climate change — Blog — Sage Perspectives Blog

Water Infrastructure and Governance in an Age of Climate Change

The earth’s climate is changing. Centuries of historical climate patterns are shifting in predictable and unpredictable ways. For thousands of years, human civilizations have altered the landscape to harness water resources for human needs—drinking water, agricultural irrigation, flood control, and a myriad of other uses. This existing infrastructure has been constructed with specific climate patterns and uses in mind. Climate patterns, largely stable for generations, have been changing at a much more rapid pace than historical precedent might suggest. These changes have, in turn, created new pressures on the built environment, water infrastructure and governance systems.

Emotions and sustainability

The climate crisis is intensely emotional: many of us feel anxious about the future and frustrated at the lack of adequate political action. At the same time, we may be hopeful that we can avert the worst of the projected outcomes and maybe even feel excited at the prospect of building a better world. Yet despite the clear links between emotions and sustainability, scientific knowledge is lacking on how emotions shape and are shaped by the climate and biodiversity crises, and how our emotions relate to pro-environmental behaviour.

Lifestyle Medicine: The Prescription for Individual, Community, and Planetary Health

Among the people most at risk from climate change-related heat waves, extreme weather events, and worsened air quality are those with chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung diseases.

ResearchMaria Pia TissotMay 2, 2023lifestyle medicine, climate change

World Scientists' Warnings into Action, Local to Global

Human civilization stares out over a cliff edge. As a species in ecological overshoot, our journey is impossible to continue on its present pathway. Six priority areas for global action were underlined in the World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency paper, published in 2019, which has now been endorsed by a total of 14,594 scientists from 158 countries.

ResearchKimberley SimpsonNovember 22, 2021climate change, atmosphere, COP26, Environment, Environmental changes

Carbon Footprinting and Pricing Under Climate Concerns

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been on the world agenda for decades (197 nations formally committed to reducing carbon emissions at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992). But public opinion has reached a point where “business as usual” is becoming increasingly difficult to justify.

How can we stop global warming?

People who accept science have been asking that question for years, to no appreciable effect. The lack of action has already ensured that global temperature will exceed the 2°C goal of the Paris Climate Agreement. We can still limit the rise to 3°C, but time is running out.

Research, Editor's PicksKimberley SimpsonJanuary 29, 2020climate change, global warming, society