The world’s oceans cover approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface and plays an important role in our climate. They are a critical part of our hydrosphere. For example, they are responsible for transporting heat from the tropics to higher latitudes and they are a sink for carbon dioxide. Oceans respond slowly to change, but we are beginning to see the evidence of how climate change has impacted our oceans, including warming sea surface temperature, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and more. Understanding the global to local changes that our hydrosphere is undergoing due to climate change will be critical for future action and solutions that will mitigate the impacts on our most precious resource, water.

This workshop will introduce learners to climate change indicators that can be found in the ocean, and the impact that it has on marine ecosystems, coastlines, economies, and society. Students will first explore the science of our hydrosphere, including the earth’s oceans, ice sheets, glaciers, lakes, rivers, and streams. We will dive into the hydrosphere’s connections to Earth’s other spheres, the role it plays in connection to climate, and the resources and ecosystem services that it provides us. This workshop highlights specific impacts of climate change on our hydrosphere, such as rising temperatures, sea level rise, ocean acidification, habitat loss, species migration, and more. We will discuss other environmental stressors that exacerbate the impacts on our waterways and marine resources, including microplastics, deep ocean drilling for oil and other resources, and exploitation of fisheries. Throughout the workshop, students will hone in on important solutions in mitigation and adaptation and learn about techniques and strategies to address global climate change impacts at the local level.

Cities are centers of creativity, community, and economic opportunity. But over time, they can negatively impact the environment by contributing to land degradation, habitat loss, and climate change. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that cities are responsible for 75% of total greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions are primarily the result of transportation and the energy required to create and power buildings. Low-carbon transportation networks and ecologically modern buildings are critical in lowering the carbon footprint of cities. We also need to protect cities from the consequences of a warming world. Sea level rise, increased incidences of storm events, droughts, and extreme heat can create public health challenges and increase vulnerability to disasters. The long-term sustainability of cities depends on our ability to prepare for the impact of these events.

This workshop explores these issues by deepening student knowledge of earth systems, geoscience, and energy flows while at the same time understanding how changes in urban design can help reduce emissions or increase resiliency. Students will learn how to use climate and environmental data to design low-carbon transportation and energy systems, waste management practices, and green buildings and public spaces. To connect this knowledge with the complex challenges of project implementation, sessions will also explore resilient urban design, environmental justice, and the growing fields of ecological design, environmental engineering, and sustainability management.

Each session will highlight case studies that demonstrate design approaches to urban greenhouse gas emissions reduction and the mitigation of climate-related hazards. Knowledge gained throughout the workshop will be used to develop a final project that reflects best practices in multi-stakeholder design for low-carbon, resilient cities.