ucar reti 2012 weather, climate, climate change …...the difference between weather and climate is...
TRANSCRIPT
Weather Climate Climate Change and
Actions
UCAR RETI 2012
Compiled By Rob Behrens
The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time and climate is how the atmosphere behaves over relatively long periods of time
CHAPTER 1
1
Weather and Climate Basics
SECTION 1
Rain and dull clouds windy blue skies cold snow and sticky heat are very different conditions yet they are all weather
Weather is the mix of events that happen each day in our at-mosphere Weather is different in different parts of the world and changes over minutes hours days and weeks Most weather happens in the troposphere the part of Earthrsquos atmos-phere that is closest to the ground
The weather events happening in an area are controlled by changes in air pressure Air pressure is caused by the weight of the huge numbers of air molecules that make up the atmos-phere Typically when air pressure is high there skies are clear and blue The high pressure causes air to flow down and fan out when it gets near the ground preventing clouds from form-ing When air pressure is low air flows together and then up-ward where it converges rising cooling and forming clouds
Credit UCAR
What is weather
2
Remember to bring an umbrella with you on low pressure days be-cause those clouds might cause rain or other types of precipitation
Meteorologists develop local or regional weather forecasts includ-ing predictions for several days into the future The best forecasts take into account the weather events that are happening over a broad region Knowing where storms are now can help forecasters predict where storms will be tomorrow and the next day Technol-ogy such as weather satellites and Doppler radar helps the process of looking over a large area as does the network of weather obser-vations
The chaotic nature of the atmosphere means that it will probably always be impossible to predict the weather more than two weeks ahead however new technologies combined with more traditional methods are allowing forecasters to develop better and more com-plete forecasts
The average weather pattern in a place over several decades is called climate Different regions have different regional climates For example the climate of Antarctica is quite different than the cli-mate of a tropical island Global climate refers to the average of all regional climates
As global climate changes weather patterns are expected to change as well While it is impossible to say whether a particular dayrsquos weather was affected by climate change it is possible to pre-dict how patterns might change For example scientists predict more severe weather events as climate warms Also they predict more hot summer days and fewer extreme cold winter days That doesnrsquot mean that there will be no more winter weather in fact large snowstorms might even be more likely in some areas as less
cold air is able to carry more water with which to make snow-flakes
Weather is also affected by climate events like El Nino and La Nina (together known as ENSO) Climate events like these affect the weather in many areas of the world causing extreme events like storms and droughts
Rather learn about it Online
The Jason Project Monster Storms examines current research to im-prove forecasting allowing communities to better prepare for storms and avoid their destructive potential Fly into the eye of a hurricane or chase tornadoes through Tornado Alley Learn how powerful storms form and how cutting-edge technology is used to better understand and forecast weather
Winter Weather Learning Center
Activities on making a snowflake reflect on light and color catch-ing snowflakes or read about blizzards snowstorms snowflakes or icy winter weather Links also to how NCAR is studying winter weather
Discoveryrsquos Weather and Climate Curriculum Center
Activities puzzles and project ideas to boost the study of Weather amp Climate Discovery Educations video and CD-ROM resources offer an up close exploration of Weather amp Climate
Web Weather for Kids
Learn what makes weather wet and wild do cool activities and be-come hot at forecasting the weather on Web Weather for Kids
3
SECTION 2
The climate where you live is called regional climate It is the aver-age weather in a place over more than thirty years To describe the regional climate of a place people often tell what the tempera-tures are like over the seasons how windy it is and how much rain or snow falls The climate of a region depends on many fac-tors including the amount of sunlight it receives its height above sea level the shape of the land and how close it is to oceans
Since the equator receives more sunlight than the poles climate varies depending on its distance from he equator
However we can also think about the climate of an entire planet Global climate is a description of the climate of a planet as a whole with all the regional differences averaged Overall global climate depends on the amount of energy received by the Sun and the amount of energy that is trapped in the system These
Tornado that observed and Photographed near Attica Kansas on May 29 2004 by Eric Nguyen
What is Climate
4
amounts are different for different planets Scientists who study Earths climate and climate change study the factors that affect the climate of our whole planet
While the weather can change in just a few hours climate changes over longer timeframes Climate events like El Nino happen over several years small-scale fluctuations happen over decades and larger climate changes happen over hundreds and thousands of years Today climates are changing Our Earth is warming more quickly than it has in the past according to the research of scien-tists Hot summer days may be quite typical of climates in many regions of the world but global warming is causing Earths aver-age global temperature to increase The amount of solar radiation the chemistry of the atmosphere clouds and the biosphere all af-fect Earths climate
What impacts climate
Some factors that have the power to change global climate are natu-ral like volcanic eruptions and changes in the amount of solar en-ergy Other factors that are changing climate today are caused by humans like the addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere
The Sun Since almost all the energy on Earth comes from the Sun changes in the cycle of solar activity called the 11-year sunspot cy-cle can cause small changes in Earthrsquos climate These changes in the Sun are too small to be the cause of recent climate change There are also large slow changes to the amount of solar energy that gets to Earth Over tens to hundreds of thousands of years changes in the way Earth orbits the Sun have caused large changes in climate such as the Ice Ages
Volcanic Eruptions Erupting volcanoes spew red-hot lava and ash into the air The lava falls to the ground immediately and the ash settles to the ground in a few days Neither of those have much im-pact on climate but there are also tiny particles of sulfur dioxide that spew from volcanic eruptions They get into the atmosphere and reflect solar radiation back out to space shading the Earth - causes cooling The cooling is temporary lasting usually a year or two Eventually the particles fall out of the atmosphere to the ground
Greenhouse Gases Even though greenhouse gases make up less than 1 of the atmosphere they have a major effect Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere through a process called the greenhouse effect Having some greenhouse gases in the atmos-phere is natural Their heat-trapping abilities keep Earth from be-ing uncomfortably cold However the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere has increased over the past 150 years as people burned fossil fuels and changed landscapes decreasing the amount of forests which naturally take the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide our of the air as the plants photosynthesize
Snow and Ice Because snow and ice are light in color they have the ability to reflect most of the sunlight that hits them out to space When snow and ice melt as Earthrsquos climate warms less en-ergy is reflected out to space so more lingers around Earth which causes even more warming
Other Impacts There are also other aspects of our planet that have an impact on climate too Scientists are studying the impact of clouds and tiny particles in the atmosphere called aerosols on cli-mate in hopes of adding more detail to models used to predict fu-
5
ture climate Scientists are also keeping track of how water moves through the worldrsquos ocean As the amount of sea ice in the Arctic melts the flow of ocean water could change Since the water trans-ports heat from place to place this could have a large effect on cli-mate in different regions of the world
copy 2011 NESTA and UCAR
Learn about Climate online
Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness
Set of climate literacy and energy awareness principles provides a framework for teaching the science behind these issues
6Keynote thanks to S Kindt
Interactive 11 Climatology Slideshow
Projected changes in global average temperatures under three emissions scenarios (rows) for three different time periods (columns) Changes in temperatures are relative to 1961-1990 averages The scenarios come from the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios B1 is a low emissions scenario A1B is a medium-high emissions scenario and A2 is a high emissions scenario Source NRC 2010
CHAPTER 2
7
Climate is Changing
SECTION 1
Carbon cycles naturally through the environment Plants and other photosynthetic organisms extract carbon dioxide from the air and in the presence of light make food in the form of the car-bohydrate glucose which provides energy and is used to build
and repair structures Both animals and plants return CO2 to the air when they release the energy stored in food molecules through the process of respiration Other carbon-based molecules cycle more slowly through the environment remaining stored un-derground or at the bottom of the ocean for long periods of time
When we extract coal and oil from Earths crust and then burn these fossil fuels to provide energy for transportation heating cooking electricity and manufacturing we add carbon to the at-mosphere more rapidly than it is naturally removed through pho-tosynthesis and sedimentation The result is that atmospheric car-bon dioxide concentrations are higher today than they have been for at least 400000 years
This human-caused increase is a concern to climate experts be-cause carbon dioxide water vapor methane nitrous oxide and a few other compounds are responsible for keeping Earth warm in the first place Scientists concern is that an increase in greenhouse gases is likely to enhance the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gas molecules each composed of three or more com-ponent atoms readily absorb infrared radiation coming from the surface of Earth When they do they vibrate and ultimately re-emit the radiation they have absorbed Often they simply pass their energy to nearby greenhouse gas molecules This absorption-emission-absorption cycle in the lower atmosphere
What is Global Warming
8
keeps heat near the surface of Earth effectively insulating it from the cold of space
In the proper balance greenhouse gases make life on Earth possi-ble However any increase in their concentration poses the risk of altering the natural balance and changing global temperatures dra-matically Indeed temperature data from a variety of sources show that average global temperatures have risen slightly less than one degree Celsius in the past century What may sound like a small change actually suggests an alarming trend to many climate experts Af-ter all ice ages and the warm interglacial periods between them are marked by changes of just four or five degrees Celsius A warming trend on top of the current interglacial pe-riod could have devastating consequences for human societies
To learn more about the role CO2 plays in Earths temperature check out Global Warming The Phys-ics of the Greenhouse Ef-fect
To learn more about evidence suggesting a link between human ac-tivities and global warming check out CO2 Concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory Hawaiʻi
To learn more about evidence of regular extreme climate change throughout Earths distant past check out Climate Change and Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 A Record of Climate Change
Discussion Questions
bullWhy does the image of the scientist in the video segment fade after carbon dioxide has been turned on How does this explain the greenhouse ef-fect
bullDraw a diagram that explains how radiant energy from the Sun heats Earths atmosphere Show how heat is absorbed and reradiated by both Earth and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bullWhat personal actions do you think might contribute to the amount of car-bon dioxide entering the atmosphere either by increasing it or decreasing it
bullHow long does it take for carbon di-oxide to spread throughout Earths at-mosphere How long does it take to be absorbed into the oceans
9
Global Warming Video
SECTION 2
Environmental conditions are constantly in flux Many of these changes may escape our notice Temperatures rise and fall throughout the day humidity and air pressure fluctuate and clouds form and dissipate However these same variables can combine to create phenomena that are readily observable such as wind rain snow and thunderstorms These relatively short-term environmental changes which might occur over periods of hours days weeks or seasons are collectively referred to as weather
Climate describes environmental conditions over much longer periods of time than weather forecasts and reports These long-term environ-mental analyses characterize a specific geo-graphic locations temperature and precipitation averages and ranges Anomalous high and low readings are absorbed by these averages result-ing in a reliable estimate of expected normal con-ditions
Indeed the global climate is by definition more stable than local weather But climate is also con-stantly changing In fact research conducted over the last 20 years or so describes dramatic shifts in climate in Earths distant past These shifts occurred over a period of a decade or less rather than over thousands of years as scientists once thought was necessary
Scientists began studying evidence of climate change espe-cially the role of ice ages in Earths geologic history more than a century ago During the most recent ice age the Pleistocene average global temperatures were about 5degC or more below pre-sent temperatures This and other ice ages detected in the geo-logical record were set in motion by gradual changes in the Earths tilt rotation and orbit over thousands of years Despite the gradual nature of these changes Earths climate appears to respond rapidly once certain boundary conditions are set in place
10
Layers of ice analyzed from Greenland ice cores provide a chronol-ogy detailing the rapid onset of ice age conditions They show aver-age continental surface temperatures rising and falling dramati-cally in just a few years rather than over the course of hundreds or thousands For example between 43000 BC and 8000 BC average global temperatures fluctuated periodically by as much as 20degC (36degF) or more In contrast climate changes since 8000 BC have been characterized by temperature shifts of just 4degC (7degF) or less
Many climatologists think these events resulted from changes in heat energy transfer by ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes caused by a decrease in salinity For example com-puter models suggest that around 13000 years ago the Gulf Stream waters which warm northwestern Europe might have been altered or halted dramatically by influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers However scientists do not understand the specif-ics of how a decrease in the rate of energy transfer by the ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes translates to changes in regional and global climate
WATCH THIS VIDEO
Discussion Questions
bull Explain the relationship between climate and weather using examples from the video
bull Explain why floods hurricanes and tornadoes are aspects of weather not climate
bull The video points out how dramatic climate changes have been in the past Do we know the possible triggers of these rapid
shifts Is it possible that we may experience one of these dra-matic shifts in our lifetime
bull The graph of average temperatures shows that todays tem-peratures are higher than they were 10000 to 40000 years ago It also shows that todays temperatures have been dropping in the past centuries However what doesnt show on this graph is that temperatures have been increasing over the past several dec-
11
AtmosNews takes a lighthearted look at an unexpected analogy explaining why some people call carbon dioxide (and the other greenhouse gases) the steroids of the climate system Statistics and extreme behavior are involved whether were talking about baseball or Earths atmosphere
(copyUCAR Video by Noah Besser produced by UCAR Communications for AtmosNews NCAR amp UCAR Science)
Movie 21 Steroids Baseball and Climate Change
