bike 'n hike - teacher resource -teacher background packet

8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet

1/19 1

T e a c h e r T r a n s p o r T a T i o nB a c k g r o u n d p a c k e T

Transportation accounts for 45% of Santa Cruz Countys

greenhouse gas emissions

2009 County Commission on the Environment

A Sae Routes to School Program o Ecology Action

- a local environmental non-proft in Santa Cruz since 1970.

http://www.ecoact.org/Programs/Transportation 831-426-5925 x144


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Index

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3/19 3

Fast Facts about Transportationin the U.S.Trafc congestion, air pollution, urban sprawl, and global warming are all common themes in the news

today. Most often the cause is linked to our automobile-dominated transportation system. Americans

drive more miles per year and own more cars per capita than any other nation in the world; a fact due

largely to our land use patterns, the lowest gasoline prices of any industrialized nation, and a culture that

has become accustomed to using the automobile as its primary mode of travel.

itt ttt: InSantaCruzCounty,85%ofcommutersdriveand72%ofthemdrivealone.Nationally,91%ofcommutersdriveand84%ofthemdrivealone.

InSantaCruzCounty,3%ofcommutersbiketoworkand4%walk.In1990,4%ofAmericanswalkedtowork,and

lessthanhalfapercentbicycled.

In1969,42%ofstudentswalkedorbikedtoschool;by2001thatnumberhaddroppedtoonly16%.

InDelftHolland,bicyclesareusedfor43percentofalltrips;inTokyo,themajorityoftravelisbypublictransporta-

tion,cycling,orwalking.

A2009SantaCruzCountyCommissionontheEnvironmentreportfoundthatasof2006,ourcountyproduced2.7

milliontonsofgreenhousegaseseachyearor10.6tonsperperson.

Thissamestudyfoundthat45%or1.2milliontonsofthecountysgreenhouseemissionsareduetotransportation.

Since1983,thenumberofmilesthatAmericanstravelinvehicleshasdoubled.

IntheU.S.thenumberofpersonalvehicleshasgrown181%since1969,butthepopulationhasonlyincreasedby

40%.InCalifornia,thestates34millionresidentsown25millioncars!

In2007,SantaCruzCountyresidentsdrove5.4millionmilesadayandusedalmost300,000gallonsofgasolineeveryday!

Wecouldeasilywalkorbikemore:Halfthetripswemakearelessthanthreemiles,40percentarelessthantwo

miles,and28percentarelessthanonemile.

Eventhoughbikingorwalkingisfeasible,75percentoftripsthatareonemileorlessaremadebycar.

c-lt cm:

Urbandevelopmentsprawlsintofertilevalleysandforestland,destroyinganimalhabitat,increasingpeoplesrelianceoncars,andmakingtripslonger.

Airpollutionisagrowingproblem;transportationaccountsforabouthalfofallairpollution.

Climatechange,whichislargelyaresultoftransportation-relatedgreenhousegasemissions,isbringing

warmer,wetterwintersandhotter,dryersummers.

Stress-relatedconcernssuchasroadrageareescalating.

Peoplearespendingmoretimedrivingandlesstimewalkingandbicycling,whichmayincreaseriskforheart

disease,diabetes,andotherobesity-relatedhealthproblems.

Trafccongestiononmajorhighwaysisdrasticallyincreasingtriptimes.


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Energy Use and Air PollutionFossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) are found beneath the earths surface. They are formedfrom the carbon remains of plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. Oil is

rened to produce the gasoline that powers our cars. Gas burned in car engines contributes to air

pollution, water pollution, acid rain, and climate change.

dv y ftDriving,especiallydrivingalone(singleoccupancyvehicletrip),usesalotoffossilfuelsandisthemostenergyin -

efcientwayofgettingplaces.Formodesoftransportationthatrequirephysicalactivity(bicycling,walking,etc.)

foodisthefuel,notgasoline.Foodenergyismeasuredinkilocalories.Onekilocalorie(kcal)istheequivalentof

whatwecommonlyrefertoasacalorieinfood.Onepeanutbuttersandwich(about310kcals)providesthe

energyneededtotravel4to8milesbybicycleor2-4milesofwalking.Forcomparison,thereare31,000kcalsin

agallonofgasolineandtheaveragecarburns1600kcalspermile!Additionally,thefoodourbodiesburnasfuel

emitsnopollution,buteverygallonofgasburnedemitsovertwentypoundsofCO2andpollution!

ey u cm

mode fuel source energy use active? health benets pollutantsper passenger emitted per

passenger mile

bicycling food 40kcal/mi yes physicalactivity none*

walking food 100kcal/mi yes physicalactivity none*

bus(full:40riders) gas 200kcal/mi no none 0.10oz.per passengermile

carpool(4people) gas 400kcal/mi no none 0.20oz.per passengermile

car(driveronly) gas 1,600kcal/mi no none 0.90oz.per passengermile

*immeasurableamountsofCO2.


