Compilation of Resources by Dr. Mark Hixon, Professor and
Hsiao Endowed Chair in Marine Biology
School of Life Sciences
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
2538 McCarthy Mall, Edmondson 216
Honolulu, HI 96822-2216
E-mail: hixonm@hawaii.edu
Web: manoa.hawaii.edu/lifesciences/people/people-faculty/mark-hixon/
Outreach Actions Taken:
MAHB on Who will save the coral reef saviors of Hawai‘i?
UH News on REEFrame: Waikīkī Coral Restoration (also on Hawai‘i News Now)
KHON2 TV on Fish Flow
UH Pilina Ao on Saving Hawai‘i’s Coral Reefs
Blue Planet Foundation: Empowered on Climate Impacts on Hawai‘i’s Coral Reefs
Cape Perpetua Land-Sea Symposium on Coastal Connectivity: a Web of Life (start at 12:13)
ARCS Foundation on How Science Can Help Save Hawai‘i's Coral Reefs
Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources PSA on Saving Coral Reef Herbivores
UH Better Tomorrow on Hawai‘i's Changing Ocean
Civil Beat on Real White Walkers are Coming
MAHB on Why Americans are Letting the Oceans Die
UH News on Secrets of Fish Population Changes Revealed
Pride of Maui on 10 Ways to Save Coral Reefs
Hawai‘i Conservation Conference Fish Larval Dispersal Connects Coral Reefs and Human Communities
Hawai‘i Public Radio on Science in a Post-Truth World and March for Science
UH News and Hawai‘i Public Radio on ArtSci 2016 – Where Art and Science Meet
ThinkTech Hawai‘i TV on Big Old Fat Fertile Female Fish
TED talk on coral reef conservation
Lionfish Invasion web page
TED talk on lionfish invasion
PBS TV on lionfish invasion
Scientists' Warning to Humanity
“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." --Aldous Huxley
Mālama honua! Fish Pono—Save Our Reefs! Join the Great Turning!
Environmental Issues and Climate Change
Web Resources: Some sites that provide accurate information about climate disruption:
Bulletin of Atomic Scientists: https://thebulletin.org/climate-change/
Carbon Brief: https://www.carbonbrief.org/
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions: https://www.c2es.org/
Climate Central: http://www.climatecentral.org/
Climate Interactive: https://www.climateinteractive.org/
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: http://www.ipcc.ch/
NASA on Global Climate Change: https://climate.nasa.gov//
NOAA’s Climate.gov: https://www.climate.gov/
Real Climate: http://www.realclimate.org/
Skeptical Science: http://www.skepticalscience.com
Smithsonian's Forces of Change: https://forces.si.edu/
Grist’s How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic: http://www.grist.org/article/series/skeptics/
Union of Concerned Scientists on Climate Change: https://www.ucsusa.org/climate
United Nations Environment Program on Climate Change: http://www.unep.org/explore-topics/climate-change
U.S. Global Change Research Program: https://www.globalchange.gov/
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication: http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/
Climate Change in Cinema: biology of climate disruption & solutions
Film: “Global Warming: The Signs and the Science” (2005; PBS; 55 min) https://vimeo.com/87880192 (full film) https://prezi.com/zkdhuixogbr-/global-warming-the-signs-and-science/ (background)
Film: “An Inconvenient Truth” (2006; Paramount; 96 min – Academy Award) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu6SE5TYrCM (official trailer) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Inconvenient_Truth (background)
Film: “Climate of Doubt: The Politics of Global Warming” (2012; Frontline & PBS; 54 min) https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-climate-doubt/ (full film) https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2012/10/frontlines-climate-of-doubt-enough-time-for-skeptics-to-self-destruct/ (discussion)
Film: “Six Degrees Could Change the World” (2008; National Geographic; 90 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU5tUY3W3WI (first 74 min of film)
Film: “Earth: The Operator's Manual” (2012; PBS; 57 min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RyvpsIx47E (full film)
Film: “Before the Flood” (2016; National Geographic; 96 min) http://watchdocumentaries.com/before-the-flood/ (full film) https://www.beforetheflood.com/ (film site)
Film: “Can We Cool the Planet?” (2020; PBS NOVA; 53 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeYJTluQ5tM (full film)
Film: “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” (2017; Paramount; 97 min) http://www.documentarymania.com/player.php?title=An%20Inconvenient%20Sequel%20Truth%20to%20Power
Film: “Chasing Carbon Zero” (2023; PBS NOVA; 53 min) https://www.pbs.org/video/chasing-carbon-zero-mzijvs/ (full film)
Film: “2040” (2021; Together Films; 83 min) https://www.documentaryarea.com/video/2040/ (full film) https://theregenerators.org/2040/ (film site)
Short: “The Story of Stuff” (2007; Free Range Studios; 21 min) https://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff/ (full film)
Short: “Greta Thunberg: School Strike for the Climate -- Save the World by Changing the Rules” (11 min; TEDx Stockholm; 2018) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAmmUIEsN9A
Short: “The Tragedy of Deforestation: Climate Change” (2022; BBC Earth; 5 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5Fwl4P4EW8 (full film)
Short: “Climate Change in the Pacific: Water” (2015; UNDP Climate; 5 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqnZdUZKT3E (full film)
Short: “Can wildlife adapt to climate change?” (2016; TED-Ed; 5 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCKRjP_DMII (full film)
Short: “Climate Change in the Pacific: Food” (2015; UNDP Climate; 5 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2nOzcSyj9E (full film)
Short: “How Animals Are Rapidly Evolving Because of Climate Change” (2022; Wired; 9 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMxsfImpaYM (full film)
