You've Designed Our Climate... What's Next?

What Can I Do?

You just made choices in the Design Our Climate simulation to propose a possible climate future for our planet. If humanity implemented the global choices you propose in your design, what might that mean for your own life, and for your communities? Reflect by answering the following questions, and define your next actions considering your sphere of control, your sphere of influence, your sphere of concern, and your carbon handprint:

My Action Plan

Return to DOCs and click on the Summary tab to save your current settings.
Re-adjust your settings in DOCs, and watch the "Wedges eliminated" counter to answer the following questions:

In your scenario,

Which of the five sectors made the most difference in reducing the number of wedges of greenhouse gas emissions?
Within that most impactful sector, compare how many wedges are taken out by changes in the technology we use, in contrast to lifestyle changes that increase our energy efficiency.
Across all sectors, identify the five mitigation strategies that make the most difference in reducing the number of wedges in your scenario. Choose your favourite, and define your next steps in shaping your future by implementing and advocating for this solution. "My Next Steps" below provides prompts to guide your process.

Extension Opportunities

What further changes, that may be outside of the “realistic” parameters of this simulation, would you suggest, and why?

My Next Steps

What is the first next step you will take personally this week to increase your positive impact on our climate future - which is your carbon handprint? (See Further Resources for inspiration beyond DOCs)
What are the next steps you could take to use the DOC simulation as a tool within your sphere of influence to create non-polarizing conversations about climate change and accessible solutions? (see Alberta Narratives Project resources)

Click on a layer of handprints to consider how to set your climate solutions plan into motion!

Control
Influence
Concern

Sphere of Concern

Your sphere of concern is the widest overarching category and contains everything that motivates your actions. It encompasses all that you think and care about — such as your friends and family, people and life in faraway places, and resource use and business practices.

In what ways does your sphere of concern motivate your climate design?
Can you identify commonalities you might expect between your sphere of concern, and that of people with very different backgrounds from your own? These can be helpful for building connection in conversation.

Sphere of Influence

Your sphere of influence consists of all the people and things around you that are affected by you; people and things you can have an impact or influence on. This might include family, friends, classmates, as well as the representatives of your home area in local, regional, and national government.

To implement your five most impactful mitigation strategies identified through DOCs, what are the most impactful actions you can take within your sphere of influence to help create the climate you designed?
Who in your sphere of influence do you think can make the most significant change? Ask them about climate solutions and future plans, and share your own learning.
What are some of the different ways in which you can encourage people within your sphere of influence to help create the climate you designed? Which one of these will you most enjoy, and will have the most impact?

Sphere of Control

Your sphere of control includes everything you have direct control or power over. If it is an action you yourself can take, it is within your sphere of control. Some examples of actions that are within your sphere of control are those concerning what you eat, what you buy, how you spend your time, and how you get around.

To implement your five most impactful mitigation strategies identified through DOCs, which actions can you take within your sphere of control to help create the climate you designed?
As an individual, can you alone create the climate you designed? What else can you do?
What are some of the advantages and limitations to taking action within your sphere of control?

Explore the impacts of my action plan ⮕

⊕ Further Resources:

Project Drawdown - The most substantive global climate SOLUTIONS, measured and modeled.
TED Talk by Katharine Hayhoe - "The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: talk about it".
How and Why to have climate change conversations - A resource on talking climate change.
En-ROADS - Global climate change solutions simulator - for in-depth exploration of climate modeling, and policy impacts.
ExplainingClimateChange - KCVS website for interactive learning about climate change.
UNESCO - Climate Change Education and Awareness resources.
Energy Education - Comprehensive and easy-to-understand information about the science of energy.
Student Energy - Energy Systems Map.

⊕ Resources for the Alberta context:

Alberta's climate future: final report 2019 - Report on national and provincial climate impacts.
The Alberta Narratives Project - Language for non-polarizing conversations about climate change.
Alberta Council for Environmental Education Resource Hub - Climate and energy teaching resources.
People for Energy and Environmental Literacy teaching resources - Lesson plans and support to communicate the science of climate change, clean energy technologies, and sustainability principles.
Energy Futures Lab - A platform for discussion, experimentation, and innovation in Alberta's Energy System.
Emissions Reduction Alberta - Helps Alberta take action on climate change and grow the economy.
Municipal Climate Change Action Centre - Resources for municipalities to become resilient in the face of climate change.
Energy Policy Simulator - Try out your climate policy ideas for Canada and Alberta.
Climate Atlas of Canada - A tool for learning about climate change in Canada.
Canada in a Changing Climate: Advancing our Knowledge for Action - Resources for how and why Canada's climate is changing and how to adapt to it.

⊕ Feeling Overwhelmed?

Climate and Mind - Exploring how climate changes affects mental health and well-being.
Work That Reconnects - A network and set of practices for dealing with crises.
Good Grief Network - A nonprofit that aims to address collective grief.