The Project:
The above map, from a recent New York Times article, reveals that most Americans believe in global warming, but few believe it will matter for them personally. The Tipping Points project aims to make the map on the right look more like the one on the left. It helps people understand how long-term, global climate changes influence local communities, and in turn their lives and the lives of their ancestors or descendants. It transforms climate change from an abstraction into a tangible force in people's lives.
Articles on this site use big climate data to explain how past, present, and future climate changes have affected, are affecting, or will affect communities around the world. Every article explains: 1) how global climate trends influence local environments; 2) how we know, and; 3) the consequences for local communities and people.
Narratives resonate with people, which is why we think that our articles can be more influential than visualizations. Nevertheless, this site also features a list of the tools our contributors use to write their articles. Any of our visitors can use these tools to figure out how climate change could matter to them.
Articles on this site use big climate data to explain how past, present, and future climate changes have affected, are affecting, or will affect communities around the world. Every article explains: 1) how global climate trends influence local environments; 2) how we know, and; 3) the consequences for local communities and people.
Narratives resonate with people, which is why we think that our articles can be more influential than visualizations. Nevertheless, this site also features a list of the tools our contributors use to write their articles. Any of our visitors can use these tools to figure out how climate change could matter to them.
The Editors:
Dr. Dagomar Degroot is associate professor of environmental history at Georgetown University. He is the founder and lead editor of the Tipping Points project, as well as the co-founder and co-director of the Climate History Network, and the founder and director of the popular website HistoricalClimatology.com. His publications uncover lessons for the future by uncovering examples of societal resilience and adaptation in the face of past climate changes.
Emma Moesswilde is a PhD student in environmental history at Georgetown. She designed the GIS map on our homepage. Her research explores the relationship between climate change and agricultural improvement in eighteenth-century Britain. She is the co-host of the podcast Climate History.
Sarah Harper was a Georgetown undergraduate student and teaching assistant in the 2019 history courses belonging to the Georgetown Core Pathways Program in Climate Change.
Maddie Bowen was a Georgetown undergraduate student and teaching assistant in the 2020 history courses belonging to the Georgetown Core Pathways Program in Climate Change.
Emma Moesswilde is a PhD student in environmental history at Georgetown. She designed the GIS map on our homepage. Her research explores the relationship between climate change and agricultural improvement in eighteenth-century Britain. She is the co-host of the podcast Climate History.
Sarah Harper was a Georgetown undergraduate student and teaching assistant in the 2019 history courses belonging to the Georgetown Core Pathways Program in Climate Change.
Maddie Bowen was a Georgetown undergraduate student and teaching assistant in the 2020 history courses belonging to the Georgetown Core Pathways Program in Climate Change.
The Contributors:
Most of our contributors are undergraduate and graduate students in environmental history courses at Georgetown University and Central Washington University.
The Sponsors:
Tipping Points events at Georgetown University are funded by a grant from the Georgetown University Environment Initiative. Events have also been co-sponsored by the Approaching the Anthropocene Mellon-Sawyer Seminar Series at Georgetown.
Our web presence is funded by a Georgetown University Research Infrastructure Award. Undergraduate student editors are funded by Georgetown's Core Pathway on Climate Change.
Our web presence is funded by a Georgetown University Research Infrastructure Award. Undergraduate student editors are funded by Georgetown's Core Pathway on Climate Change.