Short: “Climate Change in the Pacific: Coasts” (2015; UNDP Climate; 5 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq234w56n2o (full film)
Short: “Climate change: what is ocean acidification?” (2023; Economist; 15 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVWZyDz--30 (full film)
Short: “Climate Change Causes Islands to Disappear” (2019; 60 Minutes Australia; 17 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1cdCUZNh04 (full film)
Short: “Climate Change Refugees: Homeless in Hawai‘i” (2019; HuffPost; 6 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS70PPMAqlA (full film)
Short: “Man vs. Earth” (2023; Prince EA; 4 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrzbRZn5Ed4 (full film)
Short: “David Attenborough: How to Save Our Planet” (2019; World Wildlife Fund; 9 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Puv0Pss33M (full film)
Short: “A Message from the Future with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez” (2019; The Intercept; 8 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9uTH0iprVQ (full film)
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: Race Against Time” [S2:E1] (2016; National Geographic; 50 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: Dry Season” [S1:E1] (2014; Showtime; 60 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: Gathering Storm” [S2:E2] (2016; National Geographic; 50 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: End of the Woods” [S1:E2] (2014; Showtime; 60 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: The Uprooted” [S2:E3] (2016; National Geographic; 50 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: The Surge” [S1:E3] (2014; Showtime; 60 min – Emmy Award) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: Fueling the Fire” [S2:E4] (2016; National Geographic; 50 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: Ice and Brimstone” [S1:E4] (2014; Showtime; 60 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: Oceans Collapse” [S2:E5] (2016; National Geographic; 50 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: True Colors” [S1:E5] (2014; Showtime; 60 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: Priceless” [S2:E6] (2016; National Geographic; 50 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: Winds of Change” [S1:E6] (2014; Showtime; 60 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: Unsafe Passage” [S2:E7] (2016; National Geographic; 50 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: Revolt, Rebuild, Renew” [S1:E7] (2014; Showtime; 60 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: Uprising” [S2:E8] (2016; National Geographic; 50 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: A Dangerous Future” [S1:E8] (2014; Showtime; 60 min) *
Film: “Years of Living Dangerously: Moving a Mountain” [S1:E9] (2014; Showtime; 60 min) *
* For all episodes of Years of Living Dangerously: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmB1tUgTXBEpRhv9QuUf9NAKnU6Jsi1g5
Other Relevant Films: search the web for free showings:
“Can We Cool the Planet?” (2020; PBS; 53 min): possible ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere & otherwise cool the planet
“Chasing Coral” (2017; Netflix; 93 min): about coral bleaching & coral scientists
“Chasing Ice” (2013; Submarine Deluxe; 75 min): about long-term time-lapse photography of melting glaciers
“David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet” (2020; Netflix; 114 min): a decades long personal experience of climate disruption
“Kiss the Ground” (2020; Netflix; 84 min): possible ways to cool the Earth by restoring soils & reforming agriculture
“This Changes Everything” (2015; Louverture Films; 89 min): how people from different cultures are fighting climate polluters
Recent Major Climate Change Reports:
American Meteorological Society. 2021. State of the Climate:
https://www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams/publications/bulletin-of-the-american-meteorological-society-bams/state-of-the-climate/
Fourth National Climate Assessment. 2017. I. Climate Science Special Report: https://science2017.globalchange.gov/
Fourth National Climate Assessment. 2018. II. Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/
Fifth National Climate Assessment. 2023. currently under review: https://www.globalchange.gov/nca5
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2018. Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5°C: https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
UH Sea Grant. 2014. Climate Change Impacts in Hawai‘i: http://seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/climate-change-impacts-in-hawaii/
World Meteorological Organization. 2022. State of the Global Climate:
https://public.wmo.int/en/our-mandate/climate/wmo-statement-state-of-global-climate
Climate-Focused Activist Organizations: worthy of engagement and support:
350.org: https://350.org/ (Hawai‘i chapter: https://350hawaii.org/) **** Charity Navigator Rating
Carbon180: https://carbon180.org/
Clean Air Task Force: https://www.catf.us/ **** Charity Navigator Rating
Climate Hawks Vote: http://climatehawksvote.com/
Climate Justice Now: https://climatejusticenow.org/
Climate Reality Project: https://www.climaterealityproject.org/ **** Charity Navigator Rating
Cool Effect: https://www.cooleffect.org/ **** Charity Navigator Rating
Drawdown: https://drawdown.org/
Sunrise Movement: http://www.sunrisemovement.org/ **** Charity Navigator Rating
Union of Concerned Scientists: https://www.ucsusa.org/ **** Charity Navigator Rating
Panel Discussion: “Climate Change: Is Hawaiʻi Prepared
Panel Discussion: “Climate Change: Is Hawaiʻi Prepared?” (2020; PBS Hawai‘i; 55 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMxsfImpaYM (full film)
Recommended Books on Climate Change
“Knowledge is power.”
