Program LMU Munich Climate School 2024

Prof. Dr. Julia Pongratz

How does the greenhouse effect work? What are tipping points all about? How do we know that the current climate change is due to humans? Can we still meet the 2 degree target? In this overview lecture, we highlight the most fundamental physical connections between human activity and the natural Earth system -- knowledge that can easily be used to refute popular climate skeptic arguments. Simplified in climate models and packed onto high-performance computers, these relationships provide us with predictions of how the climate will evolve in the future. We address the main driver of current climate change -- fossil and land-use emissions -- and make an informed speculation about whether we have already reached "peak emissions". Last, we discuss how to meet the Paris targets for limiting global warming and the challenges we face in doing so.

Tobias Nützel

Earth system models are important tools to strengthen our understanding of the global climate system based on the physical, chemical and biological properties of its components (atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, land, and biosphere) and their interactions and feedbacks. Earth system models are also widely used to project potential climate futures under a wide range of scenarios.

In this practice module, we will get a first impression of how Earth system models and its sub-components work. With the help of simple calculations, we will understand fundamentals of the climate system and approximate “What if”-questions (e.g. How would the Earth’s temperature be without an atmosphere? How does global temperature change in response to emissions of different greenhouse gases? How does global temperature change in response to large-scale modifications (e.g. de-/afforestation) of the land surface?). We will also look at these questions with a simple climate model and then compare our answers with output from complex Earth system models as used in the latest IPCC report and discuss similarities and differences.

Prof. Dr. Matthias Garschagen/Dr. Jan Petzold

What impacts of climate change should we expect? What global patterns and trends can be identified? How useful are the latest conceptual and methodological innovations in climate change risk assessment? What are the options for adapting to climate change? Are there limits to adaptive capacity?

In this module we will look at and discuss the existing and expected impacts of climate change. We will get an overview of different ecosystems and human societies around the world, but also discuss hotspots with the most serious risks. In addition to the global overview, we will dive into selected case studies to illustrate the impacts of climate change and discuss methodological challenges in their assessment. Among other things, we will take a look at cascading effects. Building on this, we discuss the extent to which effective adaptation to climate change impacts will be possible, looking at the difficult questions of technical and economic feasibility, but also the cultural acceptance of competing adaptation options. Finally, we discuss if and when limits to adaptive capacity will be reached. Among numerous other sources, the presentation uses and explains recent results from international "assessments" such as those within the framework of the IPCC or the Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative (GAMI). In addition, the presentation combines the discussion of empirical or model-based findings with the discussion of newer conceptual and methodological approaches.

Dr. Wolfgang A. Obermeier

What does land use mean, how does land use and its changes effect the carbon cycle (and thus the climate), and what potential does land use offer to mitigate climate change?

About 3/4 of the land surface is used by humans, mainly for the production of food and raw materials for energy and fibers. This land use and the associated land use changes have long affected the climate, for example by altering biogeochemical processes such as the carbon cycle. For example, clearing forests for cropland typically results in the release of CO2 into the atmosphere, which increases the global greenhouse effect. In contrast, (re)forestation is probably the most discussed land use change option with a high potential to remove CO2 from the atmosphere by sequestering carbon, for example, in woody biomass. Accurate quantification of these effects is therefore crucial to quantify historical emissions from land use and to allow attribution to emitting countries. Furthermore, this is a prerequisite for analyzing the carbon dioxide removal potential of vegetation-based negative emission technologies for the future and thus for identifying pathways towards the desired goal of net zero emissions.

Prof. Dr. Ralf Ludwig

Climate Change and Extreme Events - Risks and Perspectives for the Management of Regional Water Resources

The extreme weather events of recent years have brought the discussion of climate change and its consequences back into the scientific and societal focus. However, despite considerable progress in climate research, the assessment of the regional consequences of global warming is fraught with uncertainties, which are often misused as an argument against anticipatory adaptation.

