Global Warming info and resources

What is Global Warming and how does it work?

Anthropogenic global warming is the result of the direct impacts and byproducts of modern human life on the Earth’s living systems. Societal emission of various greenhouse gases and disturbances of carbon sinks through agricultural land management and ecosystem displacement have caused the composition of the atmosphere and oceans to change. This results in more heat being retained thereby disrupting climate patterns including seasonality, precipitation and heating/cooling. These disturbances are accumulating and compounding as we continue participating in heating economies that create wealth at the expense of health of the environment that sustains our lives.

Currently we are witnessing the effects on Earth’s systems in the form of higher sea levels, longer growing seasons, increased occurrence of extreme weather events including drought and flooding events, ocean warming and acidification, and higher mean temperatures across the Earth. Societally we are witnessing conflicts and migrations influenced by global warming and experts predict much more unrest as global warming intensifies.

To what extent each disturbance results in a particular outcome is debatable due to the complexity of the systems involved. Though the issue is complex the consensus of climate scientists is that human beings are causing global warming through their behavior.

Here are some links to information that can help you understand the basics mechanics of global warming:

Union of Concerned Scientists Global Warming FAQ

Union of Concerned Scientists Impacts of Global Warming

Natural Resource Defense Council

European Commission

Nasa Climate Kids

Climate 101 with Bill Nye


What can be done?

Fortunately there is plenty that can be done. Our individual life decisions and how we choose to organize have direct impacts on global warming. The strategy that Center for Getting Things Started is following is to focus on mitigations as identified in Drawdown and through our Ground Zero Design Charrette (GZDC) series . We are utilizing communications strategies informed by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communications and our GZDC series.

Yale Program on Climate Change Communications

 IPCC report SR15

Link to Full Treaty- Kyoto Protocol

Paris Accord

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change


Calculate your Eco-footprint

Know where you are at. Understand the effects of your lifestyle on the planet. Check out these cool tools to calculate your carbon and eco- footprints: