INTRO



The first clues appeared decades ago. In Alaska, Natives noticed changes to the flesh of the salmon they ate and a decrease in the number of caribou; in the Gulf of Mexico oysters were being found farther and farther inland.

Scientists asked, “Why?” The answer is simple: The global climate is getting warmer—as a result of greenhouse-gas emissions. Slowly skepticism about our role has given way to consensus. And now, as a global issue, we need social and physical scientists to understand how this change will impact our lives and what exactly we should do. Three women—an Alaskan anthropologist, a scientist whose research was part of a Nobel—prize-wining effort on climate change and a Washington, D.C., environmental lobbyist—share their perspectives on just these questions.