Recent bending_the_curve items

UCSD Undergraduate Climate Education

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

UCSD Undergraduate Climate Education

Student Movement on Climate Action at UC San Diego: How College and Students Can Combat Climate Change

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The effect of climate disruption is arguably the most imminent threat facing ourgeneration. If we continue down the same “business as usual” model, we will be exposed tounforeseen climate disasters as early as the next decade1. The University of California's Bendingthe Curve2 report outlines the ways in which we can significantly mitigate the threat of climatedisruption through ten scalable solutions that fall into six clusters: Science, Technology,Governance Solutions, Societal Transformation, Market-Based Solutions, and EcosystemRestoration. Since climate change is such an imminent issue, mitigation on a global scale isnecessary in order to bend the curve before unprecedented disruption. However, this call toaction is rarely ever motivated through moral conviction alone.3Most governments exist tosatisfy the people within their constituencies, so the voice calling for climate action needs tocome directly from the people. In this report, we find that students are key actors in...

Food: UC San Diego's Carbon Footprint

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tons — gets lost or wasted. This issue is especially relevant on college campuses, which often house multiple dining halls, restaurants, and markets where food waste can occur. In order to effectively address this issue on the UCSD campus, mitigation strategies must align with the six clusters outlined in the “Bending the Curve” report: Science, Technology, Governance, Social Transformation, Market- and Regulations - Based Solutions, and Ecosystem Restoration. Therefore the objective of this report is to address the issue of food waste at UCSD based on these clusters. Each section in this report tackles the issue of food waste from a different perspective, and proposes plans for action to reduce food waste and carbon emission at UCSD.

UCSD's Microgrid: A Pattern for Future Energy Generation?

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Climate change is an urgent and pressing issue, as temperatures rise due to excessive carbon dioxide emissions, as well as short lived climate pollutants (black carbon, methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and tropospheric ozone) nations are beginning toexperience the consequences of climate change. The Bending the Curve Report states that mitigating short- lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) may reduce warming by 0.6 degrees Celsius, allowing the world to implement zero emission technology (Ramanathan et al; pg. 5). According to the report, an 80% reduction in carbon emissions, along with SLCP mitigation action, will maintain global warming below 2 degrees Celsius for the rest of the century (Ramanathan et al; pg. 14). Replacing natural gas with renewable energy will be essential to becoming carbon neutral, this will benefitnot only developed cities but reduce the need for SLCPs in rural and developing areas as well. UCSD is taking initiative through development of its microgrid, allowing...

Learning Companion to Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The Learning Companion to Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions can help all readers gain the most from this book. This resource includes questions for review and discussion which help connect ideas, understand key concepts, and to increase the ability of readers at all levels to effectively discuss and explain climate change solutions.

The Learning Companion provides review questions that can be used to assess familiarity with key concepts, ensuring all readers are ready to apply what they’ve learned. These questions can also help instructors identify areas of learning that may require additional explanation. The Learning Companion also provides questions for discussion which can help facilitate both classroom and public discourse, and expanding each reader’s learning about climate change solutions

We recognize the importance of public communication and education to help promote a broad culture of climate action. Using the questions in the Learning Companion...

Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions

Wed, 4 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Climate change is an urgent problem. Because it is causing new weather extremes and fatal catastrophes, climate change is better termed climate disruption. Bending the curve to flatten the upward trajectory of pollution emissions responsible for climate disruption is essential in order to protect billions of people from this global threat. Education is a key part of the solution.

This textbook book lays out ten solutions that together can bend the curve of climate warming below dangerous levels. These solutions fall into six categories: science, societal transformation, governance, economics, technology, and ecosystem management. Four themes emerge from the book:

* There is still time to bend the curve. The time to act was yesterday, but if proper actions are taken now, there is still time to avoid disastrous changes. We have to pull on three levers: The carbon lever to achieve zero net emissions of carbon dioxide before 2050; the short-lived climate...

Crazy Commuters: UC Davis Population Drives 300,000 miles a day.

Fri, 9 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Crazy Commuters: UC Davis Population Drives 300,000 miles a day.

Eco Hub Green Fueling Station

Fri, 9 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Eco Hub Green Fueling Station

Under 2C Living Laboratories

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Fifty-two cities, sixty-three businesses, and several universities have become living laboratories for ambitious climate mitigation programs. By 2050, the total annual emissions for the fifty-two cities will reduce by 407 MMTCO2e (million metric tons), compared with their base period (ranging from 1990 to 2013) emissions, which is equivalent to making the entire state of California, the sixth largest world economy, nearly carbon neutral. Case studies reveal that between 2000 and 2014, California and Sweden grew their Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) by nearly 30% while their CO2e emissions declined by 5% and 24% respectively. Such reductions employ a multitude of action plans, which we place in the context of the Ten Solutions for Carbon Neutrality and Climate Stability published by the University of California. The technologies deployed by the living laboratories include: improving end-use efficiencies; conversion to renewably generated electricity; solving intermittency of solar...

Stockholm: An Environmental Leader

Tue, 14 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Stockholm: An Environmental Leader