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MotorvehiclesareCaliforniaslargestairpollutionsource,accountingformorethan40%ofthestatewideto-tal.Somemetropolitanareas,suchasLosAngeles,exceedfederalhealthstandardsforcarbonmonoxideand/

orozone.Motorvehiclesemit72%ofnitrogenoxidesand52%ofreactivehydrocarbons,whichbothcontrib-

utetotheformationofsmog,acidrain,andozoneThesepollutantsadverselyaffectthehealthofplantsand

animalsandvulnerablesegmentsofthehumanpopulation,includingtheelderly,children,andpeoplewith

respiratoryproblems.

clmt cThefactthatthetenhottestyearsinthelastcenturyhavealloccurredinthelast15yearshasledtotheIntergov-

ernmentalPanelonClimateChangetoconcludein2007thatwarmingoftheclimatesystemisnowunequivocal.

Thispanelconcludedthatscientistsknowwithvirtualcertaintythathumanproducedcarbondioxideisrespon-

sibleforthispatternofwarming.Whenfossilfuelsareburned,carbondioxide,themajorheat-trappinggreen -

housegas,isreleased.Thisisthesamegasthathumansbreatheoutasweburnfoodinourbodies.However,

thecarbondioxidewerespireissonegligiblethatitdoesnotcontributetoglobalwarming.

Heattrappinggasesoccurnaturallyintheatmosphereatlevelsthathavebeenrelativelystableformany

thousandsofyears.However,humansburningofgasoline,coal,oilandnaturalgas,aswellasdeforesta-

tionaroundtheplanet,hasdramaticallyincreasedtheconcentrationofgreenhousegasesintheearths

atmosphere.SincetheIndustrialRevolutioninthelate1800s,theconcentrationofcarbondioxide,the

majorgreenhousegas,hasincreased30%.Thethickeningblanketofgreenhousegasestrapsheatthatwould

otherwiseescape,similartothewayheatisheldinsidebythewindshieldofacarparkedinthesunorinsideaplantgreenhouse.Consequently,thetemperatureonEarthappearstobewarmingbecausetheincreasein

greenhousegasesistrappingmoreheat.Awarmerplanetmayresultinmorefrequentandlargerhurricanes,

themeltingofglaciersandpolaricecaps,withasubsequentriseinsealevelandcatastrophicooding.

Motorvehiclesandgasandcoal-redelectricityarethetwomajorproducersofgreenhousegases.IntheU.S.,

33%ofgreenhousegasemissionscomefrommotorvehicles;inCaliforniacarsandtrucksproduce43%ofthe

statesgreenhousegases.In2006,governorSchwarzeneggersignedanambitiousplanthatcallsforreducing

Californiasgreenhousegasemissionsto2000levelsby2010,1990levelsby2020,and80percentbelow1990

levelsby2050.In1998,SantaCruzCityCouncilpassedResolutionNS23,741theCitiesforClimateProtection

Actandjoined500localgovernmentsaroundtheworldtoreduceemissionsofgreenhousegaseswithintheirlocaljurisdictions.

FormoreClimateChangeinformation,statistics,andfacts,seeAppendixIandII.


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Sprawl Killed AlternativeTransportationBefore 1950, people usually lived and worked in the same community. They could walk, cycle,

use horses or take a trolley to their work site from residential areas located close to the city cen-

ter. People could reach stores and do errands on foot and children could easily walk or cycle to

school. Urban sprawl changed this centralized system and people became increasingly reliant on

personal vehicles.

T tw t bb lt m: HomeownershiploansfromtheFederalHousingAuthorityforpeoplewantingtomovetothesuburbs. Thedesiretoescapeurbancrowds.Inthelate1800s,citiesweredirty,diseased,andunsafeplaces,and

thisperceptionhascontinuedtoinuencepeopleschoices.

Thedesiretoseparateindustrial,commercial,andresidentiallanduses.

Themobilityandconveniencepresentedbycheapandaccessible,mass-producedautomobilesandthe

nationalhighwaysystemdevelopedunderPresidentEisenhowerinthe1950s.

i Y Bl it, Ty Wll cmWithurbansprawl,landfarfromcitycentersandpublictransitroutesisdevelopedforroads,housing,and

commercialuses.Becauseofurbansprawl,morepeoplearedrivinglongerdistancestogotowork,school,

shoppinganderrands.Moredrivingmeansmoretrafccongestion,longertraveltimes,andmoreemissions.Buildingmoreandbiggerroadsisnotthesolution.Timeaftertime,biggerhighwaysarelledtocongestion

levelsyearssoonerthanexpected.

pv t Wy t pblmAscitiesspreadoutward,agriculturalland,forest,streams,wetlands,andothernaturalareasaredeveloped.

TheAmericanFarmlandTrustreportedthatfrom1982to1992,400,000acresperyearofprimefarmland

wascoveredoverbyurbanandsuburbandevelopment.Thistranslatesinto45.7acresperhour,everysingle

day.Besideseliminatinghomesforplantsandanimals,urbandevelopmentdecreasesthenumberoftrees

thatcleantheairandsoakupseasonalrain.Consequently,airqualityandstormwatermanagementproblems

increaseasspongyforestlandistransformedintoimpermeableroofsandasphaltroads.Whatwereonce25-yearoodsnowoccureveryyear,largelyduetotheincreaseinpavedland.


7/19 7

The Cost of DrivingThe actual cost of driving extends far beyond the amount paid at the gas pump. The average U.S.family spends almost $8,000 a year 19% of their personal income to operate and maintain

their private vehicles.

