This 2020 comprehensive report of realistic and achievable climate solutions details the most effective ways to reduce emissions, support carbon sinks, and improve society.
It is an update to Project Drawdown's first publication in 2017 and stresses the need for utilizing all solutions currently available.
Teaching Tips
Positives
The introduction provides ten key concepts, an overview of the problem and solutions, graphics to support understanding, and a brief introduction to Project Drawdown.
The introduction and summary could be used to facilitate short reading assignments or activities that focus on solutions and positive actions.
Additional Prerequisites
The actual pages on the PDF and the pages in the page preview bar on the left side do not match. Page 1 of the actual PDF begins on page 9 of the page preview bar on the left side.
There are three main sections in this document: Reduce Sources (pp. 14-49), Support Sinks (pp. 50-65), and Improve Society (pp. 66-69) that could be used independently or with other sections of the paper.
Differentiation
High school students can use this resource for group projects about climate solutions or for research on the benefits of many climate solutions. Groups could choose one climate solution to research fully and then report their findings to the rest of the class or to a broader audience.
Students can learn more about each particular solution using this table of solutions from Project Drawdown.
Social studies classes can connect this resource to lessons about civics, human rights, gender equity, or the rights of other species to exist.
Engineering classes could use sections of this paper to provide examples of technological innovations that provide global solutions to climate change and the many challenges faced because of it.
Language arts classes can use this resource for advanced reading comprehension and as an example of professional scientific writing.
Scientist Notes
This is a lengthy article that explores over 76 climate solutions with concurrent “stop” and “start” paths of action to achieve drawdown. This is very vital and recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
HS-ESS3-4 Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
HS-ESS3-5 Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.
ETS1: Engineering Design
HS-ETS1-1 Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Civics
D2.Civ.10.9-12 Analyze the impact and the appropriate roles of personal interests and perspectives on the application of civic virtues, democratic principles, constitutional rights, and human rights.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