The presentation shows development trends and the projected future of hydrological and meteorological extremes for southern Germany, the Alps, and the Mediterranean region. New simulations show, that in the course of the 21st century we can expect more frequent and more severe heavy rainfall and flood events, but also significantly increased drought and heat, if international climate protection goals are not consistently implemented. Also the resulting consequences and risks for the regions mentioned will be discussed.

Prof. Dr. Ann-Katrin Kaufhold

In this event, we will explore the question of which state obligations to protect the climate arise from the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany (“Grundgesetz”) and which constitutional limits the state has to observe when it takes measures to protect the climate. The spectacular and much-discussed climate protection decision of the Federal Constitutional Court of 24 March 2021 will be at the centre of our considerations.

Dr. Sonja Heitzer

The vast majority of the population believes that climate change is real, man-made and detrimental. Nevertheless, CO₂ reduction targets are continuously missed. Legislators and legal scholars have so far paid surprisingly little attention to the background of this motivational problem. In this context, a behavioral approach to climate law helps to understand why climate protection laws have their current inadequate form and at which points the legislation has not yet exhausted its potential.

Prof. Dr. Christian Walter

This module aims at providing an overview of the international legal framework of climate protection. It will address the relationship between the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change of 1992 (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 and the Paris Agreement of 2015. The combat against climate change will be put into the overall context and development of international environmental law. However, the main focus of the presentation is on an analysis of the main mechanisms provided for under the Paris Agreement.

Lena Köhn

A Peruvian farmer suits RWE AG for climate-related damages in Peru and writes legal history in German climate litigation.

In this practical unit we will analyze together the case Lliuya vs. RWE AG, which after the first-instance ruling (Landgericht Essen) is currently on appeal before the Oberlandesgericht Hamm. The case is particularly interesting as it marks a turning point in German climate litigation: Never before a German civil court had gathered scientific evidence abroad to prove German companies’ liability for concrete climate-related damages in other parts of the world.

The case deals with RWE’s civil responsibility (§§ 1004 i.V.m. 677 ff, 812 BGB) to assume and to reimburse costs for preventive measures in order to protect Mr. Lliuyas house from flooding and/ or mudslides. As the Peruvian farmer Mr. Lliuya sustains RWE AG emits 0,47% of greenhouses gases worldwide and is thus partially responsible for global and local climate warming all over the world. This causes the accelerated melting of the nearby Palcaraju-Glacier which leads to a significant increase in the spread and volume of water of the Palcacocha-Lagoon. This again provokes a constant threat of harm from flooding and/ or mudslides to the plaintiff’s house located below the Palcacocha-Lagoon in Huaraz, Peru, which thus has to be protected. In this unit we will briefly get to know the main lines of reasoning of the Landgericht Essen and Oberlandesgericht Hamm to then focus on discussing the key questions of causality and attribution of responsibility (Pflichtwidrigkeit) in German civil climate litigation.

Prof. Dr. Markus Vogt

Climate protection as a right of freedom; synergies and conflicts between climate protection and poverty reduction; "common but differentiated responsibilities of nations"; global egalitarianism in climate justice? Models: "responsibility and capacity" vs. "contraction and convergence"; the CO2 budget approach; CO2 tax or certificate trading as a way to overcome market failure?

Dr. Nicolai v. Maltitz

Prof. Dr. Helmut Satzger

In the intensification of the "climate crisis", responsibility for climate change and consequential climate damage is currently moving more and more into the focus of the (world) public. In this context, our module on "Climate Criminal Law" explores the question of what role (criminal) prohibition and sanction standards can play as part of an efficient climate policy. We therefore will take a closer look at the possibility of penalising climate-damaging behaviour.

Prof. Dr. Christopher Balme

The term ‚Artivism‘ combines art and activism. Ecocritical interventions by artists are legion and constitute a growing subgenre of contemporary performance art. In this module we will look at a selection of artivist projects that intervene in the public sphere. There will be space for designing actual performative interventions.

Noah Räderer

The use of criminal law to protect the climate is already the subject of discussion. In most cases, the creation of a criminal offence that directly protects the climate is discussed. However, climate protection in criminal law cannot only be achieved by sanctioning certain types of behaviour. This is because a targeted selection of the consequences of certain (even existing) offences could also have a climate and environmental protection effect. As an introduction to this idea, the keynote lecture will examine the recognized theories of punishment (i.e. the question of what is punished for and why in the first place) and analyze the idea of restitution as an additional criminal sanction and its compatibility with these theories.

Prof. Dr. Henrike Rau

Drawing on a growing body of social-scientific work on climate change, this lecture examines how collectively held views of climate change and related practices vary significantly both within and between societies, producing divergent climate cultures. Calls for rapid and radical action, underpinned by alarmist views of climate change, contrast with more sceptical takes and variants of climate change denial. Moreover, there are perspectives that treat climate change as a manageable problem that requires measured action, contrasting with more radical perspectives that call for immediate action across a range of core policy areas. Considering the politics and practice of climate action, it emerges that climate cultures that dominate in elite circles, including among many scientists and decision makers, may prescribe courses of action that either bear no resemblance to or actually clash with the everyday experiences and practices of many citizens.

Dr. Maria Stockenreiter

The Climate School lecture about global change and aquatic ecosystems (Stibor) will show that climate change can have far-reaching impacts on lake ecosystems and the organisms that rely on them. Our excursion will provide hands on experience and observation of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of a lake ecosystem. Understanding these impacts is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change on lakes and other ecosystems. It allows us to gain an understanding of the interdependent relationships between living and nonliving components of the ecosystem, and how they are affected by various natural and human-induced factors. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to grasp the diversity of species and adaptations present in a lake ecosystem, and the importance of conservation efforts to preserve these unique habitats. Overall, this excursion will enhance our understanding of lake ecosystems and the need for further research. We will visit a pond in the English Garden where we will dive into the world of plankton and discuss possible effects of climate change. Each participant will have the opportunity to observe plankton organisms closely. Current research questions in aquatic ecology and possible applications can be discussed.

Prof. Dr. Joachim Haug

In the time of an ongoing biodiversity crisis, measuring biodiversity is essential for political decisions. Most measures of biodiversity are traditionally related to species richness, i.e. to counting species. This way of measuring has unfortunately severe limitations, which will be outlined. Furthermore, we will look at other possible measures of biodiversity and discuss what these can contribute to the evaluation of the diversity of a biological community, especially concerning functional aspects. Examples from the group of lacewings as well as from planktic crustacean larvae are used to demonstrate the benefit of additional measures.

Prof. Dr. Dario Leister

Aquatic ecosystems provide essential services to people, but human activities are disrupting these services and leading to biodiversity loss. It is therefore essential to develop timely and sustainable practices that maintain the diversity and health of aquatic ecosystems to enable continued and sustainable ecosystem services. This requires a deep understanding of the complex interactions between organisms and their environment, as well as effective policies and practical management strategies for these ecosystems. However, most analyses to date have focused on the adaptation of individual organisms or populations in experimental situations that have been stripped of most complexity. Similarly, research on how societies adapt to ecological crises has only recently come into focus.

The CATCH concepts aim to predict the impacts of environmental change, particularly in aquatic ecosystems, and their consequences for human society, particularly in the context of climate change. The project also aims to develop methods to prevent or mitigate negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems and to increase their resilience. More information on this will be provided in the presentation.

Prof. Dr. Herwig Stibor

The biological effects of climate change are often seen in the context of individual species adapting to higher temperatures. However, species never live in isolation, but in association with other species with which they interact in complex ways. These interactions (competition, predation, symbiosis) influence both the extent of possible adaptations of individual species to environmental changes and their effects on regional and global biochemical cycles. Additionally, climate change is more than just increasing temperatures. Using examples from aquatic ecosystems, the complex interactions between temperature, the physical and chemical environment and biological adaptations are presented and discussed.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Knill

In this modul, we take a comparative perspective on the factors affecting the adoption and implementation of national climate policies. We analyse, which factors affect the extent to which national governments respond to problems of climate change by adopting new policies and programs. Moreover, we take a closer look at the question of and to what extent these policy ambitions are actually matched by corresponding administrative capacities for effectively implementing these measures.

