This book demonstrates how robust and evolving science can be relevant to public discourse
about climate policy. Fighting climate change is the ultimate societal challenge and the
difficulty is not just in the wrenching adjustments required to cut greenhouse emissions and to
respond to change already under way. A second and equally important difficulty is ensuring
widespread public understanding of the natural and social science. This understanding is
essential for an effective risk management strategy at a planetary scale. The scientific
economic and policy aspects of climate change are already a challenge to communicate without
factoring in the distractions and deflections from organized programs of misinformation and
denial. Here four scholars each with decades of research on the climate threat take on the
task of explaining our current understanding of the climate threat and what can be done about
it in lay language-importantly without losing critical aspects of the natural and social
science. In a series of essays published during the 2020 presidential election the COVID
pandemic and through the fall of 2021 they explain the essential components of the challenge
countering the forces of distrust of the science and opposition to a vigorous national
response. Each of the essays provides an opportunity to learn about a particular aspect of
climate science and policy within the complex context of current events. The overall volume is
more than the sum of its individual articles. Proceeding each essay is an explanation of the
context in which it was written followed by observation of what has happened since its first
publication. In addition to its discussion of topical issues in modern climate science the
book also explores science communication to a broad audience. Its authors are not only
scientists - they are also teachers using current events to teach when people are listening.
For preservingEarth's planetary life support system science and teaching are essential.
Advancing both is an unending task.
