401V: "Let's Prepare for Our New Climate"

Here's the TED talk by Vicki Arroyo on the adaptations we must make, and why we can't depend on "experts."



We discussed these questions:

1. What is Vicki Arroyo's home town? How much of it is below sea level?
2. What does she mean when she says, "The military gets it"? Why does the military consider climate change a "threat multiplier"?
3. How did the church that Vicki's mother attends earn their "Energy Star" award?
4. Why did the U.S. Congress apparently think that pets were important enough to pass a special law concerning their evacuation?
5. Why was it important for Ethiopia to prepare for heat and drought conditions? (What proportion of the population depends on rainfall for its livelihood?) What does Vicki Arroyo mean by the term "virtuous cycle"?
6. What is one of the ways Washington, D.C., is funding the installation of green roofs?
7. Why does it make sense to locate airports near the coast? On the other hand, what special problems do such locations cause?
8. Why can we no longer trust "stationarity?"

We also watched and briefly discussed these three wildlife-preservation TV spots:







"When we all come together, we can do anything."