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time and climate is how the atmosphere behaves over relatively long periods of time
CHAPTER 1
1
Weather and Climate Basics
SECTION 1
Rain and dull clouds windy blue skies cold snow and sticky heat are very different conditions yet they are all weather
Weather is the mix of events that happen each day in our at-mosphere Weather is different in different parts of the world and changes over minutes hours days and weeks Most weather happens in the troposphere the part of Earthrsquos atmos-phere that is closest to the ground
The weather events happening in an area are controlled by changes in air pressure Air pressure is caused by the weight of the huge numbers of air molecules that make up the atmos-phere Typically when air pressure is high there skies are clear and blue The high pressure causes air to flow down and fan out when it gets near the ground preventing clouds from form-ing When air pressure is low air flows together and then up-ward where it converges rising cooling and forming clouds
Credit UCAR
What is weather
2
Remember to bring an umbrella with you on low pressure days be-cause those clouds might cause rain or other types of precipitation
Meteorologists develop local or regional weather forecasts includ-ing predictions for several days into the future The best forecasts take into account the weather events that are happening over a broad region Knowing where storms are now can help forecasters predict where storms will be tomorrow and the next day Technol-ogy such as weather satellites and Doppler radar helps the process of looking over a large area as does the network of weather obser-vations
The chaotic nature of the atmosphere means that it will probably always be impossible to predict the weather more than two weeks ahead however new technologies combined with more traditional methods are allowing forecasters to develop better and more com-plete forecasts
The average weather pattern in a place over several decades is called climate Different regions have different regional climates For example the climate of Antarctica is quite different than the cli-mate of a tropical island Global climate refers to the average of all regional climates
As global climate changes weather patterns are expected to change as well While it is impossible to say whether a particular dayrsquos weather was affected by climate change it is possible to pre-dict how patterns might change For example scientists predict more severe weather events as climate warms Also they predict more hot summer days and fewer extreme cold winter days That doesnrsquot mean that there will be no more winter weather in fact large snowstorms might even be more likely in some areas as less
cold air is able to carry more water with which to make snow-flakes
Weather is also affected by climate events like El Nino and La Nina (together known as ENSO) Climate events like these affect the weather in many areas of the world causing extreme events like storms and droughts
Rather learn about it Online
The Jason Project Monster Storms examines current research to im-prove forecasting allowing communities to better prepare for storms and avoid their destructive potential Fly into the eye of a hurricane or chase tornadoes through Tornado Alley Learn how powerful storms form and how cutting-edge technology is used to better understand and forecast weather
Winter Weather Learning Center
Activities on making a snowflake reflect on light and color catch-ing snowflakes or read about blizzards snowstorms snowflakes or icy winter weather Links also to how NCAR is studying winter weather
Discoveryrsquos Weather and Climate Curriculum Center
Activities puzzles and project ideas to boost the study of Weather amp Climate Discovery Educations video and CD-ROM resources offer an up close exploration of Weather amp Climate
Web Weather for Kids
Learn what makes weather wet and wild do cool activities and be-come hot at forecasting the weather on Web Weather for Kids
3
SECTION 2
The climate where you live is called regional climate It is the aver-age weather in a place over more than thirty years To describe the regional climate of a place people often tell what the tempera-tures are like over the seasons how windy it is and how much rain or snow falls The climate of a region depends on many fac-tors including the amount of sunlight it receives its height above sea level the shape of the land and how close it is to oceans
Since the equator receives more sunlight than the poles climate varies depending on its distance from he equator
However we can also think about the climate of an entire planet Global climate is a description of the climate of a planet as a whole with all the regional differences averaged Overall global climate depends on the amount of energy received by the Sun and the amount of energy that is trapped in the system These
Tornado that observed and Photographed near Attica Kansas on May 29 2004 by Eric Nguyen
What is Climate
4
amounts are different for different planets Scientists who study Earths climate and climate change study the factors that affect the climate of our whole planet
While the weather can change in just a few hours climate changes over longer timeframes Climate events like El Nino happen over several years small-scale fluctuations happen over decades and larger climate changes happen over hundreds and thousands of years Today climates are changing Our Earth is warming more quickly than it has in the past according to the research of scien-tists Hot summer days may be quite typical of climates in many regions of the world but global warming is causing Earths aver-age global temperature to increase The amount of solar radiation the chemistry of the atmosphere clouds and the biosphere all af-fect Earths climate
What impacts climate
Some factors that have the power to change global climate are natu-ral like volcanic eruptions and changes in the amount of solar en-ergy Other factors that are changing climate today are caused by humans like the addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere
The Sun Since almost all the energy on Earth comes from the Sun changes in the cycle of solar activity called the 11-year sunspot cy-cle can cause small changes in Earthrsquos climate These changes in the Sun are too small to be the cause of recent climate change There are also large slow changes to the amount of solar energy that gets to Earth Over tens to hundreds of thousands of years changes in the way Earth orbits the Sun have caused large changes in climate such as the Ice Ages
Volcanic Eruptions Erupting volcanoes spew red-hot lava and ash into the air The lava falls to the ground immediately and the ash settles to the ground in a few days Neither of those have much im-pact on climate but there are also tiny particles of sulfur dioxide that spew from volcanic eruptions They get into the atmosphere and reflect solar radiation back out to space shading the Earth - causes cooling The cooling is temporary lasting usually a year or two Eventually the particles fall out of the atmosphere to the ground
Greenhouse Gases Even though greenhouse gases make up less than 1 of the atmosphere they have a major effect Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere through a process called the greenhouse effect Having some greenhouse gases in the atmos-phere is natural Their heat-trapping abilities keep Earth from be-ing uncomfortably cold However the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere has increased over the past 150 years as people burned fossil fuels and changed landscapes decreasing the amount of forests which naturally take the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide our of the air as the plants photosynthesize
Snow and Ice Because snow and ice are light in color they have the ability to reflect most of the sunlight that hits them out to space When snow and ice melt as Earthrsquos climate warms less en-ergy is reflected out to space so more lingers around Earth which causes even more warming
Other Impacts There are also other aspects of our planet that have an impact on climate too Scientists are studying the impact of clouds and tiny particles in the atmosphere called aerosols on cli-mate in hopes of adding more detail to models used to predict fu-
5
ture climate Scientists are also keeping track of how water moves through the worldrsquos ocean As the amount of sea ice in the Arctic melts the flow of ocean water could change Since the water trans-ports heat from place to place this could have a large effect on cli-mate in different regions of the world
copy 2011 NESTA and UCAR
Learn about Climate online
Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness
Set of climate literacy and energy awareness principles provides a framework for teaching the science behind these issues
6Keynote thanks to S Kindt
Interactive 11 Climatology Slideshow
Projected changes in global average temperatures under three emissions scenarios (rows) for three different time periods (columns) Changes in temperatures are relative to 1961-1990 averages The scenarios come from the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios B1 is a low emissions scenario A1B is a medium-high emissions scenario and A2 is a high emissions scenario Source NRC 2010
CHAPTER 2
7
Climate is Changing
SECTION 1
Carbon cycles naturally through the environment Plants and other photosynthetic organisms extract carbon dioxide from the air and in the presence of light make food in the form of the car-bohydrate glucose which provides energy and is used to build
and repair structures Both animals and plants return CO2 to the air when they release the energy stored in food molecules through the process of respiration Other carbon-based molecules cycle more slowly through the environment remaining stored un-derground or at the bottom of the ocean for long periods of time
When we extract coal and oil from Earths crust and then burn these fossil fuels to provide energy for transportation heating cooking electricity and manufacturing we add carbon to the at-mosphere more rapidly than it is naturally removed through pho-tosynthesis and sedimentation The result is that atmospheric car-bon dioxide concentrations are higher today than they have been for at least 400000 years
This human-caused increase is a concern to climate experts be-cause carbon dioxide water vapor methane nitrous oxide and a few other compounds are responsible for keeping Earth warm in the first place Scientists concern is that an increase in greenhouse gases is likely to enhance the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gas molecules each composed of three or more com-ponent atoms readily absorb infrared radiation coming from the surface of Earth When they do they vibrate and ultimately re-emit the radiation they have absorbed Often they simply pass their energy to nearby greenhouse gas molecules This absorption-emission-absorption cycle in the lower atmosphere
What is Global Warming
8
keeps heat near the surface of Earth effectively insulating it from the cold of space
In the proper balance greenhouse gases make life on Earth possi-ble However any increase in their concentration poses the risk of altering the natural balance and changing global temperatures dra-matically Indeed temperature data from a variety of sources show that average global temperatures have risen slightly less than one degree Celsius in the past century What may sound like a small change actually suggests an alarming trend to many climate experts Af-ter all ice ages and the warm interglacial periods between them are marked by changes of just four or five degrees Celsius A warming trend on top of the current interglacial pe-riod could have devastating consequences for human societies
To learn more about the role CO2 plays in Earths temperature check out Global Warming The Phys-ics of the Greenhouse Ef-fect
To learn more about evidence suggesting a link between human ac-tivities and global warming check out CO2 Concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory Hawaiʻi
To learn more about evidence of regular extreme climate change throughout Earths distant past check out Climate Change and Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 A Record of Climate Change
Discussion Questions
bullWhy does the image of the scientist in the video segment fade after carbon dioxide has been turned on How does this explain the greenhouse ef-fect
bullDraw a diagram that explains how radiant energy from the Sun heats Earths atmosphere Show how heat is absorbed and reradiated by both Earth and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bullWhat personal actions do you think might contribute to the amount of car-bon dioxide entering the atmosphere either by increasing it or decreasing it
bullHow long does it take for carbon di-oxide to spread throughout Earths at-mosphere How long does it take to be absorbed into the oceans
9
Global Warming Video
SECTION 2
Environmental conditions are constantly in flux Many of these changes may escape our notice Temperatures rise and fall throughout the day humidity and air pressure fluctuate and clouds form and dissipate However these same variables can combine to create phenomena that are readily observable such as wind rain snow and thunderstorms These relatively short-term environmental changes which might occur over periods of hours days weeks or seasons are collectively referred to as weather
Climate describes environmental conditions over much longer periods of time than weather forecasts and reports These long-term environ-mental analyses characterize a specific geo-graphic locations temperature and precipitation averages and ranges Anomalous high and low readings are absorbed by these averages result-ing in a reliable estimate of expected normal con-ditions
Indeed the global climate is by definition more stable than local weather But climate is also con-stantly changing In fact research conducted over the last 20 years or so describes dramatic shifts in climate in Earths distant past These shifts occurred over a period of a decade or less rather than over thousands of years as scientists once thought was necessary
Scientists began studying evidence of climate change espe-cially the role of ice ages in Earths geologic history more than a century ago During the most recent ice age the Pleistocene average global temperatures were about 5degC or more below pre-sent temperatures This and other ice ages detected in the geo-logical record were set in motion by gradual changes in the Earths tilt rotation and orbit over thousands of years Despite the gradual nature of these changes Earths climate appears to respond rapidly once certain boundary conditions are set in place
10
Layers of ice analyzed from Greenland ice cores provide a chronol-ogy detailing the rapid onset of ice age conditions They show aver-age continental surface temperatures rising and falling dramati-cally in just a few years rather than over the course of hundreds or thousands For example between 43000 BC and 8000 BC average global temperatures fluctuated periodically by as much as 20degC (36degF) or more In contrast climate changes since 8000 BC have been characterized by temperature shifts of just 4degC (7degF) or less
Many climatologists think these events resulted from changes in heat energy transfer by ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes caused by a decrease in salinity For example com-puter models suggest that around 13000 years ago the Gulf Stream waters which warm northwestern Europe might have been altered or halted dramatically by influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers However scientists do not understand the specif-ics of how a decrease in the rate of energy transfer by the ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes translates to changes in regional and global climate
WATCH THIS VIDEO
Discussion Questions
bull Explain the relationship between climate and weather using examples from the video
bull Explain why floods hurricanes and tornadoes are aspects of weather not climate
bull The video points out how dramatic climate changes have been in the past Do we know the possible triggers of these rapid
shifts Is it possible that we may experience one of these dra-matic shifts in our lifetime
bull The graph of average temperatures shows that todays tem-peratures are higher than they were 10000 to 40000 years ago It also shows that todays temperatures have been dropping in the past centuries However what doesnt show on this graph is that temperatures have been increasing over the past several dec-
11
AtmosNews takes a lighthearted look at an unexpected analogy explaining why some people call carbon dioxide (and the other greenhouse gases) the steroids of the climate system Statistics and extreme behavior are involved whether were talking about baseball or Earths atmosphere
(copyUCAR Video by Noah Besser produced by UCAR Communications for AtmosNews NCAR amp UCAR Science)
Movie 21 Steroids Baseball and Climate Change
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
SECTION 1
Rain and dull clouds windy blue skies cold snow and sticky heat are very different conditions yet they are all weather
