Climate Change Education for Vulnerable Populations

Climate change remains a concept with limited familiarity for many people. More recently, the effects of climate change are increasingly examined to decipher who is affected and to develop methods for mitigating responses. These studies have identified useful indicators of climate change resiliency, methods for accurately measuring the indicators, as well as, regions of vulnerability and vulnerable populations. However, members of vulnerable populations may lack knowledge of climate change concepts and may be less prepared to respond to its impact. The proposed climate change course will be designed to provide graduate students from vulnerable populations and/or people of color communities with knowledge of climate change concepts and afford an opportunity to assess examples of climate change impacts in their respective communities. Course objectives and lectures will be developed from materials and resources provided during the May 2014 AMS Climate Studies Diversity Project Workshop. Findings from the Texas Southern University graduate course will be used to develop fact sheets and presentations describing key terms of climate change and proven impacts of climate change for people of color, low wealth communities. Additional fact sheets will be developed specifically for communities located in close proximity to urban port communities that are plagued with cumulative environmental exposures exacerbated by the effects of climate change.