015 This is an excellent primer, with brief, clear answers to 20 key questions and a wealth of embedded (and thus easy to use) links to sources. Carefully chosen graphs and charts, too. The Climate Desk You can find many fine articles on a wide range of climate topics at this site, home to a high-quality "journalistic collaboration dedicated to exploring the impact‒human, environmental, economic, political‒of a changing climate." Current partners are The Atlantic, Center for Investigative Reporting, Grist, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Mother Jones, Slate, and Wired; the reporters are excellent, as is the writing. The Conversation With the tag line "Academic rigour, journalistic flair," this lucid and interesting site features "news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public"-written by those who have "proven expertise" on the subject they are addressing, for readers in the general public. Started in Australia in 2011, and now (in beta, or start-up, form) for the UK, the site covers climate change, ocean acidification, and other climate-linked topics. A toggle at the top of the page allows one to switch between the Australian and the UK versions, which overlap but are not the same. Climate Central One of the best sources around (and a frequent source of stories we post on this website), this is "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 News Network Focused mainly on UK-centered stories and perspectives on a good variety of topics, this site is run by four veteran journalists who (with no outside funding) emphasize clarity, facts, and implications. To access all the stories, and to receive their regular emails, you need to sign up (but it's free); even without signing up, you can read a good many on the website. Especially useful for journalists. The Daily Climate This organization's free daily e-newsletter collects, culls, summarizes, and links to high-quality journalism about climate change from around the world, spanning the political spectrum, "from center right to center left." It also commissions and publishes articles on the subject. A rich, well-organized website that can save interested readers a lot of time and trouble. InsideClimate News This "non-profit, non-partisan news organization that covers clean energy, carbon energy, nuclear energy and environmental science‒plus the territory in between where law, policy and public opinion are shaped" works to "produce clear, objective stories that give the public and decision-makers the information they need to navigate the heat and emotion of climate and energy debates." Topics include tar/oil sands, fracking, climate legislation, activism, and more; a rich home page offers daily and weekly stories, and you can sign up for a daily email update. The Christian Science Monitor: All Global Warming The Christian Science Monitor is one of the best all-around sources for news about multiple aspects of climate change, from new scientific data to the effects on and actions of individuals and communities. Stories cover a wide range of topics, are highly readable, and generally include good photos. The paper, which now appears in a large-magazine format every week, is worth subscribing to (and of course a subscription helps keep good stories coming; a subscription to the daily e-paper is also available), but the content is easy to find on the web as well. Content specific to the Christian Science faith is minimal, but the magazine's commitment to humane thinking is not. Union of Concerned Scientists‒Global Warming The Union of Concerned Scientists is a non-profit, science-based organization that works to make good scientific information available, to counteract bad information, and to develop solutions to environmental problems, particularly climate change and related issues like clean energy and safe food. Indeed, they are leaders in the fight against climate change. Their website is a great source of information about climate science, impacts, contrarians, and solutions; they also offer some region-specific information, mostly for the U.S. United States Global Change Research Program The United States Global Change Research Program brings together the concerns and research of 13 different agencies: the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Energy, Interior, State, Transportation, Health and Human Services, and Agriculture, NASA, the NSF, the Smithsonian, USAID, and the EPA. Their website is a goldmine of solid information, including downloadable publications such as Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science and (this is particularly good) Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions A key resource from an important provider of good information, this site is run by the successor to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, an "independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization" that works to "advance strong policy and action to address the twin challenges of energy and climate change." With a pragmatic orientation, the website's main sections are on policy, energy & technology, science & impacts, and business; it also includes good sections on extreme weather, communication, options for coal, blogs, and more. Climate Change in the West: Hot Times High County News The mission of the nonprofit magazine (and media organization) High Country News is to "inform and inspire people to act on behalf of the West's land, air, water and inhabitants"-a mission that includes fairly frequent (and award-winning) investigative articles about climate change that focus on this large geographical region of the U.S. This link will take you to the part of HCN's website that highlights climates and climate changes past, present, and future, with attention to science, management, and our human experiences of and reactions to a changing landscape. Solutions Journal "Bold and innovative ideas for solving the world's integrated ecological, social, and economic problems"; non-profit, peer-reviewed, and written for "the lay public." Founders are economist Robert Costanza, educator David Orr, entrepreneur Paul Hawken, and biologist John Todd. Rocky Mountain Climate Organization Focusing mostly on the interior American West, this coalition works to reduce climate disruption and its effects on this region by bringing people together to act and spreading the word through a series of reports (on the website) on specific topics and places (including several National Parks, from Maine to California) and through an information-packed monthly newsletter. TEACH resources Climate Related Websites Yale Climate Connections A useful, "selective" list of websites worth looking at. Getting the Picture: Our Changing Climate Earth Vision Institute Though it is intended mostly for middle and high school students and teachers (it is aligned with national standards), this well-done interactive art + science site has things to offer older learners as well, including good short videos, strong images, clear explanations, and teaching resource links. Developed in conjunction with photographer James Balog's Extreme Ice Survey and Jeff Orlowski's film about it, Chasing Ice. Encyclopedia of Earth/CAMEL High-level compilation of resources (especially articles, but also some videos) provided by the Climate, Adaptation, Mitigation, E-Learning (CAMEL) project from the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD) of the National Council for Science and the Environment. Organized into causes (past, present, future), consequences (physical world, life and death, humans), solutions (economics, adaptation, mitigation, policy), actions (individual, collective).