EDUCATING TO LIVE MORE SUSTAINABLY IN OUR CHANGING CLIMATE

Earth’s climate is inherently variable, but is currently changing at rates unprecedented in recent history. Human activity plays a major role in this change and is projected to do so well into the future. Living with Our Changing Climate elaborates on this human interaction with the climate system along with how climate variations affect us. This brand new five-chapter ebook from the American Meteorological Society (AMS) investigates human and ecosystem vulnerabilities to climate change, the role of energy choices in affecting climate, the actions humans can take through adaption, mitigation, and policy to lessen vulnerabilities, sustainability and environmental stewardship, and the psychological and financial reasons behind climate change denial.

Released in fall 2015, Living with Our Changing Climate incorporates the latest scientific understandings of Earth’s climate system from reports such as IPCC AR5 and the USGCRP’s Third National Climate Assessment. To encourage additional climate science exploration, scientific literature, from which chapter content was derived, is cited at the conclusion of each chapter. In addition, Topic In Depth (TID) sections appear throughout each chapter and lead to more extensive information related to various topics. For example, one TID links to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions website where students can learn about adaption planning taking place in their state.

For a more in-depth analysis of Earth’s climate system, AMS also offers Our Changing Climate. This 14-chapter ebook dives into the scientific principles that govern Earth’s climate system. Our Changing Climate is used in the AMS Climate Studies course along with an Investigations Manual, RealTime Climate Portal, and faculty website. The Investigations Manual, also an ebook, offers two labs per chapter, with a third optional lab available via the RealTime Climate Portal. The Portal also links to real-world data and resources from organizations, such as NASA and NOAA. Assessment tools, test bank questions and answers, and PowerPoint presentations are available via the faculty website.

Both Living With Our Changing Climate and Our Changing Climate reveal the impact each of us has on the climate. With this understanding come choices and actions for a more sustainable future.