ETH Meets You at the AAAS in Boston!

A few degrees warmer and life as we know it may not exist. Scientists from North America’s Coastal and Europe’s Alpine regions will illuminate some of the global impacts of extreme climate events. Participants will gain a critical insight into the costs of human-induced climate change and its effect on the carbon cycle, human health, and climate governance.

In this session you will learn about...

Extreme droughts and heatwaves, conditions long predicted by climate models, disrupt the carbon cycle. In times of drought, plants assume less carbon resulting in increased concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This creates serious implications for climate projections and socioeconomic impacts on society.

Wildfires and air pollution exacerbated by climate change pose a dire threat to human health, particularly for those with conditions such as asthma and autoimmune disorders. Addressing these health impacts requires advanced tools that aid in critical decision-making and managing the disparities in global exposure to environmental stressors.

Plastics - often overlooked as a climate threat - originates from fossil fuels, polluting ecosystems, and undermining global decarbonization efforts. A global treaty process might offer solutions. Rwanda, a leader in environmental governance, is shaping global plastic policy, while communities turn environmental values into sustainable works of art.