WhileAmericanfamiliespayalotfortransportation,governmentspaymuchmore.InCaliforniaduring2002,

thegovernmentspentalmost$12billiononroadconstructionandmaintenance!Societyalsopaystheprice

inenvironmentaldegradation,trafcaccidents,andmedicalexpenses.Thecostofmotorvehiclecrashesin

Californiain2000wasover$20billionindamagedproperty,healthcare,andlostlives.Additionally,consider

thecoststosocietysuchastimewastedintrafccongestion,trafcsafetyandenforcementexpenses,andthe

propertycostsofparkinglots!Inmanyurbanareas,over50%ofthelandisdevotedtoroadsandparkinglots

forprivateautomobiles.Imagineifonlyaquarterofthislandweredevotedtocommunitycenters,parks,or

localshopsthatpeoplemightbeabletoaccessbyfoot,bicycleorpublictransportation.Ifthiswerethecase,

ourtownsmightnotneedsomanyparkinglotsintherstplace!Consideringallofthepersonal,public,and

societalcostsofanauto-orientedsystemoftransportationwecanseethatitisveryexpensiveforeveryone.

However,itisimportanttoremembermanytransportationcosts,includingenvironmentalandsocietalcosts,

arenotimmediatelyapparent.

Tf dtEveryyearintheU.S.,morethan40,000peopledieintrafccrashes,averagingaboutonedeathevery13min-

utes.Yetoursocietyacceptsthesedeathsquietly,asiftheycouldnothavebeenprevented.Youngpeople

areparticularlyaffected.Motorvehiclecollisionsaretheleadingcauseofdeathforeveryagefrom2to33

years.Almostone-thirdofthe5,700pedestrianskilledbyautomobileseachyeararechildrenundertheage

of15.InCalifornia,morethan4,000peoplearekilledeachyearintrafccrashes.Youngdriversunder25are

alsostatisticallymorelikelytobeinvolvedinfatalcrashesthananyotheragegroup.

Ttt & hltIn1969,42%ofelementarystudentswalkedorbikedtoschool;by2001thatnumberhaddroppedtoonly16%.

Inconjunctionwithadecreaseinwalking/bicyclingtoschool,thepercentageofU.S.childrenandadolescents

whoareoverweighthasquadrupledinthepast30years;mostofthisincreaseoccurredsincethelate1970s.In

SantaCruzCounty,32%ofour913yearoldsareconsideredoverweightorobese.Childrenwhoareover-

weighthaveanincreasedriskforaprematuredeathduetoheartdisease,cancer,diabetes,andasthma.

Lackofphysicalactivity,alongwithunhealthydiets,aretoblamefortheincreaseinchildhoodobesity/in-

cidenceofoverweightyouth.Infact,theCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC)reportthat62

percentofchildrenages9to13yearsdonotparticipateinanyorganizedphysicalactivityand23percentdo

notengageinanyfree-timephysicalactivityoutsideofschoolhours.Replacingcartripswithwalkingandcy-

clingcanincreaseourphysicalactivity,contributetoqualityfamilytime,instillasenseofwell-being,andbuild

healthyhabitsforlife.


8/19 8

Alternatives to Car-based Traveldv it hm:There is a whole range of partial solutions to the problems of an auto-dependent transportation

system. Some of the changes need to come through government legislation, but most need to

come from changes in personal travel habits.

F a Btt WyTheeasiestwayforanindividualorafamilytoreducetheenvironmentalimpactofpersonaltransportationis

tochoosetodriveless,bicycle,walk,ortakethebus.Ifdrivingistheonlyoption,choosethemostefcient

vehicleavailable,andkeepitwell-maintained.Bychoosingtoliveclosetoworkandservicesthatllmost

needs,afamilycanfurtherreduceitsenvironmentalimpactfromtransportationandturntimespentinanautomobileintofamilytime.

Schoolscontributeimmenselytotheincreasingnumberofcarsontheroad;upto25%oftrafccanbelinked

totheschoolcommute.Kidscanmakeahugedifferenceintheircommunitiesespeciallyattheirschools,

wheretrafccongestionandairqualityareoftenproblemsatthebeginningandendoftheschoolday.

Encouragestudentstoexamineandchangetheirfamiliestransportationhabits,especiallyfortripstoschool.

Theleastpollutingmethodsoftransportationarealsotheleastexpensiveandthehealthiest.Unfortunately,

thesemethodsareoftenperceivedtobelesssafe,andlessculturallyacceptable.

Walking or Cycling:Ittakesabout10minutestowalk1/2mileorbikealmosttwomiles!Walkingandcyclingproducenopollution,andareexcellentformsofexercise.

Taking the Bus:Busesusuallyrunregardlessofthenumberofpassengers.Abuswithasfewasseven

passengersuseslessfuelperpassengerpermilethanatypicalcarcarryingonlyadriver.Abuswith40

passengersusesmuchlessfuelthan10carswithfourpassengerseach.

Ride-sharing or Carpooling:Withtwopeopleinavehicle,emissionsperpersonarereducedbyhalf;

withthreepeople,byevenmore.Regulartripstowork,school,orafter-schoolactivitiesaretheeasiest

toarrangearoundacarpool.Ridewith,orgivearideto,classmates,co-workersorfriends.

at alttvIf every one of the 200 million cars in the U.S. were replaced by cars that were just 10

mpg more fuel efcient, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 250 million

tons per year, cutting our annual carbon dioxide contribution to global warming by

nearly 20%.


