Beat Global Warming, a Slice at a Time
August 20, 2007 | Posted by Sheryl Canter in Energy Technologies
The author of today's post, Sheryl Canter, is an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.
When you talk about the consequences of global warming, people can feel overwhelmed and fear there's no solution. But there is! And a new game illustrates it.
It's based on work by Princeton University's Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow, which they describe in their paper "Wedges": Early Mitigation with Familiar Techology [PDF]. Their study showed that existing technologies can lower emissions sufficiently to stop global warming. (Bill discussed their work in his post on green technologies.)
Pacala and Socolow identified 15 existing technologies that they refer to as "wedges". Only seven are needed to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions, so we can choose what combination to use.
To help people, particularly students, understand wedges and explore different scenarios, Princeton University has created the Stabilization Wedge Game, where teams of players can "build a portfolio of stabilization strategies and assess their impacts and costs."
Try it with your friends or family — you'll come away understanding better how we can stop global warming. Here's the background page, and here are the instructions and the game [PDF] – you set it up by printing out and cutting up colored wedges.
One Response
Comment from KingdomofOz
August 20th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
Hi Ms Canter,
I think the educational aspect of this very important, however, I think we (collectively) are losing focus on what is needed for today. We need to demonstrate how these programs work. We need to make videos of the process in action. We need to actually do tangible things that the average person can identify with. Abstract concepts are not connecting with the potential grass roots participants. We must communicate in a language that the average Joe can not only identify with, but serve him up an opportunity to perform good that benefits the world. We needs hands as well as heads to fight the good fight.
This is a rally cry, lets take this battle to the field!
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