DUE FEBRUARY 24

I - Read the following components of: calif_climate_change.pdf

Executive Summary
Chapter 1: California's future Climate
Chapter 2: California's unique ecosystems
Chapter 3: Human influences on California Ecosystems
Chapter 4: one of the following sections:

       - Freshwater ecosystems (p17 -19)
       - Plant growth and the Water Cycle (p20 -22)
       - Fire (p22-35) 
       - Future distributions of California Ecosystems (p35-38)
       - Biodiversity (p38-40)
       - Pests and Pathogens (p40-42)
       - Floods and Lanslides (p42-43)
       - Agricultural Ecosystems (p44-45)
       - Forestry (p46)
       - Intertidal and Marine ecosystems (p46-49)
       - Sea level (p49-50)

How confident can we be about Future Trends ...? (p51 -52)
Chapter 5 - Meeting the challenges of climate change

II - Analyze the impacts of climate change on California from the perspective of a policy maker under two possible scenarios:
* Scenario #1: you are prepared to take some action at
this time
* Scenario #2 you cannot afford to take action at this
time.

III - Answer the following questions:

1) Under scenario #1,

       i) Which actions would you suggest with regards 
       to the impacts of climate change on one of the topics 
       of your choice (climate or ecosystem) in California 
       and why? 
       ii) What are at least two possible resistances you 
       would expect from the public and how would you 
       answer them?

2) Under scenario #2

       i) What are the possible reasons for you to refuse
       to take action with regards to one of the topics of 
       your choice (climate or ecosystem) in California?
       ii) What are at least two possible criticisms you would
       anticipate and how would you answer them?

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Grading

Grading will be done using a rubric approach. That is every part of each question asked will be analyzed and graded on a scale of 1 -5 and the final points will be added. So, please make sure that you answer every part of each question.