9/19 9

hw t b l mt

Limitunnecessarytripsbycombiningerrandsandtakingashoppinglistsonothingisforgotten. Takethemostdirectrouteandchoosedestinationsthatarecloser,suchasaneighborhoodstore.

UsetheYellowPagesandthephonetoshopbeforeheadingtothestore.

Travellight;extraweightdecreasesfueleconomy.Haulinganextra100poundsinyourvehiclereducesfueleconomybyupto2%.

Drivelessaggressively.Aggressivedrivingrapidaccelerationandbrakingcanlowergasmileagebyasmuchas33%

onthehighwayand5%intown.Aggressivedriversareusinganextra125gallonsofgasandspending$250morethan

averagedriverseachyear.

Knowwhentoustheair.Airconditioningcandecreaseyourfuelefciencybyasmuchas12%instop-and-gotrafc,so

considercrackingthewindows.Butathighspeeds,drivingwiththewindowsopencandecreasetheoverallefciencyof

thevehicle.

Ifyouarestoppingformorethantensecondsexceptintrafcturnoffyourengine.Idlingformorethantensec-

ondsusesmoregasandcreatesmoreglobalwarmingpollutionthansimplyrestartingyourengine.

Keeptiresfullyinatedandenginestunedforthebestfuelefciency.

Useafuel-efcientvehicle,andencourageyourfamilytoconsiderfuelefciencyandalternativefuelswhenbuying

theirnextcar.Forexample,acarthatgets20mpgusesanaverageof600gallonsofgas,emits6.8tonsofCO2and

costs$1380ingasolineperyear.Ascomparedtoacarthatgets40mpgusesanaverageof300gallonsofgas,emits3.4

tonsofCO2andcosts$690ingasperyear.

nw TlAsfossilfuelsuppliesdeclineandconcernaboutenvironmentalimpactsgrow,peoplewilllooktoalternativesourcesof

fuelfortheirvehicles.Somenewfuelvehiclesarealreadyinexistence:

Electric Cars uselargestacksofbatteriestopoweranelectricmotor.Theyareidealforpeoplewhodrivealimited

distanceeachday,asrechargingbatteriescantakeuptoseveralhours.

Electric-Assisted Bicyclesmakebikingabreezeforhillyareas,andcanbepedaledwherethelandismorelevel.

Hybrid Vehiclesuseacombinationofelectricandgasolinepowertogetveryhighgasmileage;theyuseanengine

toconvertafuel,suchasgasoline,intoelectricityonboardthevehicle.Hybridvehiclesarepoweredbyoneor

moreelectricmotorsoracombinationofelectricmotorsandmotionfromtheengine.Thesevehiclesareexpected

toserveastransitionvehiclestofuelcellvehicles.

Fuel Cellsusehydrogencombinedwithoxygenasafuel;theironlyemissionsarecleanairandwater.Americas

spaceshuttleshaveusedfuelcellsforyearstoproducetheirelectricityanddrinkingwater.However,hydrogen

mustrstbeextractedfromwaterusingelectricityproducedatpowerplants.

Whilethesetechnologiesareexciting,thereareseveralcaveats.Theelectricitytochargebatteriesinelectriccarsand

toproducehydrogenwillbedrawnfromelectricsystemspoweredbynuclearenergy(about20%),coalandgas-red

generators(about70%),andhydroelectricdams(about10%)allacrossAmerica.Theoverwhelmingmajorityofelectricity

producedintheU.S.isfromnon-renewable,pollutingsources.


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Web Resource For Teachers

CURRICULUM RELATED:

http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=40561&a=222273

CurriculumdevelopedbyCityofPortlandentitledSmartMovesforK-5thgrade;manylessonplans,

handouts,etc.

http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=40561&a=222276MiddleSchoolversionofPortlandSmartMovescurriculum;10lessonsrangingfromhealthandsafetyto

environmentalandplanningissues,verycomprehensiveandlotsextensions,handouts

http://www.climatesolutions.org/publications/CS_Smart_Moves_for_Washington_Schools_0-10-24_55.pd

WashingtonStateSmart Moves transportation & the environmentactivitiesforK-12

http://www.intercitytransit.com/les/25/More_Smart_Moves_Activity_Book.pdf

moreSmartMovescurriculum:greatlessonsontransportationhistoryinthiscountry(el),waterqualityand

impervioussurfaces(e/m),healthissues(e,m),economicsandtheenvironment(h),fuelefciencyandhealth

(h);allhaveworksheets

http://www.saferoutestoschools.org/lessonplans.shtml

MarinCountylessonplansformultipleages;environmental,safetyandhealthrelated

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/Safe-Routes-2002/classact.html#1

NationalSafeRoutestoSchoolLessonPlanideas;mostlyfocusedonsafety,manyideasbutnotlaidoutas

curriculum

http://www.saferoutesne.com/educators/srintheclassroom.html

NebraskaSRTSsitewithfunpowerpointjeopardygameandactivityideasinclassroomforK-8thgraders;also

linkstoothersiteswithclassroomideas

http://www.saferoutes-wa.org/schools/curriculum

WashingtonStateSRTSsitewithmyriadoflinkstocurriculumsets


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RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN ON CLIMATE/CO2

http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/ResourceCenterToolsGHGCalculator.html