Talitta Reitz/Anna Schwark

One Health is an approach that looks to humans, animals, and the environment as connected and interdependent entities. Within this holistic and interdisciplinary approach, climate change is of critical importance because it unfolds severe and ever-increasing impacts on the health of humans and more-than-humans alike. This session will give you a first inside into looking at climate change through the One Health lens. If we gain your interest, you might also be interested in taking part in our international game-based online course (https://www.cih.lmu.de/education/short-term-courses/one-health-and-climate-change-course).

PD Dr. med. Günter Fröschl

Climatic conditions have an impact on vectors of infectious diseases. Changes in these environmental factors do therefore bring about changing epidemiological patterns of vector-borne diseases. This talk will give an overview over the most important vector-borne diseases, their corresponding vectors, and the influence of climate change. Some examples of already changing epidemiological patterns will be given next to an outlook on what physicians and citizens will have to expect in the future.

Talitta Reitz/Anna Schwark

This module will bring a climate change problem through the One Health perspective, exemplifying its potential for the prevention and mitigation of impacts and the continuation of solutions. In a role-playing game, participants will personify and explore the standpoints of different actors and generate ideas to help a city suffering from climate change-related health issues.

Dr. Waldemar Marz

Since William Nordhaus was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2018 (for integrating climate change into long-term macroeconomic analysis), climate economics research has become more widely known. However, economists have been working on the economic impacts and consequences of climate change, the estimation of economic costs of mitigation and adaptation, international climate agreements and the design of climate policies for much longer. The module first gives a brief overview of the topics that climate economists deal with. Subsequently, the following topics will be dealt with exemplarily:

1. Approaches and challenges in assessing the effects of climate change, the so-called social costs of carbon.

2. Approaches to integrating climate impacts into economic decisions through CO2 pricing, and presentation and brief discussion of a climate economic model in the tradition of Nordhaus.

Prof. Dr. Christian Fries

Integrated assessment models combine geophysical climate models (e.g. how CO2 concentration influences temperature) with economic models (e.g. how the economy impacts CO2 concentration and how a rise in temperature damages the economy).

Interest rates are relevant in assessing present and future damages as they determine how they may be compared.

This approach bears some interesting (philosophical) questions related to inter-generational equity once the underlying financial principles are understood.

In this presentation, we will give an elementary introduction to a simple integrated assessment model (the DICE model), an elementary introduction to interest rates and interest rate models and discuss the role of interest rates in climate models and intergenerational equity.

Prof. Dr. Sonja Dümpelmann

Discussions about the urban forest and tree canopy, carbon sequestration, sustainability, and tree adoption programs are becoming more prevalent by the day. However, trees have been planted in cities for a long time, and their systematic and comprehensive planting by municipal governments began in the nineteenth century. Focusing on New York City and Berlin, this lecture will shed light on the social and cultural history of street trees, revealing how from the beginning they were not only planted for aesthetic purposes but to improve the urban climate. Besides their role as air conditioners, the stories told in this lecture will also show how street trees have been considered as creators of space, territorial markers, instruments of defense, emancipation and empowerment, sanitizers, nuisance, upholders of moral values, economic engines, scientific tools, and ecological habitat.

Dr. Bernhard Goodwin

This talk tries to start the discussion about science communication, encompassing public engagement with scientific knowledge. It delves into the subjects being communicated, including research findings, methods, policy implications, and the social aspects of science as an institution. It identifies the diverse individuals involved, from scientists to science communication professionals, journalists, activists, and more. The talk examines the impact of science communication at micro, macro, and meso levels, influencing individuals' beliefs, values, behaviors, societal norms, policies, and fostering collective transformation. Overall, it emphasizes effective and responsible science communication in shaping a scientifically informed society.

