Learning Objectives

After finishing this chapter, you should be able to:

  • Understand the scope of global environmental challenges.
  • Distinguish between the concepts of global warming and climate change.
  • Identify the main drivers of climate change.
  • Focus on the main effects of climate change.
  • Articulate why reaching a global climate change agreement is so difficult.
  • Analyze how global forces--in particular markets, changing power, and governance--shape the climate change discussion.