CarboncalculatortocomputeindividualcarbonfootprintfromEPA

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html

EPAproducedsitemadeespeciallyforchildren.Simpleexplanationsforchildrenonclimatechange,climate,

greenhouseeffect,personalempowerment;gamesandrelatedactivities

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/kids.html

EPAproducedsite;climatewheelrecommendedformiddleschoolstudents;carboncalculator,etcprettygood

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/animations.html

EPAproducedsitewithanimationandcleardescriptionsforelementarychildrenofglobalwarming;water

cycleandcarboncycle.Threeseparateanimationlessons.

http://www.epa.gov/OMS/climate/420f05004.htm#step1

EPAsitetocalculateGreenhouseemissionsfrompassengervehicle

http://www.earthday.net/footprint/ash.html

Fun,comprehensivelifestylecalculator

LOCAL INFORMATION

http://www.ecoact.org/Programs/Transportation/index.htm

EcologyActionstransportationpagewithdescriptionsofallofourprograms.

http://www.bikesmart.org/

EcologyActionsYouthBikeSafetyEducationprogram

http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pw/ep/saferoutes.html

SantaCruzCityproducedsitewithbike/pedmapstolocalschools

http://www.sctrafcsafety.org/index.html

SCCommunityTrafcSafetyCoalitionsite.Lotsoflocallinksrelatingtobicycleandpedestrianissues.See

referencetoRidenStrideBicycleandPedestrianSafetyProgramforK-5thgradechildren.Formoreinforma-

tion,contactKithyChavezat454-4317.

http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pw/ep/warming.html

SCCitysitethatexplainsglobalwarminginplaintermsforadults.


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http://www.commutesolutions.org/calc.htmDemonstratesdirectandindirectcostsofdriving.ProgramofSCCRTC

http://projectbiketrip.org/

TheBicycleTripbikeshopsponsoredbikerepairandeducationprogramforschools.

http://peoplepowersc.org/

SantaCruzCountyBicycleadvocacygroupandhighschoolalternativetransportationschoolprogram.

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL (SRTS) RESOURCES

www.activelivingresources.org/saferoutestoschool.php

IncludesaCitySRTSprogramandotherresources.

www.bikesbelong.org

TheBikesBelongCoalitionssiteincludesphotolibrarywithSRTSimagesandotherinformationaboutben-

etsofbicycling.

www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk

CDCsKidsWalk-to-Schoolprogram;encourageschildrentowalktoandfromschool

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes

FHWAisresponsibleforadministeringfederalSRTSprogramfundstostateDOTs.

www.bikeleague.org/programs/saferoutes

TheLeaguessiteincludesa4-minutevideoonSRTS,bicyclingcurriculaandotherresources.

www.saferoutesinfo.org

includescontactsforstateSRTScoordinators,aguide,trainingopportunities,programtrackingandevaluation

resources,andinformationaboutInternationalWalktoSchoolDay.

www.railstotrails.orgRTCssiteincludesresourcesonwalking,bicycling,healthimprovement,decreased

oiluseandreducedcarbonemissions.

www.saferoutespartnership.org

SRTSNationalPartnership,anetworkofmorethan400organizations;includesinteractiveU.S.

mapthatallowsuserstoaccessSRTS-specicinformationforall50states;


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ProvidedbytheEarthDayNetwork:http://www.earthday.net/resources/2006materials/default.aspx

What is climate change?a truly global threat.

- Ko Annan, Secretary-General of the UN, Referring to climate change November 2004.

Thetermclimatechangereferstoglobalchangesintemperature,windpatterns,andprecipitation.ThesechangesarebeingdrivenbyagradualwarmingoftheEarthsatmosphere(commonlyreferredtoasglobalwarming).TheEarthsclimatehasbeenchangingslowlyoverthecenturies.Coldperiodshavealternatedwithwarmperiods.However,thesechangeshavebeenhappeningatamuchfasteranddevastatingrateinrecent

years.The1980sand1990swerethewarmestdecadesonrecord.Scienceindicatesthatthisaccelerationisduetohumanactivity

TheEarthsatmospheretrapsheatescapingfromthesurfaceoftheplanet,whichkeepsuswarm.Carbondioxide,partofthemixtureofgasesinouratmosphere(calledgreenhousegases),isverygoodattrappingheat.Someofthegreenhousegasesarereleasedintotheatmospherefromnatureeveryday.Forexample,carbondioxideenterstheatmospheredailyfromdecayingplantmatterandforestres.

Inthepast,naturalprocessescouldhandletheamountsofgreenhousegasesgenerated,andthesystemremainedinbalance.Inrecentdecades,however,humanactivitythroughincreaseduseoffossilfuelsandcuttingdownofforestshasbeenoverloadingthenaturalprocesses.Greenhousegasesarenowbeinggeneratedbytheburningoffossilfuelstoruncarsandfactoriesandheatbuildings,aswellasbyindustrial

processes.Thesereleasesofgreenhousegaseshaveshiftedtheatmospheresnaturalbalance.

