Climate Solutions Simulation

Guide to implementing a simulation workshop on strategies to solve climate change

Climate change is a complex issue and one that can leave students feeling overwhelmed and helpless. This simulation is designed to expose learners to the variety of strategies available to address climate change, and compare and contrast them on several criteria including effectiveness, cost and feasibility. The overall message of the simulation is that we have the technology to solve this problem and that it is cost effective to do so.

The simulation draws upon the highly acclaimed book Drawdown 1 which is a compilation of the 100 most impactful carbon reduction or sequestering strategies along with their costs and benefits. Working with this information, students are asked to create a package, or legislative bill, of strategies designed to meet specific carbon reduction goals within a pre-established budget. The exercise tests their strategic thinking on the subject while revealing to them the most impactful strategies. The simulation is appropriate to use in a variety of contexts in support of multiple learning disciplines. The most obvious applications are in environmental courses, but it is just as relevant to areas like business, public policy, urban planning, economics and social sciences.

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