Craven, G. 2009. What's the Worst that Could Happen? a rational response to the climate change debate. Perigee.
Fletcher, C. 2018. Climate Change: what the science tells us. 2nd ed. Wiley.
Giddens, A. 2011. The Politics of Climate Change (2nd edition). Polity Press.
Hawken, P. (ed.) 2017. Drawdown: the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming. Penguin.
Klein, N. 2014. This Changes Everything: capitalism vs the climate. Simon & Shuster.
Korten, D.C. 2007. The Great Turning: from empire to Earth community. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Mann, M.E., and T. Toles. 2018. The Madhouse Effect: how climate change denial is threatening our planet, destroying our politics, and driving us crazy. Columbia University Press.
McKibben, B. 2007. Fight Global Warming Now: the handbook for taking action in your community. Holt Paperbacks.
Oreskes, N., and E.M. Conway. 2010. Merchants of Doubt: how a handful of scientists obscured the truth on issues from tobacco smoke to global warming. Bloomsbury Press.
Powell, J. 2011. The Inquisition of Climate Science. Columbia University Press.
Romm, J. 2018. Climate Change: what everyone needs to know. Oxford University Press.
Recommended Books to Soothe the Soul and Inspire Hopeful Activism
“Only by nurturing ourselves can we nurture others.”
Clift, J., and A. Cuthbert. 2008. Climate Change: simple things you can do to make a difference. Chelsea Green Guides.
Gillespie, S. 2020. Climate Crisis and Consciousness: re-imagining our world and ourselves. Routledge.
Goodall, J. 1999. Reason for Hope: a spiritual journey. Warner Books
Kalmus, P. 2017. Being the Change: live well and spark a climate revolution. New Society Publishers. [on Laulima]
Kiehl, J.T. 2016. Facing Climate Change: an integrated path to the future. Columbia University Press.
Loeb, P.R. 2010. Soul of a Citizen: living with conviction in challenging times. St. Martin’s Press.
Moore, K.D. 2016. Great Tide Rising: toward clarity and moral courage in a time of planetary change. Counterpoint.
Moore, K.D., and M.P. Nelson (eds.) 2010. Moral Ground: ethical action for a planet in peril. Trinity University Press.
Morin, C. 2020. The Serenity Code. Depth Insights.
Shulman, S., B. Ekwurzel, D. Friedman, M. Mellon, J. Rogers, and S. Shaw. 2012. Cooler Smarter: practical steps for low-carbon living. Union of Concerned Scientists and Island Press.
Biological Topics Related to Climate Change
greenhouse effect:
allows life on Earth
carbon cycle:
photosynthesis & respiration
fossil fuels = partially decomposed ancient plants & phytoplankton
excess carbon: warms atmosphere, warms seas, acidifies ocean
warming atmosphere:
causes both droughts & floods, which affect ecosystems & humans
causes land heat waves: mortality of plants, animals, & humans
droughts & heat waves cause wildfires: mortality of plants, animals, & humans
causes physiological stress
causes shifts in physiology, phenology, geographic ranges, & interactions of land species, including disease organisms
alters land productivity & agricultural production
warming seas:
hold less oxygen, exacerbating deoxygenation & dead zones
cause ocean heat waves: coral bleaching & death (plus ocean acidification)
cause more intense hurricanes: disturb coastal ecosystems
cause physiological stress
cause shifts in phenology, geographic ranges, & interactions of ocean species, including disease organisms
alter ocean productivity & fisheries production
cause sea level rise (along with melting glaciers on land)
melting cryosphere:
melting glaciers:
reduce water availability for downstream ecosystems (on which humans depend)
alter ocean currents, which alters ocean productivity
cause sea level rise (along with rising sea temperatures)
sea level rise:
affects coastal ecosystems (on which humans depend)
melting sea ice affects:
marine fishes & invertebrates
ice seals & polar bears
Arctic native people (who are also biological entities)
extinction:
inevitable as land & sea temperatures continue to rise: esp. via habitat loss & disease
(e.g., avian malaria in Hawai‘i)
possible tipping points: positive feedback loops involving living systems
(e.g., melting tundra emits CO2 & methane, which worsen warming)
adaptation:
bleaching & disease-resistant corals
conservation of valuable ecosystems: rainforests, coral reefs, etc.
shift in human consumption of other species: less meat, more plants
drought-resistant plants, including crops
pest-resistant plants, including crops
carbon sequestration: kelps, healthy soils, native vegetation
eo-engineering: including artificial fertilization of seas