The aim of this talk is to trigger some discussion of how systems engineering approaches may be applied to emerging environmental challenges. While I am not an expert on this topic, I do see it as an important direction for RSEEME. I begin by discussing historical data concerning CO2 concentration, temperature, sea levels, and ice sheets. I discuss fundamental uncertainties, both looking backwards and forwards, concerning extrapolation of data. On a long time scale, one can view anthropogenic CO2 release as an impulse. Assuming the Earth's climate is a dynamical system, I consider the influence of the CO2 impulse on a range of simple and complex models. I also discuss the application of optimisation to determine efficient and effective mitigation strategies using integrated dynamical models that incorporate directly the impact of economic activity.