Global Climate Change - 2013

Day 1 Take Notes! – You will write a significant

paper on global warming – due Friday You will have adequate time to review

the data and construct your response. Failure to comply will earn you an F

grade for this assignment!

Open water appears around the Arctic in Summer 2006 – 2008Possible to pilot a ship from the Atlantic to the Pacific without going through PanamaChildren born today may face hardships created by a warming world – food supplies will be diminished, many forests will be destroyed, the oceans will acidify, coastlines will change & wetlands will disappear

Climate change introduced to U.S. Senate in 1988 – rising global temperature due to CO2 and other greenhouse gases

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Rio de Janeiro

Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gases through emission limits in 1997

Fossil fuel interests mobilized counterattack in 1990s

Climate negotiators at the Hague met to finalize Kyoto Protocol in 2000

Under pressure from the oil industry (according to one side of the argument), George W. Bush rejected the Kyoto Protocol

Global emissions of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion and cement production rose from 22.6 billion tons in 1990 to 31 billion tons in 2007

From 1990 – 2008, U.S. emissions grew by 27% while emissions in China grew by 150% as they entered intensive economic development – China now largest emitter

Tropical deforestation is adding 6.5 billion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere annually

Some claim the planet is near the tipping point when climate change feed on itself and becomes irreversible for centuries

With melting Arctic & Greenland ice and tundra, more CO2 will be released

Millions living in the Asian mega-deltas will face food shortages and increased exposure to disease

In 2008 many U.S. governors met to commit to develop a national climate policy – and 27 major corporations announced caps for greenhouse emissions

China announced an energy efficiency program in 2008

Thinking Long-term – climate change is long-term & must be dealt with accordingly

Innovation – develop technologies that maximize use of carbon-free energy

Population – address expanding global population

Changing Lifestyles – smaller houses and cars, reduced world travel and move away from meat with every meal

Healing Land – reverse flow of greenhouse gases with more vegetation

Strong Institutions – Give power to international groups to control emissions (at what cost to individual freedom?)

Equity Imperative – Richer countries bear the cost to reverse greenhouse gases

Economic Stability – Climate change must continue in weak as well as strong economic cycles

Political Stability – control wars and terrorism in order to be able to focus on global warming

Mobilizing for Change – overcome high cost of reversing climate change by seeing it as an opportunity for creating industries and jobs

FHS students will take on an STS (Science, Technology & Society) project in 2013 using State of the World 2002, 2009 & 2012 as guides

Students will research global warming Students will explain their findings in a

written document to complete their project

FHS students will get involved in discussions both in favor of taking action to slow and prevent global warming and against such action based on their findings

What is politically motivated conjecture vs actual science?

Students will research natural causes for greenhouse gases as well as those generated by humans

Day 2

Climate Change 2 – 9:33 Climate Change 3 – 10:27 Total 20 minutes of video

Climate impact from greenhouse gases 1990 – 2008:

A.U.S. emissions grew by 27% B.emissions in China grew by 150%C. U.S. emissions declined by 13%D. emissions in China declined by 6%

Climate impact from greenhouse gases 1990 – 2008:

A.U.S. emissions grew by 27% B.emissions in China grew by 150%C. D.

Day 3

Women – 1:55 Warming – 2:01 Not real – 9:00 Real – 5:49 Stossel – 8:07 Doomsday – 4:43

Total – 32 minutes

You will be assigned to 1 of 3 groups:1)I am convinced that the people of Earth

must take action to prevent an inevitable global warming catastrophe

2)I think global climate change is a natural consequence of living on planet Earth

3)I am a member of the U.S. Senate and I need to be convinced one way or the other (maximum 6 students)

Climate Change:A. is well understood and there is one

clear answer to solve the problemB. is not completely understoodC. does not actually happen in NevadaD. does happen in California, but they

are crazy and deserve it

Climate Change:A. B. is not completely understoodC. D.

Natural Causes of Global WarmingI. Solar energy

a. Charged particles – (+, -)

b. Electromagnetic energy wavesi. Radio

ii. Microwave

iii. Infra-red

iv. Visible light

v. Ultraviolet A & B

vi. X-ray

vii. Gamma rays

c. Solar flares

d. Sun spots (magnetic reversals – 11 year cycle)

Natural Causes of Global WarmingII. Earth’s magnetosphere

a. Magnetic Poles movement

b. Magnetic Poles reversal

III. Super Volcanoes

IV. Comets, Asteroids, Meteorites

V. Earth’s rotation cycle

VI. Cloudsa. Reflect Solar heat

b. Reflect Surface heat

Man-made Causes of Global WarmingI. Greenhouse gases

a. Carbon dioxide

b. Methane

c. Water Vapor

Day 4

warming 2 – 3:40 snow – 1:17 bear – 2:16 total video – 7.25 minutes

U.S. House – 2:39 skeptic – 2:21 total video – 5.0 minutes

ice age – 1:15 new ice age – 3:21 Antarctic ice – 1:53 Antarctic ice 2 – 2:50 total video – 9.5 minutes

IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Heat energy from sunlight on Earth surface – 1,000 watts/m2

Heat reflected back to Earth surface from clouds and greenhouse gases – 2 watts/m2

little ice age 1560-1830 AD – 9:42 Medieval Warming – 950 – 1250 AD

‘Hockey Stick’ Global Warming data has ‘gone missing’

Oceans hold more heat than land – how many To monitors are located in the ocean?

How do you separate natural from man-made causes of global warming?

Global Climate Change Your performance in your team as

either: 1) Its man’s fault 2) Its just nature 3) The Senate Committee

Will be worth more points!

Day 5Write a 1 page paper defending the position you have been assigned to:1) Its man’s fault2) Its just nature3) The Senate CommitteePaper is worth classroom points

Day 6 Read materials from State of the World

2002, 2009 and 2012 for either:1. It’s man’s fault2. It’s nature’s fault3. The Senate Committee on the

EnvironmentIn your assigned teams, begin work on

creating a placemat describing your thought on global warming

Day 7 In your team, continue reading

provided materials on global climate change

Continue developing your placemat containing information defending your position

Day 8 In your team, continue reading

provided materials on global climate change

Continue developing your placemat containing information defending your position

Day 9 In your teams, conduct testimony

before the Senate Committee defending your position.

Senate Committee will render an opinion on global warming.