1.5 Degrees of Separation: Computer Science Education in the Age of the Anthropocene

Abstract

Climate change is the defining challenge now facing our planet. Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, as advocated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, requires rapid, far-reaching, and unprecedented changes in how governments, industries, and societies function by 2030. Computer Science plays an important role in these efforts, both in providing tools for greater understanding of climate science and in reducing the environmental costs of computing. It is vital for Computer Science students to understand how their chosen field can both exacerbate and mitigate the problem of climate change. We have reviewed the existing literature, interviewed leading experts, and held conversations at the ITiCSE 2019 conference, to identify how universities, departments, and CS educators can most effectively address climate change within Computer Science education. We find that the level of engagement with the issue is still low, and we discuss obstacles at the level of institutional, program and departmental support as well as faculty and student attitudes. We also report on successful efforts to date, and we identify responses, strategies, seed ideas, and resources to assist educators as they prepare their students for a world shaped by climate change.