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Updated for 2024

Climate Science, Risk & Solutions

Climate Knowledge for Everyone

Dr. Kerry Emanuel

Professor of Atmospheric Science

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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More than 99% of climate scientists attribute the increase in global
temperature over the past 30-40 years to greenhouse gases that humans
have been adding to the atmosphere since the beginning of the
Industrial Revolution in the 1700s. The great majority of these
scientists agree that if this warming continues, it presents
significant risks to humankind and all life on Earth: to our cities
and towns, our water and food supplies, and our health. How do we
know that this warming is happening and that it's caused by humans? 
How strong is the evidence? What risks can we expect and what can we
do about them?

Illustration of Laur Fisher

Voice of Laur Hesse Fisher MIT Climate

  * Climate Science

     1. 01 A brief history of climate science

     2. 02 The greenhouse effect and us

         1. 02a How it works
         2. 02b Our atmosphere
         3. 02c The impact of increased CO[2]
     3. 03 Measuring past temperatures

         1. 03a Historic temperatures
         2. 03b Prehistoric records
  * Climate Change

     1. 04 The climate is always changing

     2. 05 How much of the CO[2] increase is natural?

     3. 06 Predicting climate

         1. 06a What are climate models?
         2. 06b Uncertainty
         3. 06c Dealing with uncertainty
         4. 06d What the models say
  * Risks

     1. 07 Understanding risk

     2. 08 What are the risks?

         1. 08a Sea level rise
         2. 08b Heat and humidity
         3. 08c Destructive storms
         4. 08d Ocean acidification
         5. 08e Food and water
     3. 09 How long can we wait to act?

  * Solutions

     1. 10 What can we do?

         1. 10a Introduction
         2. 10b Curtailing emissions
         3. 10c Removing carbon
         4. 10d Adaptation
         5. 10e Geoengineering
     2. 11 The bottom line

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