Today, we find ourselves living in a time of planetary emergency that has evolved out of our technological successes. Humanity’s collective impact on Earth has changed the climate. This global change is driven by our overuse and abuse of Earth’s resources, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of forests and soils, and has resulted in excess greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, global warming, extremes in weather and storms, ocean acidification, sea level rise, degraded ecosystems, and disrupted food and water resources throughout the world. These changes provide both a scientific and a spiritual challenge to those living today. We must understand the science of how we have destabilized the climate in order to find responses that will ensure liveability for the future. At the same time, we must explore our spirituality to find the strength and wisdom to make the necessary changes. Please follow the links below to learn more about the Science of Climate Change.
NCIPL does not endorse these or any organizations, but rather encourages people of faith to use these resources while learning about climate change science.
- C2ES (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions): This basic series, Climate Change 101, is an excellent starting place for people who need grounding in the science of global climate change. It is available in free, downloadable print form and podcasts. C2ES is the successor of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, long considered a leader in independent, nonpartisan, reliable information on climate change.
- Earth: The Operators’ Manuel: For people who prefer video, these documentaries are available for view free on-line or for purchase. The host and inspiration is Richard Alley, a geologist at Penn State, who was also a member of the Nobel Peace Prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
- EPA (Environmental Protection Agency): This rich site allows you to explore not only the basic science of climate change but also the impacts and activities in your region of the country. Since the EPA is responsible for enforcing the Clean Air Act and other pollution laws, there is abundant information on domestic sources of GHG emissions and regulatory approaches as well.
- IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change): Here you will be able to link to and download the entire 2007 report which was so important that it won the Nobel Peace Prize. Stating that warming of the global climate system is “unequivocal,” it exhaustively reviews the science and develops projections based on response scenarios. The summary report for policy makers is a good place to begin this exploration.
- NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration): This site is good for people who are scientific and curious about how climate data are collected and analyzed. There is a ticker on the home page which reports current averaged fluxuations in key indicators like atmospheric CO2, sealevel and arctic ice.
- NCDC (National Climate Data Center): The FAQs are a great place to start exploring this site which compiles all the US data on climate. There are many resources here and easy access to time and place specific information gathered by NOAA and organized by the offices in Asheville.
- Union of Concerned Scientists: Disseminating information and solutions on climate change is one of the main programs of this well respected, nonpartisan, scientific non-profit organization. Learn the science and explore solutions by exploring this easy to negotiate site.
- United States Global Change Research Program’s National Climate Assessment: We suggest you begin with the national climate assessment as you familiarize yourself with this site. It is a cross agency research site designed to make sense of all the streams of information being collected about climate change by federal entities. The periodic national assessments bring climate change down to the regional and local level and help inform policy on both mitigation and adaptation.
- 350.org: Science describes the rationale for rapid reductions in emissions and work to reduce current atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide to 350 ppm. While the site is maintained by an active advocacy organization, the science is from internationally respected climatolgoist, Dr. James Hansen, and his team at NASA.