South 고등학교 2학년 Climate Change and a Sustainable World
Chapters: 4
1. Humans and climate change
Global climate change · Natural and human causes
- Climate Change and the Greenhouse Effect – Climate is the average weather of a place over about 30 years. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane trap some of the heat the Earth gives off. Humans have added a lot more of these gases by burning fossil fuels and cutting forests, so the Earth is warming. This causes melting ice, rising seas and more extreme weather. We can cut emissions (mitigation) and prepare for changes (adaptation).
2. Climate justice and regional issues
Regional climate impacts · Unequal impacts · Climate justice responses
- Climate Change and the Greenhouse Effect – Climate is the average weather of a place over about 30 years. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane trap some of the heat the Earth gives off. Humans have added a lot more of these gases by burning fossil fuels and cutting forests, so the Earth is warming. This causes melting ice, rising seas and more extreme weather. We can cut emissions (mitigation) and prepare for changes (adaptation).
- Climate Justice: Who Causes Climate Change and Who Pays the Price? – Climate justice is the idea that climate change is not only a science problem but also a fairness problem. Emissions and harms are shared very unequally. The richest 10% of people cause roughly half of global emissions, while the poorest half cause about an eighth. Yet poorer countries, communities, women, children, older people, outdoor workers and Indigenous peoples are often the most vulnerable, because vulnerability depends on exposure, sensitivity and the ability to adapt. Today's emissions also affect future generations. Fair responses include: those with more historical responsibility and more ability to pay cutting faster (common but differentiated responsibilities), climate finance and technology for adaptation, a loss and damage fund, a just transition for workers in polluting industries, and fair sharing of resources such as water, land and the remaining carbon budget.
3. Ecological transition
International cooperation · National climate policy · Local ecological transition · Appropriate technology
- Climate Policy: How the World Acts on Climate Change – Climate policy is the set of agreements, laws and plans that cut greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation) and help people cope with a changing climate (adaptation). Because the atmosphere is shared, no country can solve the problem alone, so countries cooperate through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992), the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and the Paris Agreement (2015). Under Paris, every country sets its own target (an NDC) and raises it every five years, aiming to keep warming well below 2 °C and to try for 1.5 °C. At home, governments use carbon taxes, cap-and-trade, rules and standards, and support for clean energy. Many have set net-zero (carbon-neutral) targets: by a set year, any gas still emitted is balanced by gas removed. Fairness matters: richer countries emitted most in the past, so the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, climate finance and technology sharing help poorer countries develop cleanly.
- Sustainability – Sustainability means meeting our needs today without taking away the ability of future people to meet theirs. It rests on three pillars — environment, society and economy. A resource is used sustainably when we use it no faster than it renews. Today humanity uses about 1.7 Earths' worth of resources a year, and this use is very unequal. Stewardship, careful planning and spatial tools like GIS help us move towards sustainability.
- Appropriate Technology – Appropriate technology is a tool or method that fits the people, place and money it is used for. It is usually simple, affordable, easy to repair locally and kind to the environment. The best technology is not always the newest or biggest. We choose by checking cost, skills, repair, energy, environment and how much is needed.
4. Coexistence and ecological citizens
Sustainable Development Goals · Everyday sustainable living · Ecological citizenship values
- The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 17 Goals for 2030 – In 2015 all United Nations member countries adopted the 2030 Agenda with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets. They cover people (poverty, hunger, health, education, equality), planet (water, climate, oceans, land), prosperity (energy, jobs, industry, cities), peace and partnership. All 17 are linked: progress in one helps the others.
- Sustainability – Sustainability means meeting our needs today without taking away the ability of future people to meet theirs. It rests on three pillars — environment, society and economy. A resource is used sustainably when we use it no faster than it renews. Today humanity uses about 1.7 Earths' worth of resources a year, and this use is very unequal. Stewardship, careful planning and spatial tools like GIS help us move towards sustainability.
- Global Citizenship – A global citizen belongs to local, national and world communities at the same time. The world is interconnected, and problems such as poverty, hunger, conflict and climate change are shared. Global citizens know their rights and duties, care about people far away, reduce their ecological footprint, and act locally while thinking globally.