Weather is the mix of events that happen each day in our at-mosphere Weather is different in different parts of the world and changes over minutes hours days and weeks Most weather happens in the troposphere the part of Earthrsquos atmos-phere that is closest to the ground
The weather events happening in an area are controlled by changes in air pressure Air pressure is caused by the weight of the huge numbers of air molecules that make up the atmos-phere Typically when air pressure is high there skies are clear and blue The high pressure causes air to flow down and fan out when it gets near the ground preventing clouds from form-ing When air pressure is low air flows together and then up-ward where it converges rising cooling and forming clouds
Credit UCAR
What is weather
2
Remember to bring an umbrella with you on low pressure days be-cause those clouds might cause rain or other types of precipitation
Meteorologists develop local or regional weather forecasts includ-ing predictions for several days into the future The best forecasts take into account the weather events that are happening over a broad region Knowing where storms are now can help forecasters predict where storms will be tomorrow and the next day Technol-ogy such as weather satellites and Doppler radar helps the process of looking over a large area as does the network of weather obser-vations
The chaotic nature of the atmosphere means that it will probably always be impossible to predict the weather more than two weeks ahead however new technologies combined with more traditional methods are allowing forecasters to develop better and more com-plete forecasts
The average weather pattern in a place over several decades is called climate Different regions have different regional climates For example the climate of Antarctica is quite different than the cli-mate of a tropical island Global climate refers to the average of all regional climates
As global climate changes weather patterns are expected to change as well While it is impossible to say whether a particular dayrsquos weather was affected by climate change it is possible to pre-dict how patterns might change For example scientists predict more severe weather events as climate warms Also they predict more hot summer days and fewer extreme cold winter days That doesnrsquot mean that there will be no more winter weather in fact large snowstorms might even be more likely in some areas as less
cold air is able to carry more water with which to make snow-flakes
Weather is also affected by climate events like El Nino and La Nina (together known as ENSO) Climate events like these affect the weather in many areas of the world causing extreme events like storms and droughts
Rather learn about it Online
The Jason Project Monster Storms examines current research to im-prove forecasting allowing communities to better prepare for storms and avoid their destructive potential Fly into the eye of a hurricane or chase tornadoes through Tornado Alley Learn how powerful storms form and how cutting-edge technology is used to better understand and forecast weather
Winter Weather Learning Center
Activities on making a snowflake reflect on light and color catch-ing snowflakes or read about blizzards snowstorms snowflakes or icy winter weather Links also to how NCAR is studying winter weather
Discoveryrsquos Weather and Climate Curriculum Center
Activities puzzles and project ideas to boost the study of Weather amp Climate Discovery Educations video and CD-ROM resources offer an up close exploration of Weather amp Climate
Web Weather for Kids
Learn what makes weather wet and wild do cool activities and be-come hot at forecasting the weather on Web Weather for Kids
3
SECTION 2
The climate where you live is called regional climate It is the aver-age weather in a place over more than thirty years To describe the regional climate of a place people often tell what the tempera-tures are like over the seasons how windy it is and how much rain or snow falls The climate of a region depends on many fac-tors including the amount of sunlight it receives its height above sea level the shape of the land and how close it is to oceans
Since the equator receives more sunlight than the poles climate varies depending on its distance from he equator
However we can also think about the climate of an entire planet Global climate is a description of the climate of a planet as a whole with all the regional differences averaged Overall global climate depends on the amount of energy received by the Sun and the amount of energy that is trapped in the system These
Tornado that observed and Photographed near Attica Kansas on May 29 2004 by Eric Nguyen
What is Climate
4
amounts are different for different planets Scientists who study Earths climate and climate change study the factors that affect the climate of our whole planet
While the weather can change in just a few hours climate changes over longer timeframes Climate events like El Nino happen over several years small-scale fluctuations happen over decades and larger climate changes happen over hundreds and thousands of years Today climates are changing Our Earth is warming more quickly than it has in the past according to the research of scien-tists Hot summer days may be quite typical of climates in many regions of the world but global warming is causing Earths aver-age global temperature to increase The amount of solar radiation the chemistry of the atmosphere clouds and the biosphere all af-fect Earths climate
What impacts climate
Some factors that have the power to change global climate are natu-ral like volcanic eruptions and changes in the amount of solar en-ergy Other factors that are changing climate today are caused by humans like the addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere
The Sun Since almost all the energy on Earth comes from the Sun changes in the cycle of solar activity called the 11-year sunspot cy-cle can cause small changes in Earthrsquos climate These changes in the Sun are too small to be the cause of recent climate change There are also large slow changes to the amount of solar energy that gets to Earth Over tens to hundreds of thousands of years changes in the way Earth orbits the Sun have caused large changes in climate such as the Ice Ages
Volcanic Eruptions Erupting volcanoes spew red-hot lava and ash into the air The lava falls to the ground immediately and the ash settles to the ground in a few days Neither of those have much im-pact on climate but there are also tiny particles of sulfur dioxide that spew from volcanic eruptions They get into the atmosphere and reflect solar radiation back out to space shading the Earth - causes cooling The cooling is temporary lasting usually a year or two Eventually the particles fall out of the atmosphere to the ground
Greenhouse Gases Even though greenhouse gases make up less than 1 of the atmosphere they have a major effect Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere through a process called the greenhouse effect Having some greenhouse gases in the atmos-phere is natural Their heat-trapping abilities keep Earth from be-ing uncomfortably cold However the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere has increased over the past 150 years as people burned fossil fuels and changed landscapes decreasing the amount of forests which naturally take the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide our of the air as the plants photosynthesize
Snow and Ice Because snow and ice are light in color they have the ability to reflect most of the sunlight that hits them out to space When snow and ice melt as Earthrsquos climate warms less en-ergy is reflected out to space so more lingers around Earth which causes even more warming
Other Impacts There are also other aspects of our planet that have an impact on climate too Scientists are studying the impact of clouds and tiny particles in the atmosphere called aerosols on cli-mate in hopes of adding more detail to models used to predict fu-
5
ture climate Scientists are also keeping track of how water moves through the worldrsquos ocean As the amount of sea ice in the Arctic melts the flow of ocean water could change Since the water trans-ports heat from place to place this could have a large effect on cli-mate in different regions of the world
copy 2011 NESTA and UCAR
Learn about Climate online
Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness
Set of climate literacy and energy awareness principles provides a framework for teaching the science behind these issues
6Keynote thanks to S Kindt
Interactive 11 Climatology Slideshow
Projected changes in global average temperatures under three emissions scenarios (rows) for three different time periods (columns) Changes in temperatures are relative to 1961-1990 averages The scenarios come from the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios B1 is a low emissions scenario A1B is a medium-high emissions scenario and A2 is a high emissions scenario Source NRC 2010
CHAPTER 2
7
Climate is Changing
SECTION 1
Carbon cycles naturally through the environment Plants and other photosynthetic organisms extract carbon dioxide from the air and in the presence of light make food in the form of the car-bohydrate glucose which provides energy and is used to build
and repair structures Both animals and plants return CO2 to the air when they release the energy stored in food molecules through the process of respiration Other carbon-based molecules cycle more slowly through the environment remaining stored un-derground or at the bottom of the ocean for long periods of time
When we extract coal and oil from Earths crust and then burn these fossil fuels to provide energy for transportation heating cooking electricity and manufacturing we add carbon to the at-mosphere more rapidly than it is naturally removed through pho-tosynthesis and sedimentation The result is that atmospheric car-bon dioxide concentrations are higher today than they have been for at least 400000 years
This human-caused increase is a concern to climate experts be-cause carbon dioxide water vapor methane nitrous oxide and a few other compounds are responsible for keeping Earth warm in the first place Scientists concern is that an increase in greenhouse gases is likely to enhance the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gas molecules each composed of three or more com-ponent atoms readily absorb infrared radiation coming from the surface of Earth When they do they vibrate and ultimately re-emit the radiation they have absorbed Often they simply pass their energy to nearby greenhouse gas molecules This absorption-emission-absorption cycle in the lower atmosphere
What is Global Warming
8
keeps heat near the surface of Earth effectively insulating it from the cold of space
In the proper balance greenhouse gases make life on Earth possi-ble However any increase in their concentration poses the risk of altering the natural balance and changing global temperatures dra-matically Indeed temperature data from a variety of sources show that average global temperatures have risen slightly less than one degree Celsius in the past century What may sound like a small change actually suggests an alarming trend to many climate experts Af-ter all ice ages and the warm interglacial periods between them are marked by changes of just four or five degrees Celsius A warming trend on top of the current interglacial pe-riod could have devastating consequences for human societies
To learn more about the role CO2 plays in Earths temperature check out Global Warming The Phys-ics of the Greenhouse Ef-fect
To learn more about evidence suggesting a link between human ac-tivities and global warming check out CO2 Concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory Hawaiʻi
To learn more about evidence of regular extreme climate change throughout Earths distant past check out Climate Change and Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 A Record of Climate Change
Discussion Questions
bullWhy does the image of the scientist in the video segment fade after carbon dioxide has been turned on How does this explain the greenhouse ef-fect
bullDraw a diagram that explains how radiant energy from the Sun heats Earths atmosphere Show how heat is absorbed and reradiated by both Earth and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bullWhat personal actions do you think might contribute to the amount of car-bon dioxide entering the atmosphere either by increasing it or decreasing it
bullHow long does it take for carbon di-oxide to spread throughout Earths at-mosphere How long does it take to be absorbed into the oceans
9
Global Warming Video
SECTION 2
Environmental conditions are constantly in flux Many of these changes may escape our notice Temperatures rise and fall throughout the day humidity and air pressure fluctuate and clouds form and dissipate However these same variables can combine to create phenomena that are readily observable such as wind rain snow and thunderstorms These relatively short-term environmental changes which might occur over periods of hours days weeks or seasons are collectively referred to as weather
Climate describes environmental conditions over much longer periods of time than weather forecasts and reports These long-term environ-mental analyses characterize a specific geo-graphic locations temperature and precipitation averages and ranges Anomalous high and low readings are absorbed by these averages result-ing in a reliable estimate of expected normal con-ditions
Indeed the global climate is by definition more stable than local weather But climate is also con-stantly changing In fact research conducted over the last 20 years or so describes dramatic shifts in climate in Earths distant past These shifts occurred over a period of a decade or less rather than over thousands of years as scientists once thought was necessary
Scientists began studying evidence of climate change espe-cially the role of ice ages in Earths geologic history more than a century ago During the most recent ice age the Pleistocene average global temperatures were about 5degC or more below pre-sent temperatures This and other ice ages detected in the geo-logical record were set in motion by gradual changes in the Earths tilt rotation and orbit over thousands of years Despite the gradual nature of these changes Earths climate appears to respond rapidly once certain boundary conditions are set in place
10
Layers of ice analyzed from Greenland ice cores provide a chronol-ogy detailing the rapid onset of ice age conditions They show aver-age continental surface temperatures rising and falling dramati-cally in just a few years rather than over the course of hundreds or thousands For example between 43000 BC and 8000 BC average global temperatures fluctuated periodically by as much as 20degC (36degF) or more In contrast climate changes since 8000 BC have been characterized by temperature shifts of just 4degC (7degF) or less
Many climatologists think these events resulted from changes in heat energy transfer by ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes caused by a decrease in salinity For example com-puter models suggest that around 13000 years ago the Gulf Stream waters which warm northwestern Europe might have been altered or halted dramatically by influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers However scientists do not understand the specif-ics of how a decrease in the rate of energy transfer by the ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes translates to changes in regional and global climate
WATCH THIS VIDEO
Discussion Questions
bull Explain the relationship between climate and weather using examples from the video
bull Explain why floods hurricanes and tornadoes are aspects of weather not climate
bull The video points out how dramatic climate changes have been in the past Do we know the possible triggers of these rapid
shifts Is it possible that we may experience one of these dra-matic shifts in our lifetime
bull The graph of average temperatures shows that todays tem-peratures are higher than they were 10000 to 40000 years ago It also shows that todays temperatures have been dropping in the past centuries However what doesnt show on this graph is that temperatures have been increasing over the past several dec-
11
AtmosNews takes a lighthearted look at an unexpected analogy explaining why some people call carbon dioxide (and the other greenhouse gases) the steroids of the climate system Statistics and extreme behavior are involved whether were talking about baseball or Earths atmosphere
(copyUCAR Video by Noah Besser produced by UCAR Communications for AtmosNews NCAR amp UCAR Science)
Movie 21 Steroids Baseball and Climate Change
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
Remember to bring an umbrella with you on low pressure days be-cause those clouds might cause rain or other types of precipitation
Meteorologists develop local or regional weather forecasts includ-ing predictions for several days into the future The best forecasts take into account the weather events that are happening over a broad region Knowing where storms are now can help forecasters predict where storms will be tomorrow and the next day Technol-ogy such as weather satellites and Doppler radar helps the process of looking over a large area as does the network of weather obser-vations
