A rationale for this web-quest.

1. Global warming is occurring and it is human-caused by consumption of fossil-fuels that produce heat-trapping gasses.

2. If we don’t contain emissions of heat trapping gasses to 445ppm in the next 10 years and continuously maintain that level there will be catastrophic consequences by 2020, 2050, 2080.
   1. The world consequences are…
   2. The N.J. consequences are…

3. And the sooner we begin, the easier it will be to make the changes because in the meantime we are sending more heat-trapping gasses to the atmosphere and we will have to make more drastic cuts later

4. The changes that need to be made globally by this generation to address this problem are unprecedented and we are off to a slow start globally and in the US.

1. There are many reasons

                                                              i.      There is a time lag between the escape of heat-trapping gasses and the negative effects… the negative consequences are not immediately obvious

                                                            ii.      Political and economic leaders have a vested interest in not having us make the changes

                                                          iii.      The science of this is complex and many are not prepared by their education to understand it or place confidence in the scientific evidence

                                                          iv.      It may not affect everyday life for our generation; it takes vision to look ahead and care.

                                                            v.      W hen people finally come to understand the extent and seriousness of the climate crisis, they often become discouraged and conclude that nothing can be done.

5. However, higher education institutions have the mission to understand the world and to show the path to innovate to make it better. And the students are there to learn and be the future leaders of the necessary changes to make the world better for their generation when the problems become even more serious.

6. So there is a movement in higher education respond to the climate crisis, and a challenge to show leadership in facing this problem by making their campuses climate neutral. If they become climate neutral in less than 10 years then they can meet the goal of keeping heat-trapping gasses emissions at 445 ppm or less.

7. This goal is articulated in the United States College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.  Presently 409 college and university presidents in the U.S (out of  4,392 total) have signed this commitment. The website of this initiative has resources for campuses to use in attempting to meet this commitment

8. Your task is first: to find out if your president has signed the commitment.
   1. If he or she has, then the task of your group is to develop realistic and comprehensive plan to make your campus climate neutral as soon as possible following the guidelines and the timetable in the USCUPCC.
   2. If he or she has not, then the task of your group is to develop a convincing, data-driven feasibility study that makes the strongest possible case that the president should sign the commitment to lead the campus to be carbon neutral as soon as possible following the guidelines and the timetable of the USCUPCC