Climate Change
Climate Change
Long-term shifts in global or regional climate patterns, often linked to human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation.
Global efforts to address climate change
Coordinated actions by nations and organizations to combat climate change through agreements, policies, and initiatives.
International Agreements
Paris Agreement (2015)
- Goal: Limit global warming to below 2°C, aiming for 1.5°C.
- Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): Countries set their own targets for reducing emissions.
- Transparency: Regular reporting and review of progress.
Kyoto Protocol (1997)
- Binding Targets: For developed countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Market Mechanisms: Like carbon trading to incentivize reductions.
Global Organizations
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- Platform for negotiations and collaboration.
- Annual Conferences of the Parties (COP) to review progress and set new targets.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
- Provides scientific assessments on climate change.
- Guides policy decisions with evidence-based reports.
- How do global and local efforts complement each other in addressing climate change?
- Can you think of a local initiative in your area that addresses climate change?
How do cultural values influence approaches to climate change? Are some societies better equipped to adapt?
Responsible Use of Resources
Important resources for humanity include:
- Water
- Only a small percentage of the world's water is drinkable.
- Many societies don't have access to clean water.
- Energy
- Power plants and energy generators contribute a lot of negative emissions that damage our environment.
- Households and digital devices spend energy and cause pollution.
- Food
- Many societies don't have access to healthy food and sufficient nutrients.
- Over 30% of food is thrown away due to consumerism.
- Issues such as this cause world hunger.
Rural communities in parts of the world such as southeast Europe and central Africa commonly don't have equal access to energy or water when compared to urban communities of these same parts of the world.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- United Nations' initiative that gives a framework for worldwide sustainability.
- Includes 17 goals that are a requirement for a safe sustainable future.
- Goal 12 focuses of responsible consumption and production of resources.
Try to research other UN SDGs, and reflect on which ones may be solved or improved using digital technologies.
Theory of Knowledge
To what extent is it immoral for food companies to throw away food that may be given away to hungry communities?
