This week’s reading provide a primer in major environmental issues related to climate, atmosphere, and energy before we conclude the class by thinking through some of the politics surrounding climate change mitigation and adaptation. The issues you will read about -- including acid deposition, ozone depletion, and global warming -- help to illustrate the truly global scale of environmental challenges. The corollary of this is that solutions will need to be global in nature. As you read about these dynamics this week, try to think about the types of institutions and approaches you believe might be necessary to tackle such major issues. What would it take to get to a less energy-intensive global economy, and what prior examples of successful international environmental governance provide helpful insights for doing so? How does the biophysical nature of the problem inform the types of approaches that are possible (think, for instance, about the difference between ozone depletion and global warming)? And what actions might be possible to address the challenge of global warming even in the absence of coordinated global action? What can we do in our everyday lives?