Meeting the Challenges of a Warming World

There’s no doubt about it—the climate is changing. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2019 was Earth’s second warmest year on record (after 2016), with global temperatures at more than 2º F (1.15º C) above the pre-Industrial average.¹
At a time when key political leaders and policymakers continue to express skepticism of or deny human-induced warming, scientific organizations have released statements that solidify the growing global consensus that climate change—and the accompanying rise in extreme weather events—is a crisis that must be addressed.

In a statement released in 2020 (included in full on p. 18), the Society of Physics Students and the Sigma Pi Sigma National Council urge their chapters to promote public awareness of the science behind human-induced climate change and to practice environmental sustainability. The American Geophysical Union, in a statement updated in 2019, says that
“Society must . . . prepare to cope with and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. Done strategically, efficiently, and equitably, the needed transformations provide a pathway toward greater prosperity and well-being, while inaction will prove very costly for humans and other life on the planet.”²
The Executive Committee of the International Association of Physics Students says in a 2019 statement, “As Physics students, we have the right and the responsibility to use what we learn to make sure the public is paying attention to this very pressing issue. Whether by striking, talking to others, holding informative conferences or contacting decision-makers, we, as part of the future of societies everywhere, must be involved in the efforts to tackle climate change.”³
The features in this issue highlight individual students, professors, and veteran scientists who are directly confronting the important challenges posed by climate change, as well as SPS chapters that are focusing outreach efforts on raising public awareness. Some are changing their academic paths, while others are attending workshops, giving talks, or simply turning the lights out in the lab. All of them prove that physics students and professionals have a role to play—and that they’re well prepared to step onto the stage.

References
1. “State of the Climate: Global Climate Report for Annual 2019,” NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, published online January 2020, accessed March 10, 2020, https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201913 , www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-201912 .
2. “American Geophysical Union Position Statement on Climate Change,” previously adopted by the American Geophysical Union in December 1998; new version adopted December 2003; revised and reaffirmed December 2007, February 2012, August 2013, November 2019, www.agu.org/Share-and-Advocate/Share/Policymakers/Position-Statements/Position_Climate .
3. “IAPS Statement on Climate Change” and “School Strike for Climate,” August 13, 2019, www.iaps.info/blog/2019/08/31/iaps-2019-annual-general-meeting-statement-on-climate-change/ .