Climate Literacy 101: On a Path to Climate Success

Are you an SFU student, faculty member, or staff climate champion committed to growing your understanding of climate science and pathways for change?

Climate Literacy 101 is an opportunity to learn from and engage with leading climate science and policy experts at Simon Fraser University. We are grateful to have Dr. Kirsten Zickfeld and Dr. Mark Jaccard presenting on the state of the climate and how citizens can contribute to climate success, and participating in a Q&A session over Zoom. The event series, co-hosted by the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions and Embark, will close with information about ongoing campus climate action initiatives and ways to get involved at SFU.

PROGRAM

Session 1: The State of the Climate

Wednesday, May 27th

12pm-1pm

Dr. Kirsten Zickfeld will speak about the climate science that underpins the requirement for net zero carbon dioxide emissions to stabilize Earth’s climate. She will illustrate the atmospheric greenhouse effect, the long permanence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the lag in the warming of the ocean, which conspire to keep global mean temperature elevated even if human-made carbon dioxide emissions are eliminated.

Session 2: From Myths to Effective Climate Action

Wednesday, June 3rd

12pm-1pm

Dr. Mark Jaccard will speak on how climate-concerned citizens can overcome myths that hinder us from acting in time to prevent extreme climate impacts. Their actions can involve personal consumption choices (electric vehicles, heat pumps) but these only have an effect if citizens are also engaged in the political process and civil society to elect and support climate-sincere politicians. These personal and collective efforts must align with and foster a global strategy of decarbonization, especially in developing countries. Come to the talk to find out what is required on a simple path to climate success and what you can contribute.

Session 3: Climate Action at SFU

Wednesday, June 10th

12pm-1pm

In this session, you will hear about various climate action initiatives at SFU and opportunities to get involved. Participating groups include SFU350, Embark’s Climate Action Team, SFU Sustainability Office, and PICS.

SPEAKER BIOS

Dr. Kirsten Zickfeld is an Associate Professor in the Geography Department at Simon Fraser University. Her primary research interests are in the long-term effects of human activities on climate. She is internationally recognized for her research on the irreversibility of human-induced climate change and carbon budgets consistent with climate targets. She served as a Lead Author of the recently released IPCC Special Report of on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees and is a Lead Author of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. She has won the President’s Prize of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society and SFU President’s Prize for Leadership in Sustainability.

Dr. Mark Jaccard is a professor in SFU’s School of Resource and Environmental Management and was recently named an SFU Distinguished Professor. His Ph.D. is from Grenoble University. He researches the design and application of energy-economy models for assessing climate policies. He is an author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and a member of the Royal Society of Canada. Dr. Jaccard is the author of The Citizen’s Guide to Climate Success, published in January 2020.

ACCESSIBILITY & VENUE DETAILS

This virtual lunch and learn will be hosted over zoom and you’ll receive the meeting room access in a separate email after registration. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to us via info@embarksustainability.org

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This event is being hosted on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. In particular, this includes the land of the Musqueam, Skxwú7mesh, Tsleil-Waututh, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen, Katzie, and Semiahmoo nations.