Aswell,largetractsoftheEarthsforestsarebeingcutdownforwoodandtoclearlandforfarmingandforcitiesandtowns.Thatleavesfewertreestoabsorbandstorecarbondioxidefromtheatmosphere.Thebalanceofgasesintheatmospherehaschangedsignicantly.Theresult:moreheatisbeingtrappedintheatmosphere.Themoreheattrapped,thewarmertheEarthbecomes,andthegreaterclimatesacrosstheglobewillchange.

Climate change is the most severe problem we are facing today, more serious than

even the threat of terrorism.

-David King, UK Government Advisor, January 2004.

Climatechangeisnowacceptedasamajorthreattotheworldscontinuedviability.Wearenowexperiencingmajorupheavalsinweather,agriculturalproduction,andfreshwateravailability,aswellasasignicantriseinsealevelsfromunrestrainedcarbonemissions.Theimpactsofclimatechangeoncethoughtofasunimaginableandfarfetchedarenowoccurring.

Whilethereisconsensusamongmostscientists,corporateleaders,governmentofcials,NGOs,andinternationalbodiesthatglobalwarmingmustbehalted,thereisalsoconsensusthatforavarietyofreasonspublicdemandforimmediateactionlagsfarbehindtheneed.Pollsshowthatwhile70%ofAmericansthink

Appendix I: Background Information on Climate Change


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climatechangeisbad,solvingclimatechangefallstothebottomofthelistofconcernswhencomparedtowhatpeopleperceiveasmoreimmediateproblems,suchascrime,publiceducation,housing,etc.

Whilstthereisapowerfulscientic,moralandcommonsensecasetobemadefortakingaction,therehasnotbeenenoughfocusonhowclimatechangewilldirectlyaffectcommunities.Asaresult,thegeneralpublictunedout.Themediadowngradedthestoryfocusingondistanteffects,suchasthinningice,nottheimpactsonthehumanpopulationandavailablesolutionsandpoliticianshavebeenreluctanttotakeactionuntiltheirconstituentsaskthemtodosomething.Theresultofthishasbeenconfusionofwhatishappeningandinaction.

ThroughEarthDayNetworksworkwith12,000partnersandNGOsinover174countriesweknowthatwehavethepowertoreachandeducatelargenumbersofpeople.Byfocusingonclimatechange,andmorespecicallythesolutionstoclimatechangewecanshowindividualsandcommunitieshowtheycandosomethingtangibletomakeadifference.

What is happening as a result of climate change?The Greenland ice sheet is likely to be eliminated in the next 50 years unless much more substantial

reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are made

-Jonathon Gregory, Climatologist, April 2004.

Anincreaseinoveralltemperatureischangingweatherpatterns.Hurricanesandotherextremeweatherarelikelytobemoresevereanddevastating,aswitnessedrecentlybyHurricanesKatrinaandRita.

Wearecurrentlycaughtinaviciouscycle,asthetemperatureincreasesduetotheuseoffossilfuelsandotheractivitiestheicecapsaremelting.Notonlydoesthemeltingofthisiceraisewaterlevels,butitreleasescarbondioxidethathasbeentrappediniceformillionsofyears.Thiscarbondioxidefurtheraddstothewarmingoftheplanet.IfwecannotstemthemeltingoftheicethroughareductioningreenhousegasemissionsweareinadvertentlyaddingmillionsmoretonesofCO2intotheatmosphere.

Somescientistsarepredictingthatrainandsnowwillincreaseinsomeplacesanddecreaseinothers.Thiswouldleadtooodsinsomeareasanddroughtsinothers.Severeweather,suchasheatwaves,extremecold,tornados,windstorms,typhoons,blizzards,etc.,mayhappenmoreoften.Sealevelsmayrise,oodinglowlandsnearoceanswheremillionsofpeoplelive.Someoftheseareasmaystayunderwaterpermanently.Vectorbornediseasesmayspreadtonewareas.Speciesofplants,animals,andshmaybecomeextinctastheirhabitatschange.

How will this affect me?We have coastal erosion, droughts, and in the last decade we have experienced an unusual high

level of tropical storms. Salt water intrusion into our soils has affected our traditional food

supply and we now see the ooding of low-lying areas.

-Paani Laupepa, Ministry of Natural Resources Tuvalu, October 2001.

Climatechangeisalreadyaffectingandwillcontinuetoaffectthewholeworld.Notonlyisthephysicalenvironmentaffected,butalsothehealth,jobs,economies,culturesandcommunitiesofthepeoplelivingonourplanet.


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Mostdevelopingcountriesdonotcontributeasmanyemissionstotheatmosphereasindustrialized,developedcountriesdo.However,manypeopleagreethatdevelopingcountrieswillfacethegreatesthardshipsduetoclimatechange.Developingcountriesdonothavethemoney,theorganizationsorthetechnologiestohelpthemadapttocurrentandfuturechanges.Therehasbeenareluctanceofdevelopedcountriestopromotetheuseofexistingsolutionsastheyhaveincorrectlybeenviewedasnoteconomic.