Prof. Dr. Lars Guenther

How people think and feel about climate change largely depends on the sources they use to get informed about the topic. In climate change communication, various actors (e.g., scientists, politicians, journalists, NGOs, movements, etc.) strive to make their voices heard, and most people receive climate-related information through (digital) journalistic and social media. Therefore, it is crucial to pay attention to the diverse ways in which different actors represent – or frame – climate change—whether in texts, visuals, or multimodal combinations.

This talk will delve into the sources that people use to learn about climate change, with a specific focus on (digital) journalistic and other media representations of climate change—both textual and visual. The discussion will address the reasons for variations, typical actors involved, voices of skepticism/denial, the psychological proximity or distance in representations of climate change, and will briefly reflect on the implications for audiences receiving climate change information.

Dr. Simon Lübke

The workshop provides an overview of the crucial role that (news) media play in the public discourse on climate change. Participants will learn about the fundamental processes of journalistic news reporting on climate change and understand the influence of news media in shaping public opinion and political actions on climate change. Based on current examples from the German climate discourse, we will explore how different news media report about climate change and discuss relevant factors that explain differences in the frequency and tonality of climate change reporting. We further discuss how political actors can gain public visibility by adapting to these and other factors. The workshop will also address current trends in climate communication, such as the use of political internet memes in online discussions on social media.

Prof. Dr. Imke Hoppe

In climate related sciences, the term ‚tipping point‘ describes a threshold which is critical to the reorganization of a system, often abruptly and/or irreversible (IPCC, 2021). In communication studies, a similar phenomenon is called a 'key event' – a moment or event after which something changes. A key event is usually defined as a event that fulfills many news values, such as negativity or a high damage. After a ‚key event‘, reporting on an issue changes, as well as the public perception. Which tipping points can be identified for the climate debate - when did the public discourse and the perception of audiences change?

The talk will give an overview about the state of research in climate communication, with a special emphasis on the perspective of audiences and their climate change awareness. It highlights the media coverage on three event (types) and their respective effects, namely the Paris Agreement (COP-21), Social Movements (Fridays For Future) and Extreme Weather Events (summer 2022). As a concluding outlook discusses which media experiences can initiate or reinforce individual change - be it a documentary, a social media debate, or a face-to-face talk with friends.

Dr. Cecilia Scorza-Lesch

Climate change is the greatest challenge for humanity in the 21st century and a key issue for the future of today's students. Many are taking the streets demanding "follow the science", but what does the science say? How to present a real description at school without causing fear but rather encorage students to combat global warming in working groups and to actively participate in the energy transition? The only way is connecting knowledge with behavioural transformation, STEM with ESD. The educational programme "Climate change: understanding and acting" sheds light on the causes and consequences of climate change and highlights the opportunities to take concrete action against it. The central element of the LMU educational programme is the STEM climate kit for schools with experiments. Ongoing teacher training courses complement the programme, which is being implemented in all German states.

Dr. Cecilia Scorza-Lesch

During the workshop Dr. Scorza-Lesch will present examples of how to bring the relevant topic of Climate Change to schools through experiments and joint activities.

Dr. Gabriel Târziu

Climate change is one of the most important phenomena of our time. Most people, from all walks of life (teachers, farmers, artists, doctors, scientists, politicians, journalists, etc.), and of all ages are interested in it. But what kind of cognitive state occupies the central stage in the context of this interest and what exactly is it required to achieve that cognitive state? This is a philosophical question about climate change.

In this practice module, we will try to do two things. The first one is to learn a little bit about what exactly characterizes the philosophical perspective on climate change and why such a perspective is important (in particular, how it can help in dealing with climate scepticism). The second thing that we will do is to explore a philosophical answer to the question “What does it take to understand climate change?” In this part, we will learn that understanding climate change comes in degrees and can involve different things depending on what we take “climate” to mean. For instance, at a basic level, understanding climate change concerns the thermodynamic aspect of climate and can be achieved with the help of “toy” models such as the greenhouse model.