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Climate Solutions Pathway

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About This MicroSim

This MicroSim takes a solutions-oriented approach to climate change by letting students explore and evaluate different strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A central temperature pathway shows projected warming under different scenarios, while branching solution categories -- Energy, Transport, Land Use, Industry, and Policy -- each contain specific interventions with estimated gigatons of CO2 reduced per year.

Students click solutions to "activate" them and immediately see the temperature pathway shift downward. Progress bars show current adoption levels vs. potential for each solution, and stacking multiple solutions reveals their combined effect. The simulation demonstrates that no single solution is sufficient -- meaningful climate action requires a portfolio of complementary strategies across multiple sectors.

The solutions-focused framing is intentionally designed to prevent climate despair and empower students to see their agency. By comparing individual actions to systemic policy changes, students develop a nuanced understanding of where the greatest impact lies and why both personal choices and institutional change matter.

How to Use

  1. Observe the temperature pathway showing projected warming of approximately 4 degrees C by 2100 under business-as-usual (red line).
  2. Click individual solution cards to activate them. Watch the temperature pathway shift downward as each solution reduces emissions by its estimated gigatons of CO2 per year.
  3. Stack multiple solutions by clicking several cards. Observe how the combined effect reduces projected warming more than any single solution.
  4. Note the progress bars on each solution showing current adoption vs. total potential.
  5. Toggle between Mitigation and Adaptation views to compare strategies that reduce emissions vs. strategies that help communities adjust.
  6. Use the Reset button to clear all selections and build a new climate plan from scratch.
  7. Try to build a portfolio that keeps warming below 2 degrees C and note which combination of solutions is required.

Iframe Embed Code

You can add this MicroSim to any web page by adding this to your HTML:

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<iframe src="https://dmccreary.github.io/ecology/sims/climate-solutions/main.html"
        height="547px"
        width="100%"
        scrolling="no"></iframe>

Lesson Plan

Grade Level

9-12 (High School Environmental Science)

Duration

45 minutes

Learning Objectives

  • Assess the relative impact of different climate solutions in terms of gigatons of CO2 reduced
  • Explain how mitigation and adaptation strategies work together to address climate change
  • Evaluate the feasibility and scalability of solutions across energy, transport, land use, industry, and policy sectors
  • Construct a portfolio of solutions that achieves meaningful emissions reductions

Prerequisites

  • Understanding of the greenhouse effect and global warming
  • Familiarity with major sources of greenhouse gas emissions by sector
  • Basic knowledge of renewable energy concepts

Standards Alignment

  • NGSS HS-ESS3-4: Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
  • NGSS HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs.
  • AP Environmental Science: Topic 9.7 -- Sustainability

Activities

  1. Engage (5 min): Ask students: "If you could implement one change to fight climate change, what would it be?" After sharing responses, reveal that climate scientists say no single solution is enough -- we need a combination. Introduce the concept of a solutions portfolio.

  2. Explore (15 min): Students work individually to build their "My Climate Plan." First, activate only Energy solutions and note the temperature reduction. Then only Transport, only Land Use, only Industry, only Policy. Record which sector provides the largest reduction. Then build a full portfolio attempting to reach below 2 degrees C. Record which specific solutions they selected and the final projected temperature.

  3. Explain (15 min): Compare student portfolios as a class. Did everyone choose the same solutions? Discuss trade-offs: Why might some high-impact solutions be harder to implement? What is the difference between solutions with high adoption already vs. those with low adoption but high potential? Introduce the distinction between mitigation (reducing emissions) and adaptation (adjusting to impacts already occurring).

  4. Extend (10 min): Students choose one solution from their portfolio and research its real-world status: Where has it been successfully implemented? What barriers exist to scaling it up? Students write a paragraph connecting their simulation findings to real-world implementation challenges.

Assessment Questions

  1. Which sector (Energy, Transport, Land Use, Industry, Policy) offers the largest total emissions reduction potential? Why?
  2. Why is a portfolio approach to climate solutions more effective than relying on a single strategy?
  3. Compare the solution with the highest current adoption to one with the lowest. What factors explain the difference?
  4. Explain the difference between mitigation and adaptation. Give one example of each from the simulation.
  5. A classmate says "Technology will solve climate change -- we just need better solar panels." Using evidence from the simulation, evaluate this claim.

References

  1. Hawken, P. (Ed.). (2017). Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. Penguin Books.
  2. IPCC (2022). Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change. Summary for Policymakers.
  3. Project Drawdown. (2024). Climate Solutions. drawdown.org