SCALES
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In the U.S., climate change is not a standard part of the public school curriculum in many districts due to a lack of resources, lack of teacher background knowledge, and forces that push against this type of education.
More snow cover could reflect more sunlight back into space. But tinkering with the climate is not something to be taken lightly.
People on the coasts may find that the biggest effects from rising seas will come from the groundwater below their feet.
Tidal power is a promising renewable energy source, but production costs, a limited number of suitable locations, and technological challenges hinder its expansion.
Oxygen levels are declining due to the burning of fossil fuels and other kinds of pollution. While the decline won’t directly affect humans in terms of the air we breathe, certain ecosystems are much more impacted, especially aquatic ones.
It takes fossil fuels to build renewable energy infrastructure such as solar panels and wind turbines. But those emissions pale in comparison to the CO2 avoided by using renewable energy.
Hurricanes can radically affect marine ecosystems, changing seafloor habitats as well as levels of oxygen, salinity, and pollution in the water.
It depends exactly where and how the battery is made—but when it comes to clean technologies like electric cars and solar power, even the dirtiest batteries emit less CO2 than using no battery at all.
They could, but companies will still face pressure to clean up their greenhouse gas emissions—and there are ways to relieve the burden for their customers.
The planet naturally releases and absorbs far more carbon dioxide than humans emit by burning fossil fuels. The problem is that human activities have thrown the Earth’s carbon cycle out of balance.
Cultivate sustainable design skills to envision and design viable solutions and transition pathways