Overtime,itisexpectedthatrainfallinAfricaandtheMiddleEastwillcontinuetodecrease.Thismeanslesswaterforpeopletousefordrinking,cleaning,andgrowingcrops,inaregionwherewaterisalreadyscarce.Low-lyingcountriesandislandslikethenationsofSoutheastAsiamaybesubmergedassealevelsrise,displacinglargepopulations.Asweatherpatternschangearoundtheworld,peoplewhodependoncropsfortheirlivelihoodwillnditincreasinglydifculttogetgoodyields.

Asclimatechangeprogressesitisimpossibletosayforsurewhatexactlywillbeaffected.Theonlyguaranteeisthatmillionsofpeoplewilllosefamilymembers,homes,communities,andjobsduetoclimatechange.Itishighlyunlikelythatanyone,richorpoor,blackorwhitewillbeunscathed.

What can I do?

Whilewecouldneverstopthenaturalcyclesofwarmingandcoolingintheclimate,wecanreduceourownpersonalcontribution.Therearemanythingsthatyouasanindividualcando.Theseinclude:

Beenergyefcientinyourchoices.Therearemanyenergyefcientalternativestoeverydayitems,whetherit

beacompactuorescentlightbulb,amoreeffectiverefrigerator,orahybridcarthesmallestchangewillhaveabigimpactonclimatechange.

Userenewablesourcesofenergyandmakeyourhomemoreenergyefcient.Thereareoftentaxincentivesandlong-termsavingstobemadebyswitchingtorenewablesourcesofenergy.Visithttp://www.dsireusa.orgtoseethevariousgrantsandincentivesavailableinyourstate.

Educateyourselfandothers.Themoreyouknowthebigger,moreeffectivedifferenceyoucanmakeinyourcommunity.Pleaseseeourresourcespage(http://www.earthday.net/resources)forhelpfulfactsheets,talkingpoints,andlinkstoclimatechangewebsites.Inaddition,teachersandothermembersofEarthDayNetworksEducatorsNetworkcanaccessclimatechangelessonplansontheTeachersCorner(http://www.earthday.net/involved/teachers/default.aspx).

Voteforthebestcandidateinlocalandnationalelections.Askyourlocalrepresentativewheretheystandonclimatechangeandwhatsolutionstheyplantoimplementinyourarea.Tondoutthecontactaddressforyourlocalrepresentativecheckhttp://www.congress.org.

TakeEarthDayNetworksEarthDayFootprintQuiztoseehowyouractionsimpactsaffecttheenvironmentandwhatactionsyoucantaketochangeit(http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp).


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Appendix II: Climate Change Fact SheetProvidedbytheEarthDayNetwork:http://ww2.earthday.net/node/149

Oil and carsUnlesswemakefundamentaltransportationchanges,in2030thenumberofautomobilesintheworldwillincreaseby50%.

AccordingtoChevron,theworldconsumestwobarrelsofoilforeverybarreldiscovered.Ittook125yearstoconsumethersttrillionbarrelsofoilintheworldwillconsumethenexttrillioninonly30years,accordingtoChevron.

By2030,theworldwillconsume47%moreoilthanitdidin2003.

Newenergydiscoveriesaremainlyoccurringinplaceswhereresourcesaredifculttoextractphysically,technically,economically,andpolitically.

Oilproductionisindeclinein33ofthe48largestoil-producingcountries,yetenergydemandisincreasingaroundtheglobeaseconomiesgrowandnationsdevelop.

Oilandgascurrentlyprovidemorethanhalfoftheworldsenergysupply,andaccordingtotheInternationalEnergyAgency,they,alongwithcoal(whichalsoreleasesCO

2)willcontinuetobethemajor

sourcesofenergywellintothe21stcenturyunlessthingsarechanged.TheInternationalEnergyAgencyestimatesthattheworldwillneedtoinvest$16trillionoverthenextthreedecadestomaintainandexpandenergysupply.

Overhalftheworldsoilsupplieslieinjust5countries.

Temperature and sea level changesDuringthelastonehundredyearstheglobaltemperaturehaswarmedbyanaverageof0.6C.Itispredictedthatglobaltemperaturesin2100willbe5.8Cwarmerthantheywerein1990.ThiswillmaketheEarthwarmerthanithasbeenin50millionyears.

MuchoftheUnitedStateshasalreadywarmed,byasmuchas4F.Noneofthelower48statesintheU.S.experiencedbelowaveragetemperaturesin2002.Thecurrentpaceofsea-levelriseisthreetimesthehistoricalrate,andappearstobeaccelerating.Scientistsestimatethesealevelwillriseby19inchesby2100,thoughitcouldriseasmuchas37inches.OfparticularconcernisthestabilityoftheWestAntarcticIceSheet.Asuddencollapsewouldraisesealevels16-20feet,thoughthelikelihoodofsuchacollapsebeforetheyear2100islow.

Carbon dioxide

SincethebeginningoftheIndustrialRevolution,carbondioxide(agreenhousegaslinkedtoclimatechange)intheatmospherehasincreasedby31%.Despitenaturalemissionsofcarbondioxide(CO

2)emittedbyvolcanoes,forexample,humanactivitiesarenow

addingabout7billionmetrictonsofcarbonintotheatmosphereeveryyear.AutomobilescountforathirdoftheU.S.sCarbonDioxide(CO

2)emissionsthelargestsourceafterpowerplants.

