Climate Change Literacy and Education ― The Science and Perspectives from the Global Stage

The ACS Climate Change Public Policy Statement recommends that "The U.S. Government should promote climate science literacy and education for citizens and policymakers about climate change impacts to help empower citizens and local and regional governments to make informed decisions and preparations to help protect homes, businesses, and communities against adverse impacts." To that end, this book series seeks to promote climate science literacy and education among college and university students, young adults, educators, policymakers, and the general public. The chapters in this volume address the foundation and purpose of the ACS Climate Change
Literacy and Education project, climate science, and international perspectives.

Individual chapters are authored by students who have represented the ACS as UN-accredited "Observers" at the annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conferences of Parties (COPs) from 2010 through 2015. Each of these student authors has presented outcomes of their COP project in climate change literacy symposia at ACS National Meetings. This Climate Science Literacy and Education book series offers insight from students who have engaged the global community at the epicenter of international climate change negotiations. The annual COPs are a vital resource that facilitates deeper understanding of the science of climate change within a broad context of sustainability, economic equity, social justice, and the complexities of developing multilateral policy.

The student authors have interacted directly with national leaders and international negotiators in the real-world United Nations. They have interviewed community leaders, business and NGO representatives, everyday citizens, and youth from around the globe. They have used the UN as an international platform-and social media as a tool-to engage their peers, young adults, and educators in the climate change discourse. The guiding principle of this ACS-sponsored climate literacy project is to enable students to communicate directly with their peers and educators, as opposed to a top-down approach for involving students in a dialogue about climate science.

Keith Peterman is a Professor of Chemistry at York College of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the ACS Committee on Environmental Improvement. He has served as a Fulbright Scholar in Germany and in Russia, a National Academy of Sciences Scholar in Poland, a Research Fellow at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC, and as a visiting professor in China and New Zealand. He writes a blog hosted by the York Daily Record and is a contributing member of the Huffington Post blog team. He participates in the United Nations climate conferences as an accredited member of the press.

Gregory P. Foy is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at York College of Pennsylvania. He is the Chemistry Program Coordinator, and his research interests are focused on Environmental Chemistry. He is a member of the ACS Committee on Meetings and Expositions. Since the International Year of Chemistry 2011, he has shepherded more than 50 college students to attend the yearly United Nations climate change meetings. He writes a blog hosted by the York Daily Record and is a contributing member of the Huffington Post blog team and attends the COPs as an accredited member of the press.

Matt Cordes is the Founder and Principal Writer at WritingWorks. Since 2005 he has worked with more than 250 commercial and nonprofit clients in the northeastern United States to provide writing, research, and business development consulting. With several clients working in the renewable energy space, (primarily solar photovoltaics and biodigestion), Matt focuses on topics of climate and energy in many of his writing efforts. He has participated in several United Nations climate conferences and written extensively on the topic of climate change.