The chaotic nature of the atmosphere means that it will probably always be impossible to predict the weather more than two weeks ahead however new technologies combined with more traditional methods are allowing forecasters to develop better and more com-plete forecasts
The average weather pattern in a place over several decades is called climate Different regions have different regional climates For example the climate of Antarctica is quite different than the cli-mate of a tropical island Global climate refers to the average of all regional climates
As global climate changes weather patterns are expected to change as well While it is impossible to say whether a particular dayrsquos weather was affected by climate change it is possible to pre-dict how patterns might change For example scientists predict more severe weather events as climate warms Also they predict more hot summer days and fewer extreme cold winter days That doesnrsquot mean that there will be no more winter weather in fact large snowstorms might even be more likely in some areas as less
cold air is able to carry more water with which to make snow-flakes
Weather is also affected by climate events like El Nino and La Nina (together known as ENSO) Climate events like these affect the weather in many areas of the world causing extreme events like storms and droughts
Rather learn about it Online
The Jason Project Monster Storms examines current research to im-prove forecasting allowing communities to better prepare for storms and avoid their destructive potential Fly into the eye of a hurricane or chase tornadoes through Tornado Alley Learn how powerful storms form and how cutting-edge technology is used to better understand and forecast weather
Winter Weather Learning Center
Activities on making a snowflake reflect on light and color catch-ing snowflakes or read about blizzards snowstorms snowflakes or icy winter weather Links also to how NCAR is studying winter weather
Discoveryrsquos Weather and Climate Curriculum Center
Activities puzzles and project ideas to boost the study of Weather amp Climate Discovery Educations video and CD-ROM resources offer an up close exploration of Weather amp Climate
Web Weather for Kids
Learn what makes weather wet and wild do cool activities and be-come hot at forecasting the weather on Web Weather for Kids
3
SECTION 2
The climate where you live is called regional climate It is the aver-age weather in a place over more than thirty years To describe the regional climate of a place people often tell what the tempera-tures are like over the seasons how windy it is and how much rain or snow falls The climate of a region depends on many fac-tors including the amount of sunlight it receives its height above sea level the shape of the land and how close it is to oceans
Since the equator receives more sunlight than the poles climate varies depending on its distance from he equator
However we can also think about the climate of an entire planet Global climate is a description of the climate of a planet as a whole with all the regional differences averaged Overall global climate depends on the amount of energy received by the Sun and the amount of energy that is trapped in the system These
Tornado that observed and Photographed near Attica Kansas on May 29 2004 by Eric Nguyen
What is Climate
4
amounts are different for different planets Scientists who study Earths climate and climate change study the factors that affect the climate of our whole planet
While the weather can change in just a few hours climate changes over longer timeframes Climate events like El Nino happen over several years small-scale fluctuations happen over decades and larger climate changes happen over hundreds and thousands of years Today climates are changing Our Earth is warming more quickly than it has in the past according to the research of scien-tists Hot summer days may be quite typical of climates in many regions of the world but global warming is causing Earths aver-age global temperature to increase The amount of solar radiation the chemistry of the atmosphere clouds and the biosphere all af-fect Earths climate
What impacts climate
Some factors that have the power to change global climate are natu-ral like volcanic eruptions and changes in the amount of solar en-ergy Other factors that are changing climate today are caused by humans like the addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere
The Sun Since almost all the energy on Earth comes from the Sun changes in the cycle of solar activity called the 11-year sunspot cy-cle can cause small changes in Earthrsquos climate These changes in the Sun are too small to be the cause of recent climate change There are also large slow changes to the amount of solar energy that gets to Earth Over tens to hundreds of thousands of years changes in the way Earth orbits the Sun have caused large changes in climate such as the Ice Ages
Volcanic Eruptions Erupting volcanoes spew red-hot lava and ash into the air The lava falls to the ground immediately and the ash settles to the ground in a few days Neither of those have much im-pact on climate but there are also tiny particles of sulfur dioxide that spew from volcanic eruptions They get into the atmosphere and reflect solar radiation back out to space shading the Earth - causes cooling The cooling is temporary lasting usually a year or two Eventually the particles fall out of the atmosphere to the ground
Greenhouse Gases Even though greenhouse gases make up less than 1 of the atmosphere they have a major effect Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere through a process called the greenhouse effect Having some greenhouse gases in the atmos-phere is natural Their heat-trapping abilities keep Earth from be-ing uncomfortably cold However the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere has increased over the past 150 years as people burned fossil fuels and changed landscapes decreasing the amount of forests which naturally take the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide our of the air as the plants photosynthesize
Snow and Ice Because snow and ice are light in color they have the ability to reflect most of the sunlight that hits them out to space When snow and ice melt as Earthrsquos climate warms less en-ergy is reflected out to space so more lingers around Earth which causes even more warming
Other Impacts There are also other aspects of our planet that have an impact on climate too Scientists are studying the impact of clouds and tiny particles in the atmosphere called aerosols on cli-mate in hopes of adding more detail to models used to predict fu-
5
ture climate Scientists are also keeping track of how water moves through the worldrsquos ocean As the amount of sea ice in the Arctic melts the flow of ocean water could change Since the water trans-ports heat from place to place this could have a large effect on cli-mate in different regions of the world
copy 2011 NESTA and UCAR
Learn about Climate online
Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness
Set of climate literacy and energy awareness principles provides a framework for teaching the science behind these issues
6Keynote thanks to S Kindt
Interactive 11 Climatology Slideshow
Projected changes in global average temperatures under three emissions scenarios (rows) for three different time periods (columns) Changes in temperatures are relative to 1961-1990 averages The scenarios come from the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios B1 is a low emissions scenario A1B is a medium-high emissions scenario and A2 is a high emissions scenario Source NRC 2010
CHAPTER 2
7
Climate is Changing
SECTION 1
Carbon cycles naturally through the environment Plants and other photosynthetic organisms extract carbon dioxide from the air and in the presence of light make food in the form of the car-bohydrate glucose which provides energy and is used to build
and repair structures Both animals and plants return CO2 to the air when they release the energy stored in food molecules through the process of respiration Other carbon-based molecules cycle more slowly through the environment remaining stored un-derground or at the bottom of the ocean for long periods of time
When we extract coal and oil from Earths crust and then burn these fossil fuels to provide energy for transportation heating cooking electricity and manufacturing we add carbon to the at-mosphere more rapidly than it is naturally removed through pho-tosynthesis and sedimentation The result is that atmospheric car-bon dioxide concentrations are higher today than they have been for at least 400000 years
This human-caused increase is a concern to climate experts be-cause carbon dioxide water vapor methane nitrous oxide and a few other compounds are responsible for keeping Earth warm in the first place Scientists concern is that an increase in greenhouse gases is likely to enhance the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gas molecules each composed of three or more com-ponent atoms readily absorb infrared radiation coming from the surface of Earth When they do they vibrate and ultimately re-emit the radiation they have absorbed Often they simply pass their energy to nearby greenhouse gas molecules This absorption-emission-absorption cycle in the lower atmosphere
What is Global Warming
8
keeps heat near the surface of Earth effectively insulating it from the cold of space
In the proper balance greenhouse gases make life on Earth possi-ble However any increase in their concentration poses the risk of altering the natural balance and changing global temperatures dra-matically Indeed temperature data from a variety of sources show that average global temperatures have risen slightly less than one degree Celsius in the past century What may sound like a small change actually suggests an alarming trend to many climate experts Af-ter all ice ages and the warm interglacial periods between them are marked by changes of just four or five degrees Celsius A warming trend on top of the current interglacial pe-riod could have devastating consequences for human societies
To learn more about the role CO2 plays in Earths temperature check out Global Warming The Phys-ics of the Greenhouse Ef-fect
To learn more about evidence suggesting a link between human ac-tivities and global warming check out CO2 Concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory Hawaiʻi
To learn more about evidence of regular extreme climate change throughout Earths distant past check out Climate Change and Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 A Record of Climate Change
Discussion Questions
bullWhy does the image of the scientist in the video segment fade after carbon dioxide has been turned on How does this explain the greenhouse ef-fect
bullDraw a diagram that explains how radiant energy from the Sun heats Earths atmosphere Show how heat is absorbed and reradiated by both Earth and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bullWhat personal actions do you think might contribute to the amount of car-bon dioxide entering the atmosphere either by increasing it or decreasing it
bullHow long does it take for carbon di-oxide to spread throughout Earths at-mosphere How long does it take to be absorbed into the oceans
9
Global Warming Video
SECTION 2
Environmental conditions are constantly in flux Many of these changes may escape our notice Temperatures rise and fall throughout the day humidity and air pressure fluctuate and clouds form and dissipate However these same variables can combine to create phenomena that are readily observable such as wind rain snow and thunderstorms These relatively short-term environmental changes which might occur over periods of hours days weeks or seasons are collectively referred to as weather
Climate describes environmental conditions over much longer periods of time than weather forecasts and reports These long-term environ-mental analyses characterize a specific geo-graphic locations temperature and precipitation averages and ranges Anomalous high and low readings are absorbed by these averages result-ing in a reliable estimate of expected normal con-ditions
Indeed the global climate is by definition more stable than local weather But climate is also con-stantly changing In fact research conducted over the last 20 years or so describes dramatic shifts in climate in Earths distant past These shifts occurred over a period of a decade or less rather than over thousands of years as scientists once thought was necessary
Scientists began studying evidence of climate change espe-cially the role of ice ages in Earths geologic history more than a century ago During the most recent ice age the Pleistocene average global temperatures were about 5degC or more below pre-sent temperatures This and other ice ages detected in the geo-logical record were set in motion by gradual changes in the Earths tilt rotation and orbit over thousands of years Despite the gradual nature of these changes Earths climate appears to respond rapidly once certain boundary conditions are set in place
10
Layers of ice analyzed from Greenland ice cores provide a chronol-ogy detailing the rapid onset of ice age conditions They show aver-age continental surface temperatures rising and falling dramati-cally in just a few years rather than over the course of hundreds or thousands For example between 43000 BC and 8000 BC average global temperatures fluctuated periodically by as much as 20degC (36degF) or more In contrast climate changes since 8000 BC have been characterized by temperature shifts of just 4degC (7degF) or less
Many climatologists think these events resulted from changes in heat energy transfer by ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes caused by a decrease in salinity For example com-puter models suggest that around 13000 years ago the Gulf Stream waters which warm northwestern Europe might have been altered or halted dramatically by influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers However scientists do not understand the specif-ics of how a decrease in the rate of energy transfer by the ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes translates to changes in regional and global climate
WATCH THIS VIDEO
Discussion Questions
bull Explain the relationship between climate and weather using examples from the video
bull Explain why floods hurricanes and tornadoes are aspects of weather not climate
bull The video points out how dramatic climate changes have been in the past Do we know the possible triggers of these rapid
shifts Is it possible that we may experience one of these dra-matic shifts in our lifetime
bull The graph of average temperatures shows that todays tem-peratures are higher than they were 10000 to 40000 years ago It also shows that todays temperatures have been dropping in the past centuries However what doesnt show on this graph is that temperatures have been increasing over the past several dec-
11
AtmosNews takes a lighthearted look at an unexpected analogy explaining why some people call carbon dioxide (and the other greenhouse gases) the steroids of the climate system Statistics and extreme behavior are involved whether were talking about baseball or Earths atmosphere
(copyUCAR Video by Noah Besser produced by UCAR Communications for AtmosNews NCAR amp UCAR Science)
Movie 21 Steroids Baseball and Climate Change
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
SECTION 2
The climate where you live is called regional climate It is the aver-age weather in a place over more than thirty years To describe the regional climate of a place people often tell what the tempera-tures are like over the seasons how windy it is and how much rain or snow falls The climate of a region depends on many fac-tors including the amount of sunlight it receives its height above sea level the shape of the land and how close it is to oceans
Since the equator receives more sunlight than the poles climate varies depending on its distance from he equator
However we can also think about the climate of an entire planet Global climate is a description of the climate of a planet as a whole with all the regional differences averaged Overall global climate depends on the amount of energy received by the Sun and the amount of energy that is trapped in the system These
Tornado that observed and Photographed near Attica Kansas on May 29 2004 by Eric Nguyen
What is Climate
4
amounts are different for different planets Scientists who study Earths climate and climate change study the factors that affect the climate of our whole planet
While the weather can change in just a few hours climate changes over longer timeframes Climate events like El Nino happen over several years small-scale fluctuations happen over decades and larger climate changes happen over hundreds and thousands of years Today climates are changing Our Earth is warming more quickly than it has in the past according to the research of scien-tists Hot summer days may be quite typical of climates in many regions of the world but global warming is causing Earths aver-age global temperature to increase The amount of solar radiation the chemistry of the atmosphere clouds and the biosphere all af-fect Earths climate
What impacts climate
