Human impacts are directly threatening our biosphere. Unless we act NOW, we will destroy the habitability of our own planet. There is no planet B that we can move to. We must act NOW and we must act FAST.
Every 6 months, I will organize a zoom based guided reading of the IPCC synthesis report for anyone who wishes to learn more about the Climate and Biodiversity Crisis. In this guided reading session, we will also discuss criticism of the IPCC and the possibility that the presented findings of the IPCC may be too conservative. I also have a colloquium titled “The Climate and Biodiversity Crises” (available here on YOU TUBE) (you can download the PDF of this talk here) aimed at an audience of physicist and astrophysicists. I can give this talk in person or on zoom. Below, I link some resources for anyone who wishes to learn more about this topic.
Why Should Academia Care about the Climate and Biodiversity Crisis?
Here are two papers I encourage you to read:
- No Research on a Dead Planet: preserving the Socio-Ecological Conditions for Academia
- Academia should go beyond carbon accounting and take action on climate
- Read the 2023 state of the climate report: Entering uncharted territory
How can I learn more?
If you are a scientist, I first recommend reading the IPCC synthesis report. It is a long document, roughly 90 pages. Set aside a day to read the report. The report has a lot of scientific jargon. For this reason, to help you read this report, I have compiled a glossary of terms in this document: IPCC_vocabulary. Every 6 months, I will also organize a guided reading of this report. During this guided reading, we will also discuss the possibility that impacts described in the IPCC may be underestimated. If you would like to join a future guided reading, please fill out this google form.
The next guided reading of the IPCC Synthesis report will be Jan 19th 2024 at 10am Pacific. If you want to participate in this guided reading, please fill out this google form so that I can include you in the zoom invite.
To learn more about the IPCC report, I also recommend these following two podcasts:
- Interview of Sir David King by Nate Hagens on the Great Simplification podcast, also available on you tube.
- March 12 2022 interview of Dr Debra Roberts by Dan Jørgensen on the Planet A’s fourth season
Other Recommended Materials and Readings
- Colloquium by Tom Murphy on Planetary limits
- Read about Planetary Limits with the latest update showing 6 out of nine limits have been transgressed
- Read about the Limits to Growth
- Watch A Life on Our Planet by Sir David Attenborough
- Read Underestimating the Challenges of avoiding a Ghastly Future
- Listen to the interview of Steve Keen by Nate Hagens on the Great Simplification podcast, also available on you tube.
- For a USA focus, you can read the Fifth National Climate Assessment
What can I do at UCSC?
If you are a student, join the Climate Coalition
If you are a staff or faculty member, join the UCSC Climate Action Now (UCSC CAN) group. To join the group, send a blank email to clifac+subscribe@googlegroups.com. If you want to join the UCSC CAN leadership group, send me an email.
Guided Reading of the IPCC report
Here is what you need to do it you want to join our guided reading of the IPCC synthesis report.
- Read my glossary of terms: IPCC_vocabulary
- Read the the IPCC synthesis report
- Write down any questions you have. I will share with you a google doc in which everyone can write down questions for each section.
- I will answer some questions directly in the google doc, and others we will discuss on zoom
- Join the zoom on Jan 19th at 10am Pacific / 12pm Eastern,