Description
This SDG will be concerned with the science of climate change. We will examine projections of its future impacts, and evaluate the consequences of climate change to date. Our two recently published core books are: “The Uninhabitable Earth”, by David Wallace-Wells; and “How To Avoid A Climate Disaster”, by Bill Gates. They are very different in approach.
“The Uninhabitable Earth” is one scary book. It is also meticulously researched and superbly written.
“It is one of the few books that doesn’t sugarcoat the horror,” - William Vollmann, National Book Award winner
“David Wallace-Wells argues that the impacts of climate change will be much greater than most people realize, and he’s right.” - Elizabeth Kolbert, author of “The Sixth Extinction”.
“We are only just entering our brave new world, one that collapses below us as soon as we set foot on it.” - David Wallace Wells
“How To Avoid A Climate Disaster”, by Bill Gates, is comparatively upbeat. It is solution oriented, and written by a very smart and knowledgeable guy. Gates describes himself as an optimist. He approaches climate change as a problem to solve, and provides an outline as to how to do this. Gates writes with clarity and precision. “How To Avoid A Climate Disaster” is written to be comprehensible to any interested and intelligent reader.
Climate change is a prominent part of current public discourse. Therefore, we will set aside 10 to 15 minutes of each session to discuss matters related to climate change that have been reported in the news or from some other source.
Weekly Topics
1. Wallace-Wells, Chapter 1 - Cascades, feedback loops driving climate change;
Gates: Introduction
2. Wallace-Wells, pages 36 to 57 - Heat death, hunger
Gates, Chapter 1 - Goal setting: Why is the goal zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050?
3. Wallace-Wells, pages 58 to 68 - Sea level rise and flooding;
Gates, Chapter 2 - This will be hard.
4. Wallace Wells, pages 69 to 84 - Wildfires and disasters are no longer natural.
Gates, Chapter 3 - Five questions to ask in any climate discussion.
5. Wallace-Wells, pages 84 to 98 - Freshwater access and the fate of oceans
Gates, Chapter 4 - pages 66 to 82- The electricity grid, and its sources of power
6. Wallace-Wells, pages 99 to 113 - Air pollution and it’s health effects; Geoengineering
Gates, Chapter 4 - pages 82 to 98 - Solar, wind, and nuclear power
7. Wallace Wells, pages 108 to 122 - The effects of climate change on pandemics and disease
Gates, Chapter 5 - How we make things; cement, plastics, steel
8. Wallace-Wells, pages 123 to 139 - The threat of economic collapse
Gates, Chapter 6 - How we grow things
9. Wallace-Wells, pages 140 to 156 - Storytelling, what we tell ourselves about climate
Gates, Chapter 7 - Transportation
10. Wallace-Wells, pages 157 to 169 - Crisis capitalism
Gates, Chapter 8 - How we keep cool and stay warm
11. Wallace-Wells, pages 170 to 183 - The church of technology
Gates, Chapter 9 - Adapting to a warmer world
12. Wallace-Wells, pages 184 to 195 - The politics of consumption
Gates, Chapter 10 - Why government policies matter
13. Wallace-Wells, pages 196 to 216 - History after the end of progress; ethics at the end of the world
Gates, Chapter 11 - A plan for getting to zero
14. Wallace-Wells, pages to 216 to 228 - The Anthropic Principle
Gates, Chapter 12 and afterword; What each of us can do; COVID-19 and climate change
Bibliography
“The Uninhabitable Earth”, by David Wallace-Wells, copyright 2019 , 228 pages
“How To Avoid A Climate Disaster, The Solutions We Have and The Breakthroughs We Need “, by Bill Gates, released on February 16, 2021, 236 pages