Some factors that have the power to change global climate are natu-ral like volcanic eruptions and changes in the amount of solar en-ergy Other factors that are changing climate today are caused by humans like the addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere
The Sun Since almost all the energy on Earth comes from the Sun changes in the cycle of solar activity called the 11-year sunspot cy-cle can cause small changes in Earthrsquos climate These changes in the Sun are too small to be the cause of recent climate change There are also large slow changes to the amount of solar energy that gets to Earth Over tens to hundreds of thousands of years changes in the way Earth orbits the Sun have caused large changes in climate such as the Ice Ages
Volcanic Eruptions Erupting volcanoes spew red-hot lava and ash into the air The lava falls to the ground immediately and the ash settles to the ground in a few days Neither of those have much im-pact on climate but there are also tiny particles of sulfur dioxide that spew from volcanic eruptions They get into the atmosphere and reflect solar radiation back out to space shading the Earth - causes cooling The cooling is temporary lasting usually a year or two Eventually the particles fall out of the atmosphere to the ground
Greenhouse Gases Even though greenhouse gases make up less than 1 of the atmosphere they have a major effect Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere through a process called the greenhouse effect Having some greenhouse gases in the atmos-phere is natural Their heat-trapping abilities keep Earth from be-ing uncomfortably cold However the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere has increased over the past 150 years as people burned fossil fuels and changed landscapes decreasing the amount of forests which naturally take the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide our of the air as the plants photosynthesize
Snow and Ice Because snow and ice are light in color they have the ability to reflect most of the sunlight that hits them out to space When snow and ice melt as Earthrsquos climate warms less en-ergy is reflected out to space so more lingers around Earth which causes even more warming
Other Impacts There are also other aspects of our planet that have an impact on climate too Scientists are studying the impact of clouds and tiny particles in the atmosphere called aerosols on cli-mate in hopes of adding more detail to models used to predict fu-
5
ture climate Scientists are also keeping track of how water moves through the worldrsquos ocean As the amount of sea ice in the Arctic melts the flow of ocean water could change Since the water trans-ports heat from place to place this could have a large effect on cli-mate in different regions of the world
copy 2011 NESTA and UCAR
Learn about Climate online
Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness
Set of climate literacy and energy awareness principles provides a framework for teaching the science behind these issues
6Keynote thanks to S Kindt
Interactive 11 Climatology Slideshow
Projected changes in global average temperatures under three emissions scenarios (rows) for three different time periods (columns) Changes in temperatures are relative to 1961-1990 averages The scenarios come from the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios B1 is a low emissions scenario A1B is a medium-high emissions scenario and A2 is a high emissions scenario Source NRC 2010
CHAPTER 2
7
Climate is Changing
SECTION 1
Carbon cycles naturally through the environment Plants and other photosynthetic organisms extract carbon dioxide from the air and in the presence of light make food in the form of the car-bohydrate glucose which provides energy and is used to build
and repair structures Both animals and plants return CO2 to the air when they release the energy stored in food molecules through the process of respiration Other carbon-based molecules cycle more slowly through the environment remaining stored un-derground or at the bottom of the ocean for long periods of time
When we extract coal and oil from Earths crust and then burn these fossil fuels to provide energy for transportation heating cooking electricity and manufacturing we add carbon to the at-mosphere more rapidly than it is naturally removed through pho-tosynthesis and sedimentation The result is that atmospheric car-bon dioxide concentrations are higher today than they have been for at least 400000 years
This human-caused increase is a concern to climate experts be-cause carbon dioxide water vapor methane nitrous oxide and a few other compounds are responsible for keeping Earth warm in the first place Scientists concern is that an increase in greenhouse gases is likely to enhance the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gas molecules each composed of three or more com-ponent atoms readily absorb infrared radiation coming from the surface of Earth When they do they vibrate and ultimately re-emit the radiation they have absorbed Often they simply pass their energy to nearby greenhouse gas molecules This absorption-emission-absorption cycle in the lower atmosphere
What is Global Warming
8
keeps heat near the surface of Earth effectively insulating it from the cold of space
In the proper balance greenhouse gases make life on Earth possi-ble However any increase in their concentration poses the risk of altering the natural balance and changing global temperatures dra-matically Indeed temperature data from a variety of sources show that average global temperatures have risen slightly less than one degree Celsius in the past century What may sound like a small change actually suggests an alarming trend to many climate experts Af-ter all ice ages and the warm interglacial periods between them are marked by changes of just four or five degrees Celsius A warming trend on top of the current interglacial pe-riod could have devastating consequences for human societies
To learn more about the role CO2 plays in Earths temperature check out Global Warming The Phys-ics of the Greenhouse Ef-fect
To learn more about evidence suggesting a link between human ac-tivities and global warming check out CO2 Concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory Hawaiʻi
To learn more about evidence of regular extreme climate change throughout Earths distant past check out Climate Change and Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 A Record of Climate Change
Discussion Questions
bullWhy does the image of the scientist in the video segment fade after carbon dioxide has been turned on How does this explain the greenhouse ef-fect
bullDraw a diagram that explains how radiant energy from the Sun heats Earths atmosphere Show how heat is absorbed and reradiated by both Earth and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bullWhat personal actions do you think might contribute to the amount of car-bon dioxide entering the atmosphere either by increasing it or decreasing it
bullHow long does it take for carbon di-oxide to spread throughout Earths at-mosphere How long does it take to be absorbed into the oceans
9
Global Warming Video
SECTION 2
Environmental conditions are constantly in flux Many of these changes may escape our notice Temperatures rise and fall throughout the day humidity and air pressure fluctuate and clouds form and dissipate However these same variables can combine to create phenomena that are readily observable such as wind rain snow and thunderstorms These relatively short-term environmental changes which might occur over periods of hours days weeks or seasons are collectively referred to as weather
Climate describes environmental conditions over much longer periods of time than weather forecasts and reports These long-term environ-mental analyses characterize a specific geo-graphic locations temperature and precipitation averages and ranges Anomalous high and low readings are absorbed by these averages result-ing in a reliable estimate of expected normal con-ditions
Indeed the global climate is by definition more stable than local weather But climate is also con-stantly changing In fact research conducted over the last 20 years or so describes dramatic shifts in climate in Earths distant past These shifts occurred over a period of a decade or less rather than over thousands of years as scientists once thought was necessary
Scientists began studying evidence of climate change espe-cially the role of ice ages in Earths geologic history more than a century ago During the most recent ice age the Pleistocene average global temperatures were about 5degC or more below pre-sent temperatures This and other ice ages detected in the geo-logical record were set in motion by gradual changes in the Earths tilt rotation and orbit over thousands of years Despite the gradual nature of these changes Earths climate appears to respond rapidly once certain boundary conditions are set in place
10
Layers of ice analyzed from Greenland ice cores provide a chronol-ogy detailing the rapid onset of ice age conditions They show aver-age continental surface temperatures rising and falling dramati-cally in just a few years rather than over the course of hundreds or thousands For example between 43000 BC and 8000 BC average global temperatures fluctuated periodically by as much as 20degC (36degF) or more In contrast climate changes since 8000 BC have been characterized by temperature shifts of just 4degC (7degF) or less
Many climatologists think these events resulted from changes in heat energy transfer by ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes caused by a decrease in salinity For example com-puter models suggest that around 13000 years ago the Gulf Stream waters which warm northwestern Europe might have been altered or halted dramatically by influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers However scientists do not understand the specif-ics of how a decrease in the rate of energy transfer by the ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes translates to changes in regional and global climate
WATCH THIS VIDEO
Discussion Questions
bull Explain the relationship between climate and weather using examples from the video
bull Explain why floods hurricanes and tornadoes are aspects of weather not climate
bull The video points out how dramatic climate changes have been in the past Do we know the possible triggers of these rapid
shifts Is it possible that we may experience one of these dra-matic shifts in our lifetime
bull The graph of average temperatures shows that todays tem-peratures are higher than they were 10000 to 40000 years ago It also shows that todays temperatures have been dropping in the past centuries However what doesnt show on this graph is that temperatures have been increasing over the past several dec-
11
AtmosNews takes a lighthearted look at an unexpected analogy explaining why some people call carbon dioxide (and the other greenhouse gases) the steroids of the climate system Statistics and extreme behavior are involved whether were talking about baseball or Earths atmosphere
(copyUCAR Video by Noah Besser produced by UCAR Communications for AtmosNews NCAR amp UCAR Science)
Movie 21 Steroids Baseball and Climate Change
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
amounts are different for different planets Scientists who study Earths climate and climate change study the factors that affect the climate of our whole planet
While the weather can change in just a few hours climate changes over longer timeframes Climate events like El Nino happen over several years small-scale fluctuations happen over decades and larger climate changes happen over hundreds and thousands of years Today climates are changing Our Earth is warming more quickly than it has in the past according to the research of scien-tists Hot summer days may be quite typical of climates in many regions of the world but global warming is causing Earths aver-age global temperature to increase The amount of solar radiation the chemistry of the atmosphere clouds and the biosphere all af-fect Earths climate
What impacts climate
Some factors that have the power to change global climate are natu-ral like volcanic eruptions and changes in the amount of solar en-ergy Other factors that are changing climate today are caused by humans like the addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere
The Sun Since almost all the energy on Earth comes from the Sun changes in the cycle of solar activity called the 11-year sunspot cy-cle can cause small changes in Earthrsquos climate These changes in the Sun are too small to be the cause of recent climate change There are also large slow changes to the amount of solar energy that gets to Earth Over tens to hundreds of thousands of years changes in the way Earth orbits the Sun have caused large changes in climate such as the Ice Ages
Volcanic Eruptions Erupting volcanoes spew red-hot lava and ash into the air The lava falls to the ground immediately and the ash settles to the ground in a few days Neither of those have much im-pact on climate but there are also tiny particles of sulfur dioxide that spew from volcanic eruptions They get into the atmosphere and reflect solar radiation back out to space shading the Earth - causes cooling The cooling is temporary lasting usually a year or two Eventually the particles fall out of the atmosphere to the ground
Greenhouse Gases Even though greenhouse gases make up less than 1 of the atmosphere they have a major effect Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere through a process called the greenhouse effect Having some greenhouse gases in the atmos-phere is natural Their heat-trapping abilities keep Earth from be-ing uncomfortably cold However the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere has increased over the past 150 years as people burned fossil fuels and changed landscapes decreasing the amount of forests which naturally take the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide our of the air as the plants photosynthesize
Snow and Ice Because snow and ice are light in color they have the ability to reflect most of the sunlight that hits them out to space When snow and ice melt as Earthrsquos climate warms less en-ergy is reflected out to space so more lingers around Earth which causes even more warming
Other Impacts There are also other aspects of our planet that have an impact on climate too Scientists are studying the impact of clouds and tiny particles in the atmosphere called aerosols on cli-mate in hopes of adding more detail to models used to predict fu-
5
ture climate Scientists are also keeping track of how water moves through the worldrsquos ocean As the amount of sea ice in the Arctic melts the flow of ocean water could change Since the water trans-ports heat from place to place this could have a large effect on cli-mate in different regions of the world
copy 2011 NESTA and UCAR
Learn about Climate online
Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness
Set of climate literacy and energy awareness principles provides a framework for teaching the science behind these issues
6Keynote thanks to S Kindt
Interactive 11 Climatology Slideshow
Projected changes in global average temperatures under three emissions scenarios (rows) for three different time periods (columns) Changes in temperatures are relative to 1961-1990 averages The scenarios come from the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios B1 is a low emissions scenario A1B is a medium-high emissions scenario and A2 is a high emissions scenario Source NRC 2010
CHAPTER 2
7
Climate is Changing
SECTION 1
Carbon cycles naturally through the environment Plants and other photosynthetic organisms extract carbon dioxide from the air and in the presence of light make food in the form of the car-bohydrate glucose which provides energy and is used to build
and repair structures Both animals and plants return CO2 to the air when they release the energy stored in food molecules through the process of respiration Other carbon-based molecules cycle more slowly through the environment remaining stored un-derground or at the bottom of the ocean for long periods of time
When we extract coal and oil from Earths crust and then burn these fossil fuels to provide energy for transportation heating cooking electricity and manufacturing we add carbon to the at-mosphere more rapidly than it is naturally removed through pho-tosynthesis and sedimentation The result is that atmospheric car-bon dioxide concentrations are higher today than they have been for at least 400000 years
This human-caused increase is a concern to climate experts be-cause carbon dioxide water vapor methane nitrous oxide and a few other compounds are responsible for keeping Earth warm in the first place Scientists concern is that an increase in greenhouse gases is likely to enhance the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gas molecules each composed of three or more com-ponent atoms readily absorb infrared radiation coming from the surface of Earth When they do they vibrate and ultimately re-emit the radiation they have absorbed Often they simply pass their energy to nearby greenhouse gas molecules This absorption-emission-absorption cycle in the lower atmosphere
What is Global Warming
