System hysteresis pushes the worst impacts climate change into the future. Effectively, the benefits in the human condition that fossil energy has afforded current generations in the developed world has come at the expense of future generations. This panel will discuss the evidence for and consequences of the  environmental impacts resulting from Earth’s destabilizing climate system.

No matter how quickly we reduce GHG emissions, mitigation can at best deliver a badly disrupted climate. Climate restoration combines mitigation with draw down and envisions lowering atmospheric CO2 from 415 ppm, where it is today, to below 300 ppm. Both the technology and financing methods already exist to reclaim the safe and healthy climate we enjoyed before the industrial revolution. Specific examples of promising technologies with potential commercial viability to deploy at the scale necessary will be discussed.

“Integrated assessment models (IAMs) are used to answer central questions about climate change, from how the world could avoid 1.5C of global warming at the lowest cost, through to the implications of countries’ current pledges to cut emissions. They combine different strands of knowledge to explore how human development and societal choices interact with and affect the natural world. This includes the physical laws driving natural systems, as well as the changing habits and preferences that drive human society.” This session focuses on solutions IAMs reveal that lead to the economic transformation necessary to optimally address the urgency of climate change. These are solutions that might be implemented if most engineers, 97% of climate scientists, and 3,500 economists had their way.

Broadcast meteorologists are positioned at a crucial intersection between climate scientists and the general public. They have the opportunity to use their scientific training and public communication skills to educate viewers about climate change. This session will explore key issues facing broadcast meteorologists who want to make a difference on the climate crisis, including:

• Obstacles broadcast meteorologist face when attempting to include climate change in their broadcasts
• Online sources and AMS support available to assist in presenting climate change information
• Taking the next step and communicating about the array of possible climate change solutions
• How to discuss climate issues in conservative markets