Outline for 9-5

I. Summarize Climate Change Evidence.

II. How Much Do Scientists Know About What Is Causing the Change?

III. What Are Some of The Consequences of Climate Change?

A. Severe Weather Events

Because more water evaporates in a warmer world, there will be more water in the atmosphere to cause storm events, so individual rains should be stronger (i.e. more flooding). However, since it will be hotter, more soil moisture will be lost on average, so when flood waters subside, the chance of draught will generally increase. These estimates only apply on average, and will not happen everywhere

B. Sea Level Rise (from thermal expansion and ice melt).
C. Health Effects (from higher temperatures, storms, and expansion of tropical diseases and their carriers).
D. Ecosystem Decline (will be discussed later).
E. Possible underestimation of the severity of climate change, based upon climate record.

IV. The US is Responsible For a Strongly Disproportionate Amount of Emissions. Later we will see how transportation is important here.

V. Discussion.