8
keeps heat near the surface of Earth effectively insulating it from the cold of space
In the proper balance greenhouse gases make life on Earth possi-ble However any increase in their concentration poses the risk of altering the natural balance and changing global temperatures dra-matically Indeed temperature data from a variety of sources show that average global temperatures have risen slightly less than one degree Celsius in the past century What may sound like a small change actually suggests an alarming trend to many climate experts Af-ter all ice ages and the warm interglacial periods between them are marked by changes of just four or five degrees Celsius A warming trend on top of the current interglacial pe-riod could have devastating consequences for human societies
To learn more about the role CO2 plays in Earths temperature check out Global Warming The Phys-ics of the Greenhouse Ef-fect
To learn more about evidence suggesting a link between human ac-tivities and global warming check out CO2 Concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory Hawaiʻi
To learn more about evidence of regular extreme climate change throughout Earths distant past check out Climate Change and Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 A Record of Climate Change
Discussion Questions
bullWhy does the image of the scientist in the video segment fade after carbon dioxide has been turned on How does this explain the greenhouse ef-fect
bullDraw a diagram that explains how radiant energy from the Sun heats Earths atmosphere Show how heat is absorbed and reradiated by both Earth and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bullWhat personal actions do you think might contribute to the amount of car-bon dioxide entering the atmosphere either by increasing it or decreasing it
bullHow long does it take for carbon di-oxide to spread throughout Earths at-mosphere How long does it take to be absorbed into the oceans
9
Global Warming Video
SECTION 2
Environmental conditions are constantly in flux Many of these changes may escape our notice Temperatures rise and fall throughout the day humidity and air pressure fluctuate and clouds form and dissipate However these same variables can combine to create phenomena that are readily observable such as wind rain snow and thunderstorms These relatively short-term environmental changes which might occur over periods of hours days weeks or seasons are collectively referred to as weather
Climate describes environmental conditions over much longer periods of time than weather forecasts and reports These long-term environ-mental analyses characterize a specific geo-graphic locations temperature and precipitation averages and ranges Anomalous high and low readings are absorbed by these averages result-ing in a reliable estimate of expected normal con-ditions
Indeed the global climate is by definition more stable than local weather But climate is also con-stantly changing In fact research conducted over the last 20 years or so describes dramatic shifts in climate in Earths distant past These shifts occurred over a period of a decade or less rather than over thousands of years as scientists once thought was necessary
Scientists began studying evidence of climate change espe-cially the role of ice ages in Earths geologic history more than a century ago During the most recent ice age the Pleistocene average global temperatures were about 5degC or more below pre-sent temperatures This and other ice ages detected in the geo-logical record were set in motion by gradual changes in the Earths tilt rotation and orbit over thousands of years Despite the gradual nature of these changes Earths climate appears to respond rapidly once certain boundary conditions are set in place
10
Layers of ice analyzed from Greenland ice cores provide a chronol-ogy detailing the rapid onset of ice age conditions They show aver-age continental surface temperatures rising and falling dramati-cally in just a few years rather than over the course of hundreds or thousands For example between 43000 BC and 8000 BC average global temperatures fluctuated periodically by as much as 20degC (36degF) or more In contrast climate changes since 8000 BC have been characterized by temperature shifts of just 4degC (7degF) or less
Many climatologists think these events resulted from changes in heat energy transfer by ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes caused by a decrease in salinity For example com-puter models suggest that around 13000 years ago the Gulf Stream waters which warm northwestern Europe might have been altered or halted dramatically by influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers However scientists do not understand the specif-ics of how a decrease in the rate of energy transfer by the ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes translates to changes in regional and global climate
WATCH THIS VIDEO
Discussion Questions
bull Explain the relationship between climate and weather using examples from the video
bull Explain why floods hurricanes and tornadoes are aspects of weather not climate
bull The video points out how dramatic climate changes have been in the past Do we know the possible triggers of these rapid
shifts Is it possible that we may experience one of these dra-matic shifts in our lifetime
bull The graph of average temperatures shows that todays tem-peratures are higher than they were 10000 to 40000 years ago It also shows that todays temperatures have been dropping in the past centuries However what doesnt show on this graph is that temperatures have been increasing over the past several dec-
11
AtmosNews takes a lighthearted look at an unexpected analogy explaining why some people call carbon dioxide (and the other greenhouse gases) the steroids of the climate system Statistics and extreme behavior are involved whether were talking about baseball or Earths atmosphere
(copyUCAR Video by Noah Besser produced by UCAR Communications for AtmosNews NCAR amp UCAR Science)
Movie 21 Steroids Baseball and Climate Change
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
ture climate Scientists are also keeping track of how water moves through the worldrsquos ocean As the amount of sea ice in the Arctic melts the flow of ocean water could change Since the water trans-ports heat from place to place this could have a large effect on cli-mate in different regions of the world
copy 2011 NESTA and UCAR
Learn about Climate online
Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness
Set of climate literacy and energy awareness principles provides a framework for teaching the science behind these issues
6Keynote thanks to S Kindt
Interactive 11 Climatology Slideshow
Projected changes in global average temperatures under three emissions scenarios (rows) for three different time periods (columns) Changes in temperatures are relative to 1961-1990 averages The scenarios come from the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios B1 is a low emissions scenario A1B is a medium-high emissions scenario and A2 is a high emissions scenario Source NRC 2010
CHAPTER 2
7
Climate is Changing
SECTION 1
Carbon cycles naturally through the environment Plants and other photosynthetic organisms extract carbon dioxide from the air and in the presence of light make food in the form of the car-bohydrate glucose which provides energy and is used to build
and repair structures Both animals and plants return CO2 to the air when they release the energy stored in food molecules through the process of respiration Other carbon-based molecules cycle more slowly through the environment remaining stored un-derground or at the bottom of the ocean for long periods of time
When we extract coal and oil from Earths crust and then burn these fossil fuels to provide energy for transportation heating cooking electricity and manufacturing we add carbon to the at-mosphere more rapidly than it is naturally removed through pho-tosynthesis and sedimentation The result is that atmospheric car-bon dioxide concentrations are higher today than they have been for at least 400000 years
This human-caused increase is a concern to climate experts be-cause carbon dioxide water vapor methane nitrous oxide and a few other compounds are responsible for keeping Earth warm in the first place Scientists concern is that an increase in greenhouse gases is likely to enhance the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gas molecules each composed of three or more com-ponent atoms readily absorb infrared radiation coming from the surface of Earth When they do they vibrate and ultimately re-emit the radiation they have absorbed Often they simply pass their energy to nearby greenhouse gas molecules This absorption-emission-absorption cycle in the lower atmosphere
What is Global Warming
8
keeps heat near the surface of Earth effectively insulating it from the cold of space
In the proper balance greenhouse gases make life on Earth possi-ble However any increase in their concentration poses the risk of altering the natural balance and changing global temperatures dra-matically Indeed temperature data from a variety of sources show that average global temperatures have risen slightly less than one degree Celsius in the past century What may sound like a small change actually suggests an alarming trend to many climate experts Af-ter all ice ages and the warm interglacial periods between them are marked by changes of just four or five degrees Celsius A warming trend on top of the current interglacial pe-riod could have devastating consequences for human societies
To learn more about the role CO2 plays in Earths temperature check out Global Warming The Phys-ics of the Greenhouse Ef-fect
To learn more about evidence suggesting a link between human ac-tivities and global warming check out CO2 Concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory Hawaiʻi
To learn more about evidence of regular extreme climate change throughout Earths distant past check out Climate Change and Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 A Record of Climate Change
Discussion Questions
bullWhy does the image of the scientist in the video segment fade after carbon dioxide has been turned on How does this explain the greenhouse ef-fect
bullDraw a diagram that explains how radiant energy from the Sun heats Earths atmosphere Show how heat is absorbed and reradiated by both Earth and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bullWhat personal actions do you think might contribute to the amount of car-bon dioxide entering the atmosphere either by increasing it or decreasing it
bullHow long does it take for carbon di-oxide to spread throughout Earths at-mosphere How long does it take to be absorbed into the oceans
9
Global Warming Video
SECTION 2
Environmental conditions are constantly in flux Many of these changes may escape our notice Temperatures rise and fall throughout the day humidity and air pressure fluctuate and clouds form and dissipate However these same variables can combine to create phenomena that are readily observable such as wind rain snow and thunderstorms These relatively short-term environmental changes which might occur over periods of hours days weeks or seasons are collectively referred to as weather
Climate describes environmental conditions over much longer periods of time than weather forecasts and reports These long-term environ-mental analyses characterize a specific geo-graphic locations temperature and precipitation averages and ranges Anomalous high and low readings are absorbed by these averages result-ing in a reliable estimate of expected normal con-ditions
Indeed the global climate is by definition more stable than local weather But climate is also con-stantly changing In fact research conducted over the last 20 years or so describes dramatic shifts in climate in Earths distant past These shifts occurred over a period of a decade or less rather than over thousands of years as scientists once thought was necessary
Scientists began studying evidence of climate change espe-cially the role of ice ages in Earths geologic history more than a century ago During the most recent ice age the Pleistocene average global temperatures were about 5degC or more below pre-sent temperatures This and other ice ages detected in the geo-logical record were set in motion by gradual changes in the Earths tilt rotation and orbit over thousands of years Despite the gradual nature of these changes Earths climate appears to respond rapidly once certain boundary conditions are set in place
10
Layers of ice analyzed from Greenland ice cores provide a chronol-ogy detailing the rapid onset of ice age conditions They show aver-age continental surface temperatures rising and falling dramati-cally in just a few years rather than over the course of hundreds or thousands For example between 43000 BC and 8000 BC average global temperatures fluctuated periodically by as much as 20degC (36degF) or more In contrast climate changes since 8000 BC have been characterized by temperature shifts of just 4degC (7degF) or less
Many climatologists think these events resulted from changes in heat energy transfer by ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes caused by a decrease in salinity For example com-puter models suggest that around 13000 years ago the Gulf Stream waters which warm northwestern Europe might have been altered or halted dramatically by influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers However scientists do not understand the specif-ics of how a decrease in the rate of energy transfer by the ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes translates to changes in regional and global climate
WATCH THIS VIDEO
Discussion Questions
bull Explain the relationship between climate and weather using examples from the video
bull Explain why floods hurricanes and tornadoes are aspects of weather not climate
bull The video points out how dramatic climate changes have been in the past Do we know the possible triggers of these rapid
shifts Is it possible that we may experience one of these dra-matic shifts in our lifetime
bull The graph of average temperatures shows that todays tem-peratures are higher than they were 10000 to 40000 years ago It also shows that todays temperatures have been dropping in the past centuries However what doesnt show on this graph is that temperatures have been increasing over the past several dec-
11
AtmosNews takes a lighthearted look at an unexpected analogy explaining why some people call carbon dioxide (and the other greenhouse gases) the steroids of the climate system Statistics and extreme behavior are involved whether were talking about baseball or Earths atmosphere
(copyUCAR Video by Noah Besser produced by UCAR Communications for AtmosNews NCAR amp UCAR Science)
Movie 21 Steroids Baseball and Climate Change
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
Projected changes in global average temperatures under three emissions scenarios (rows) for three different time periods (columns) Changes in temperatures are relative to 1961-1990 averages The scenarios come from the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios B1 is a low emissions scenario A1B is a medium-high emissions scenario and A2 is a high emissions scenario Source NRC 2010
CHAPTER 2
7
Climate is Changing
SECTION 1
Carbon cycles naturally through the environment Plants and other photosynthetic organisms extract carbon dioxide from the air and in the presence of light make food in the form of the car-bohydrate glucose which provides energy and is used to build
and repair structures Both animals and plants return CO2 to the air when they release the energy stored in food molecules through the process of respiration Other carbon-based molecules cycle more slowly through the environment remaining stored un-derground or at the bottom of the ocean for long periods of time
When we extract coal and oil from Earths crust and then burn these fossil fuels to provide energy for transportation heating cooking electricity and manufacturing we add carbon to the at-mosphere more rapidly than it is naturally removed through pho-tosynthesis and sedimentation The result is that atmospheric car-bon dioxide concentrations are higher today than they have been for at least 400000 years
This human-caused increase is a concern to climate experts be-cause carbon dioxide water vapor methane nitrous oxide and a few other compounds are responsible for keeping Earth warm in the first place Scientists concern is that an increase in greenhouse gases is likely to enhance the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gas molecules each composed of three or more com-ponent atoms readily absorb infrared radiation coming from the surface of Earth When they do they vibrate and ultimately re-emit the radiation they have absorbed Often they simply pass their energy to nearby greenhouse gas molecules This absorption-emission-absorption cycle in the lower atmosphere
What is Global Warming
8
keeps heat near the surface of Earth effectively insulating it from the cold of space