Eachgallonofgasolineburnedcreatesabout20poundsofCO2.

VehiclesintheUnitedStatesreleasemoreCO2thanalltheenergysources(suchasheating,electricity,

vehicles,andfactories)inallofIndia.


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Converting CO2Onefullygrowntreetransforms13poundsofCO

2peryear.

Oneacreoftreesproducesenoughoxygenfor18peopleeveryday.Thereareapproximately400treesperacreoflandinforestedareas.Onaverage,ittakesoneacretoconvert1.25tonsofCO

2peryear

Effects of climate changeDiseasessuchasmalariaandWestNileviruswilloccurinlargenumbersintheU.S.asaresultofwarmer

temperatures,becausethecarriersofdisease(i.e.mosquitoes)thriveinwarmerclimates.Globalwarmingisalreadyimpactingagricultureandbiodiversity.10%ofallknownplantspeciesareunder

threatofextinction.17MillionAmericans,5millionofwhicharechildren,sufferfromasthma.

Childhoodasthmaratesmorethandoubledfrom1980tothemid-1990sandtheyremainhistoricallyhigh.AsthmaisoneofthemostprevalentchronicchildhooddiseasesandisamajorcauseofchildhooddisabilityaccordingtotheCDC.

Currently,atleast14millionschooldaysaremissedannuallytoasthma(CDC).PeoplelivingincitiessuchasAtlanta,Baltimore,andCincinnaticouldbymid-centuryseea60%increasein

thenumberofhighsmogleveldays.TheArcticicepackhaslostanareatwicethesizeofTexassincethemid-1970s.Climatechangeishavingadisastrouseffectoncoralreefs,includingintheFloridaKeys,theBahamas,andMexico.WintertemperaturesintheArctichavewarmedbyasmuchas7Foverthelast60years,afasterratethan

inanyotherregion.Thisaffectswildlifesuchasfoxes,caribou,walruses,andpolarbears.ItalsoaffectsthelifestylesofnativepeoplesintheArctic.


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DemocraticEnergy.Automobile Greenhouse Emissions- California .Accessed8Jan2007.http://www.newrules.org/environment/climateca.html

U.S.DepartmentofLabor.U.S.BureauofLaborStatistics.2006.2004 Consumer Expenditure Survey .http://www.bls.gov/cex/csxann04.pdf

CountyofSantaCruz.HealthServicesAgency.2008 Santa Cruz Health Report.http://www.santacruzhealth.org/pdf/2008%20STATEOFTHECOUNTYHEALTH.pdf

CityofSantaCruz.EnvironmentalPrograms.Cities for Climate Protection Program.http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pw/ep/climate1.html

U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency. Climate Change: Science.http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/stateofknowledge.html#ref

USDepartmentofTransportation.FederalHighwayAdministration.Final Report: The National Bicycling & WalkingStudy, Transportation Choices for Changing America. PublicationnumberFHWA-PD-94-023.www.fhwa.dot/gob/enronment/bikeped/study/

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U.S.DepartmentofTransportation.1995NationwidePersonalTransportationSurvey,fromJohnPucherandLewisDjikstra,Making Walking and Cycling Safer: Lessons from Europe,TransportationQuarterly,Vol.54,No.3(summer2000),4.

SantaCruzCountyCommunityAssessmentProject,NaturalEnvironmentalIssuesYear14,2008http://www.santacruzcountycap.org/pdfs/CAP%2014/CAP14_Natural_Environment.pdf

Beneld,KaidF.,MathewD.Raimi,andDonaldD.T.Chen.Once There Were Greenelds: How Urban Sprawl isUndermining Americas Environment, Economy, and Social Fabric.NaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil,SurfaceTransportationPolicyProject,NewYork:1999.

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U.S.CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.NationalCenterforHealthStatistics.Prevalence of OverweightAmong Children and Adolescents: United States, 1999-2002.Available:http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/overwght99.htm#Table%201


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NationalCenterforTransitResearch.Public Transit in America: Results from the 2001 National HouseholdTransportation Survey, 2005.Accessed14Dec2006.http://nhts.ornl.gov

SantaCruzCountyRegionalTransportationCommission(SCCRTC).SCCRTC Transportation Monitoring Report, 2004.http://www.sccrtc.org/pdf/TMR2004/2004TMR_bodyb

NationalCenterforStatisticsandAnalysisoftheNationalHighwayTrafcSafetyAdministration.State Trafc SafetyInformation for Year 2005.http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/STSI/USA%20WEB%20REPORT.HTM

NationalCenterforStatisticsandAnalysisoftheNationalHighwayTrafcSafetyAdministration.Trafc Safety Facts 2002.http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/2002ovrfacts.pdf

PublicPolicyInstituteofCalifornia.Transportation Systems: Just the Facts 2006.http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/jtf/JTF_TransportationJTF.pdf

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StateofCalifornia.ClimateChange.FrequentlyAskedQuestions.Where Do Greenhouse Gases Come From?http://www.climatechange.ca.gov/publications/faqs.html

NationalSafeRoutestoSchool.WalktoSchool.Why Walk or Bicycle to School? Talking Points.www.walktoschool.org/downloads/WTS-talking-points-2008.doc

bike 'n hike - teacher resource -teacher background packet

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