Session One

Question 1

Anthropocene

Answer 1

A proposed geological epoch succeeding the holocene, where the impact of men over the biosphere reaches such a level that humans become a major geological force able to shape the lithosphere

AKA human dominance of biological, chemical, and geological processes on Earth

Question 2

Sustainable Development

Answer 2

a development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Question 3

Denning Kruger Effect

Answer 3

People who are the most incompetent are the least aware of their own incompetence

Question 4

The Great Acceleration

Answer 4

Socio-Economic and Earth System trends have experiences EXPONENTIAL growth since the indistrial age

Question 5

Human impact explains ____% of current climate change

Answer 5

100%

Question 6

How many gigatons of CO2 do we emit annually?

Answer 6

more than 43GT

global net anthropogenic emissions have continued to rise across all major groups of greenhouse gases

Question 7

Carbon Budget

Answer 7

A carbon budget refers to the toal net amount of CO2 that can still be emitted by human activities while limiting gloal warming to a specified level

Carbon Budget 1.5-2 degrees Celcius in 2100

Question 8

Why do temperatures continue to rise even if emissions decrease?

Answer 8

Bathtub analogy: Even if water input is slowed or stopped, the bathtub is already full of water. Must find way to let the water out (aka carbon sinks or “negative” emissions) if we want to reverse temperature otherwise it will only slow the increase.

Climate is a “stock problem”

Question 9

Key driver for increase in temperature

Answer 9

Quantity of CO2 in the atmosphere (CO2 concentration), since it remains in the atmosphere for several centuries

Question 10

Consequences of Bathtub Analogy

Answer 10

1. Decreasing anthropic emissions does not lead to a decrease in average temperatures as long as we continue to emit. It only decelerates the increase
2. Carbon Neutrality is a situation where mankind removes the same quanitty of CO2 as it emits. Which would stabalize the temperture not cool it
3. Until then, temperature will continue to increase and we are only negotiating intensity and rapidity of temperature increases
4. Decreasing average temperature required negative anthropic emissions (aka more removals than emissions)

Question 11

Mitigation

Answer 11

Reducing impacts and sufficiency

Efficiency- learning to do better with less

Avoiding the unmanageable

Question 12

Adaptation

Answer 12

Adapting companies to climate change / biodiversity / resource scarcity

Crisis Management

Managing the unavoidable

Question 13

Mitigation vs Adaptation

Answer 13

Key challenge to align mitigation and adapation practices

AND avoid maladaption (i.e. AirCon)