In the proper balance greenhouse gases make life on Earth possi-ble However any increase in their concentration poses the risk of altering the natural balance and changing global temperatures dra-matically Indeed temperature data from a variety of sources show that average global temperatures have risen slightly less than one degree Celsius in the past century What may sound like a small change actually suggests an alarming trend to many climate experts Af-ter all ice ages and the warm interglacial periods between them are marked by changes of just four or five degrees Celsius A warming trend on top of the current interglacial pe-riod could have devastating consequences for human societies
To learn more about the role CO2 plays in Earths temperature check out Global Warming The Phys-ics of the Greenhouse Ef-fect
To learn more about evidence suggesting a link between human ac-tivities and global warming check out CO2 Concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory Hawaiʻi
To learn more about evidence of regular extreme climate change throughout Earths distant past check out Climate Change and Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 A Record of Climate Change
Discussion Questions
bullWhy does the image of the scientist in the video segment fade after carbon dioxide has been turned on How does this explain the greenhouse ef-fect
bullDraw a diagram that explains how radiant energy from the Sun heats Earths atmosphere Show how heat is absorbed and reradiated by both Earth and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bullWhat personal actions do you think might contribute to the amount of car-bon dioxide entering the atmosphere either by increasing it or decreasing it
bullHow long does it take for carbon di-oxide to spread throughout Earths at-mosphere How long does it take to be absorbed into the oceans
9
Global Warming Video
SECTION 2
Environmental conditions are constantly in flux Many of these changes may escape our notice Temperatures rise and fall throughout the day humidity and air pressure fluctuate and clouds form and dissipate However these same variables can combine to create phenomena that are readily observable such as wind rain snow and thunderstorms These relatively short-term environmental changes which might occur over periods of hours days weeks or seasons are collectively referred to as weather
Climate describes environmental conditions over much longer periods of time than weather forecasts and reports These long-term environ-mental analyses characterize a specific geo-graphic locations temperature and precipitation averages and ranges Anomalous high and low readings are absorbed by these averages result-ing in a reliable estimate of expected normal con-ditions
Indeed the global climate is by definition more stable than local weather But climate is also con-stantly changing In fact research conducted over the last 20 years or so describes dramatic shifts in climate in Earths distant past These shifts occurred over a period of a decade or less rather than over thousands of years as scientists once thought was necessary
Scientists began studying evidence of climate change espe-cially the role of ice ages in Earths geologic history more than a century ago During the most recent ice age the Pleistocene average global temperatures were about 5degC or more below pre-sent temperatures This and other ice ages detected in the geo-logical record were set in motion by gradual changes in the Earths tilt rotation and orbit over thousands of years Despite the gradual nature of these changes Earths climate appears to respond rapidly once certain boundary conditions are set in place
10
Layers of ice analyzed from Greenland ice cores provide a chronol-ogy detailing the rapid onset of ice age conditions They show aver-age continental surface temperatures rising and falling dramati-cally in just a few years rather than over the course of hundreds or thousands For example between 43000 BC and 8000 BC average global temperatures fluctuated periodically by as much as 20degC (36degF) or more In contrast climate changes since 8000 BC have been characterized by temperature shifts of just 4degC (7degF) or less
Many climatologists think these events resulted from changes in heat energy transfer by ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes caused by a decrease in salinity For example com-puter models suggest that around 13000 years ago the Gulf Stream waters which warm northwestern Europe might have been altered or halted dramatically by influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers However scientists do not understand the specif-ics of how a decrease in the rate of energy transfer by the ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes translates to changes in regional and global climate
WATCH THIS VIDEO
Discussion Questions
bull Explain the relationship between climate and weather using examples from the video
bull Explain why floods hurricanes and tornadoes are aspects of weather not climate
bull The video points out how dramatic climate changes have been in the past Do we know the possible triggers of these rapid
shifts Is it possible that we may experience one of these dra-matic shifts in our lifetime
bull The graph of average temperatures shows that todays tem-peratures are higher than they were 10000 to 40000 years ago It also shows that todays temperatures have been dropping in the past centuries However what doesnt show on this graph is that temperatures have been increasing over the past several dec-
11
AtmosNews takes a lighthearted look at an unexpected analogy explaining why some people call carbon dioxide (and the other greenhouse gases) the steroids of the climate system Statistics and extreme behavior are involved whether were talking about baseball or Earths atmosphere
(copyUCAR Video by Noah Besser produced by UCAR Communications for AtmosNews NCAR amp UCAR Science)
Movie 21 Steroids Baseball and Climate Change
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
SECTION 1
Carbon cycles naturally through the environment Plants and other photosynthetic organisms extract carbon dioxide from the air and in the presence of light make food in the form of the car-bohydrate glucose which provides energy and is used to build
and repair structures Both animals and plants return CO2 to the air when they release the energy stored in food molecules through the process of respiration Other carbon-based molecules cycle more slowly through the environment remaining stored un-derground or at the bottom of the ocean for long periods of time
When we extract coal and oil from Earths crust and then burn these fossil fuels to provide energy for transportation heating cooking electricity and manufacturing we add carbon to the at-mosphere more rapidly than it is naturally removed through pho-tosynthesis and sedimentation The result is that atmospheric car-bon dioxide concentrations are higher today than they have been for at least 400000 years
This human-caused increase is a concern to climate experts be-cause carbon dioxide water vapor methane nitrous oxide and a few other compounds are responsible for keeping Earth warm in the first place Scientists concern is that an increase in greenhouse gases is likely to enhance the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gas molecules each composed of three or more com-ponent atoms readily absorb infrared radiation coming from the surface of Earth When they do they vibrate and ultimately re-emit the radiation they have absorbed Often they simply pass their energy to nearby greenhouse gas molecules This absorption-emission-absorption cycle in the lower atmosphere
What is Global Warming
8
keeps heat near the surface of Earth effectively insulating it from the cold of space
In the proper balance greenhouse gases make life on Earth possi-ble However any increase in their concentration poses the risk of altering the natural balance and changing global temperatures dra-matically Indeed temperature data from a variety of sources show that average global temperatures have risen slightly less than one degree Celsius in the past century What may sound like a small change actually suggests an alarming trend to many climate experts Af-ter all ice ages and the warm interglacial periods between them are marked by changes of just four or five degrees Celsius A warming trend on top of the current interglacial pe-riod could have devastating consequences for human societies
To learn more about the role CO2 plays in Earths temperature check out Global Warming The Phys-ics of the Greenhouse Ef-fect
To learn more about evidence suggesting a link between human ac-tivities and global warming check out CO2 Concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory Hawaiʻi
To learn more about evidence of regular extreme climate change throughout Earths distant past check out Climate Change and Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 A Record of Climate Change
Discussion Questions
bullWhy does the image of the scientist in the video segment fade after carbon dioxide has been turned on How does this explain the greenhouse ef-fect
bullDraw a diagram that explains how radiant energy from the Sun heats Earths atmosphere Show how heat is absorbed and reradiated by both Earth and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bullWhat personal actions do you think might contribute to the amount of car-bon dioxide entering the atmosphere either by increasing it or decreasing it
bullHow long does it take for carbon di-oxide to spread throughout Earths at-mosphere How long does it take to be absorbed into the oceans
9
Global Warming Video
SECTION 2
Environmental conditions are constantly in flux Many of these changes may escape our notice Temperatures rise and fall throughout the day humidity and air pressure fluctuate and clouds form and dissipate However these same variables can combine to create phenomena that are readily observable such as wind rain snow and thunderstorms These relatively short-term environmental changes which might occur over periods of hours days weeks or seasons are collectively referred to as weather
Climate describes environmental conditions over much longer periods of time than weather forecasts and reports These long-term environ-mental analyses characterize a specific geo-graphic locations temperature and precipitation averages and ranges Anomalous high and low readings are absorbed by these averages result-ing in a reliable estimate of expected normal con-ditions
Indeed the global climate is by definition more stable than local weather But climate is also con-stantly changing In fact research conducted over the last 20 years or so describes dramatic shifts in climate in Earths distant past These shifts occurred over a period of a decade or less rather than over thousands of years as scientists once thought was necessary
Scientists began studying evidence of climate change espe-cially the role of ice ages in Earths geologic history more than a century ago During the most recent ice age the Pleistocene average global temperatures were about 5degC or more below pre-sent temperatures This and other ice ages detected in the geo-logical record were set in motion by gradual changes in the Earths tilt rotation and orbit over thousands of years Despite the gradual nature of these changes Earths climate appears to respond rapidly once certain boundary conditions are set in place
10
Layers of ice analyzed from Greenland ice cores provide a chronol-ogy detailing the rapid onset of ice age conditions They show aver-age continental surface temperatures rising and falling dramati-cally in just a few years rather than over the course of hundreds or thousands For example between 43000 BC and 8000 BC average global temperatures fluctuated periodically by as much as 20degC (36degF) or more In contrast climate changes since 8000 BC have been characterized by temperature shifts of just 4degC (7degF) or less
Many climatologists think these events resulted from changes in heat energy transfer by ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes caused by a decrease in salinity For example com-puter models suggest that around 13000 years ago the Gulf Stream waters which warm northwestern Europe might have been altered or halted dramatically by influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers However scientists do not understand the specif-ics of how a decrease in the rate of energy transfer by the ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes translates to changes in regional and global climate
WATCH THIS VIDEO
Discussion Questions
bull Explain the relationship between climate and weather using examples from the video
bull Explain why floods hurricanes and tornadoes are aspects of weather not climate
bull The video points out how dramatic climate changes have been in the past Do we know the possible triggers of these rapid
shifts Is it possible that we may experience one of these dra-matic shifts in our lifetime
bull The graph of average temperatures shows that todays tem-peratures are higher than they were 10000 to 40000 years ago It also shows that todays temperatures have been dropping in the past centuries However what doesnt show on this graph is that temperatures have been increasing over the past several dec-
11
AtmosNews takes a lighthearted look at an unexpected analogy explaining why some people call carbon dioxide (and the other greenhouse gases) the steroids of the climate system Statistics and extreme behavior are involved whether were talking about baseball or Earths atmosphere
(copyUCAR Video by Noah Besser produced by UCAR Communications for AtmosNews NCAR amp UCAR Science)
Movie 21 Steroids Baseball and Climate Change
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
keeps heat near the surface of Earth effectively insulating it from the cold of space
In the proper balance greenhouse gases make life on Earth possi-ble However any increase in their concentration poses the risk of altering the natural balance and changing global temperatures dra-matically Indeed temperature data from a variety of sources show that average global temperatures have risen slightly less than one degree Celsius in the past century What may sound like a small change actually suggests an alarming trend to many climate experts Af-ter all ice ages and the warm interglacial periods between them are marked by changes of just four or five degrees Celsius A warming trend on top of the current interglacial pe-riod could have devastating consequences for human societies
To learn more about the role CO2 plays in Earths temperature check out Global Warming The Phys-ics of the Greenhouse Ef-fect
To learn more about evidence suggesting a link between human ac-tivities and global warming check out CO2 Concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory Hawaiʻi
To learn more about evidence of regular extreme climate change throughout Earths distant past check out Climate Change and Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 A Record of Climate Change
Discussion Questions
bullWhy does the image of the scientist in the video segment fade after carbon dioxide has been turned on How does this explain the greenhouse ef-fect
bullDraw a diagram that explains how radiant energy from the Sun heats Earths atmosphere Show how heat is absorbed and reradiated by both Earth and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bullWhat personal actions do you think might contribute to the amount of car-bon dioxide entering the atmosphere either by increasing it or decreasing it
bullHow long does it take for carbon di-oxide to spread throughout Earths at-mosphere How long does it take to be absorbed into the oceans
9
Global Warming Video
SECTION 2
Environmental conditions are constantly in flux Many of these changes may escape our notice Temperatures rise and fall throughout the day humidity and air pressure fluctuate and clouds form and dissipate However these same variables can combine to create phenomena that are readily observable such as wind rain snow and thunderstorms These relatively short-term environmental changes which might occur over periods of hours days weeks or seasons are collectively referred to as weather
Climate describes environmental conditions over much longer periods of time than weather forecasts and reports These long-term environ-mental analyses characterize a specific geo-graphic locations temperature and precipitation averages and ranges Anomalous high and low readings are absorbed by these averages result-ing in a reliable estimate of expected normal con-ditions
Indeed the global climate is by definition more stable than local weather But climate is also con-stantly changing In fact research conducted over the last 20 years or so describes dramatic shifts in climate in Earths distant past These shifts occurred over a period of a decade or less rather than over thousands of years as scientists once thought was necessary
Scientists began studying evidence of climate change espe-cially the role of ice ages in Earths geologic history more than a century ago During the most recent ice age the Pleistocene average global temperatures were about 5degC or more below pre-sent temperatures This and other ice ages detected in the geo-logical record were set in motion by gradual changes in the Earths tilt rotation and orbit over thousands of years Despite the gradual nature of these changes Earths climate appears to respond rapidly once certain boundary conditions are set in place
10
Layers of ice analyzed from Greenland ice cores provide a chronol-ogy detailing the rapid onset of ice age conditions They show aver-age continental surface temperatures rising and falling dramati-cally in just a few years rather than over the course of hundreds or thousands For example between 43000 BC and 8000 BC average global temperatures fluctuated periodically by as much as 20degC (36degF) or more In contrast climate changes since 8000 BC have been characterized by temperature shifts of just 4degC (7degF) or less
Many climatologists think these events resulted from changes in heat energy transfer by ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes caused by a decrease in salinity For example com-puter models suggest that around 13000 years ago the Gulf Stream waters which warm northwestern Europe might have been altered or halted dramatically by influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers However scientists do not understand the specif-ics of how a decrease in the rate of energy transfer by the ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes translates to changes in regional and global climate
WATCH THIS VIDEO
Discussion Questions
bull Explain the relationship between climate and weather using examples from the video
bull Explain why floods hurricanes and tornadoes are aspects of weather not climate
bull The video points out how dramatic climate changes have been in the past Do we know the possible triggers of these rapid
shifts Is it possible that we may experience one of these dra-matic shifts in our lifetime
bull The graph of average temperatures shows that todays tem-peratures are higher than they were 10000 to 40000 years ago It also shows that todays temperatures have been dropping in the past centuries However what doesnt show on this graph is that temperatures have been increasing over the past several dec-
11
AtmosNews takes a lighthearted look at an unexpected analogy explaining why some people call carbon dioxide (and the other greenhouse gases) the steroids of the climate system Statistics and extreme behavior are involved whether were talking about baseball or Earths atmosphere
(copyUCAR Video by Noah Besser produced by UCAR Communications for AtmosNews NCAR amp UCAR Science)
Movie 21 Steroids Baseball and Climate Change
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
SECTION 2
Environmental conditions are constantly in flux Many of these changes may escape our notice Temperatures rise and fall throughout the day humidity and air pressure fluctuate and clouds form and dissipate However these same variables can combine to create phenomena that are readily observable such as wind rain snow and thunderstorms These relatively short-term environmental changes which might occur over periods of hours days weeks or seasons are collectively referred to as weather
Climate describes environmental conditions over much longer periods of time than weather forecasts and reports These long-term environ-mental analyses characterize a specific geo-graphic locations temperature and precipitation averages and ranges Anomalous high and low readings are absorbed by these averages result-ing in a reliable estimate of expected normal con-ditions
Indeed the global climate is by definition more stable than local weather But climate is also con-stantly changing In fact research conducted over the last 20 years or so describes dramatic shifts in climate in Earths distant past These shifts occurred over a period of a decade or less rather than over thousands of years as scientists once thought was necessary
Scientists began studying evidence of climate change espe-cially the role of ice ages in Earths geologic history more than a century ago During the most recent ice age the Pleistocene average global temperatures were about 5degC or more below pre-sent temperatures This and other ice ages detected in the geo-logical record were set in motion by gradual changes in the Earths tilt rotation and orbit over thousands of years Despite the gradual nature of these changes Earths climate appears to respond rapidly once certain boundary conditions are set in place
10
Layers of ice analyzed from Greenland ice cores provide a chronol-ogy detailing the rapid onset of ice age conditions They show aver-age continental surface temperatures rising and falling dramati-cally in just a few years rather than over the course of hundreds or thousands For example between 43000 BC and 8000 BC average global temperatures fluctuated periodically by as much as 20degC (36degF) or more In contrast climate changes since 8000 BC have been characterized by temperature shifts of just 4degC (7degF) or less
Many climatologists think these events resulted from changes in heat energy transfer by ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes caused by a decrease in salinity For example com-puter models suggest that around 13000 years ago the Gulf Stream waters which warm northwestern Europe might have been altered or halted dramatically by influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers However scientists do not understand the specif-ics of how a decrease in the rate of energy transfer by the ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes translates to changes in regional and global climate
WATCH THIS VIDEO
Discussion Questions
bull Explain the relationship between climate and weather using examples from the video
bull Explain why floods hurricanes and tornadoes are aspects of weather not climate
bull The video points out how dramatic climate changes have been in the past Do we know the possible triggers of these rapid
shifts Is it possible that we may experience one of these dra-matic shifts in our lifetime
bull The graph of average temperatures shows that todays tem-peratures are higher than they were 10000 to 40000 years ago It also shows that todays temperatures have been dropping in the past centuries However what doesnt show on this graph is that temperatures have been increasing over the past several dec-
11
AtmosNews takes a lighthearted look at an unexpected analogy explaining why some people call carbon dioxide (and the other greenhouse gases) the steroids of the climate system Statistics and extreme behavior are involved whether were talking about baseball or Earths atmosphere
(copyUCAR Video by Noah Besser produced by UCAR Communications for AtmosNews NCAR amp UCAR Science)
Movie 21 Steroids Baseball and Climate Change
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
Layers of ice analyzed from Greenland ice cores provide a chronol-ogy detailing the rapid onset of ice age conditions They show aver-age continental surface temperatures rising and falling dramati-cally in just a few years rather than over the course of hundreds or thousands For example between 43000 BC and 8000 BC average global temperatures fluctuated periodically by as much as 20degC (36degF) or more In contrast climate changes since 8000 BC have been characterized by temperature shifts of just 4degC (7degF) or less
Many climatologists think these events resulted from changes in heat energy transfer by ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes caused by a decrease in salinity For example com-puter models suggest that around 13000 years ago the Gulf Stream waters which warm northwestern Europe might have been altered or halted dramatically by influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers However scientists do not understand the specif-ics of how a decrease in the rate of energy transfer by the ocean currents from the tropics to the higher latitudes translates to changes in regional and global climate
WATCH THIS VIDEO
Discussion Questions
bull Explain the relationship between climate and weather using examples from the video
bull Explain why floods hurricanes and tornadoes are aspects of weather not climate
bull The video points out how dramatic climate changes have been in the past Do we know the possible triggers of these rapid
shifts Is it possible that we may experience one of these dra-matic shifts in our lifetime
bull The graph of average temperatures shows that todays tem-peratures are higher than they were 10000 to 40000 years ago It also shows that todays temperatures have been dropping in the past centuries However what doesnt show on this graph is that temperatures have been increasing over the past several dec-
11
AtmosNews takes a lighthearted look at an unexpected analogy explaining why some people call carbon dioxide (and the other greenhouse gases) the steroids of the climate system Statistics and extreme behavior are involved whether were talking about baseball or Earths atmosphere
(copyUCAR Video by Noah Besser produced by UCAR Communications for AtmosNews NCAR amp UCAR Science)
Movie 21 Steroids Baseball and Climate Change
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
ades What do most scientists believe is contributing to this in-crease in temperature
bull Can you think of other possible ways scientists can determine what climate was like in the past besides studying ice cores
Citation Climate Change Teachers Domain 21 Oct 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciesswatcycclimatechangegt
What if you still have questions or skepticism
Skeptical Science
Scientific skepticism is healthy Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding Yet this isnt what hap-pens with climate change denial This website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism Do their arguments have any scientific basis What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say
12
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SYR Figure 2-1 WG-1 Figure SPM-2
CHAPTER 3
13
How do we know
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
SECTION 1
Climate models are systems of differential equations derived from the basic laws of physics fluid motion and chemistry formulated to be solved on supercom-puters For the solution the planet is covered by a 3-dimensional grid to which the basic equations are applied and evaluated At each grid point eg for the atmosphere the motion of the air (winds) heat transfer (thermodynamics) radiation (solar and ter-restrial) moisture content (relative humidity) and surface hydrology (precipitation evaporation snow melt and runoff) are calculated as well as the interac-tions of these processes among neighboring points The computations are stepped forward in time from seasons to centuries depending on the study
State-of-the-art climate models now include interac-tive representations of the ocean the atmosphere the land hydrologic and cryospheric processes ter-restrial and oceanic carbon cycles and atmospheric chemistry
Climate Modeling
14
In the animation you will see how the Earth is broken down by grids to allow supercom-puters to relate to the multitude of differing data sets it must include to be as accurate as possible
Movie 31 Climate Modeling Animation by Animea
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
The accuracy of climate models is limited by grid resolution and our ability to describe the complicated atmospheric oceanic and chemical processes mathematically Much of the research in OAR is directed at improving the representation of these processes De-spite some imperfections models simulate remarkably well cur-rent climate and its variability More capable supercomputers en-able significant model improvements by allowing for more accu-rate representation of currently unresolved physics
Text Credit NOAA
Try it for yourself
Modeling Earthrsquos Climate by the Concord Consortium
Examine climate data and models to explore what we might be able to predict about the Earths future and how sure we will be about it
For Teachers Self Motivated Students
The Very Very Simple Climate Model
Through a simple online model students learn about the relation-ship between average global temperature and carbon dioxide emis-sions while predicting temperature change over the 21st Century
15
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
SECTION 2
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates Since it is not possible to go back in time to see what climates were like scientists use imprints created during past climate known as proxies to interpret paleoclimate Microbial life such as diatoms forams and coral serve as useful climate proxies Other proxies include ice cores tree rings and sediment cores (which in-clude diatoms foraminifera microbi-ota pollen and charcoal within the sediment and the sediment itself)
Past climate can be reconstructed us-ing a combination of different types of proxy records These records can then be integrated with observations of Earths modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate
Citation Monica Bruckner Montana State UniversityEarth System Ice and Global Warming
Some Hints from the Past
16
Slideshow put together by Scott Kindt
Interactive 31 Slideshow on PaleoClimate and Climate Change
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
Earth System Ice and Global Warming
Ice covers 10 percent of Earths land surface One form of ice found as glaciers can form anywhere that snow and ice persist year-round The two primary types of glaciers are valley glaciers which are long wedge-shaped masses that form in mountainous areas and continental ice sheets which are slightly dome-shaped and may cover millions of square kilometers Non-glacial sea ice forms on the surface of seawater where it either persists year-round or melts and reforms seasonally
Ice affects the entire Earth system in a variety of ways In the ocean and at the land-sea boundary ice prevents relatively warm ocean water from evaporating transferring heat to the colder atmos-phere and thereby increasing global air temperature Ice also re-flects sunlight thus preventing additional heat from being ab-sorbed by water or land However the most significant role played by sea ice in the global climate system may be related to its role in ocean circulation When sea ice forms pure water crystallizes and leaves behind salt thus increasing the salinity of the ocean This cold saline-enriched water is dense and it sinks creating a tem-perature and density gradient that moves ocean currents from the equator to the poles
The well-documented retreat of the worlds glaciers and diminu-tion of sea ice is ominous Data generated from satellites that moni-tor the formation of polar sea ice indicate that both coverage and thickness have decreased over the past three decades Recent stud-ies show that the worlds highest glaciers (in the Himalayas) are re-ceding at an average rate of 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) per year If global warming accelerates melting the predictability of water
supplies for agriculture and other economic activities would be compromised But even small changes in ice volume may have a significant impact on global climate and ocean circulation patterns not to mention polar animal habitats
Lastly the breakup of the extensive ice shelves of the West Antarc-tic Ice Sheet where sea temperature has risen by 45degC (8degF) in the past 50 years could precipitate the collapse of the entire sheet Should the West Sheet slide off the continent the amount of water contained in it could raise global sea level by six meters (20 feet) flooding huge areas of low-lying coastlines
17
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that different regions on Earth do not respond equally to increased temperatures Ice-covered regions appear to be particularly sensitive to even small changes in global temperature
Movie 32 Ice Core
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
Discussion Questions
bull Discuss the factors that influence the balance between inputs and outputs to and from glaciers
bull Why are glaciers indicators of climate change
bull What impact does global warming have on the balance between glacier inputs and outputs
bull Discuss some of the influences ice has on the surrounding areas
bull Imagine that in 2100 the sea level has risen two feet What effects would this have on humans List and explain as many impacts as possible
Citation Earth System Ice and Global Warming Teachers Do-main 17 Dec 2005 Web 25 Jul 2012 lthttpwwwteachersdomainorgresourceess05sciessearthsysesglaciersgt
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the study of annual growth rings in trees to determine the age of a tree Annual growth rings appear as alternating bands of lighter and darker rings in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk Each year a tree grows in diameter as it produces a new layer of wood cells The rings form as a result of the change in speed of growth throughout the year a tree grows relatively rapidly during the early part of its growing season which produces lighter-colored cells (called earlywood) and more slowly during the later part of the growing season which produces darker denser cells (called latewood) One ring be-gins at the inner edge of the earlywood and ends at the outer edge
of the latewood Favorable growing conditions usually result in a wider ring and less favorable conditions produce a narrower ring Trees typically form one ring a year although certain conditions can produce more than one ring in a given year or none at all
Because the rate of tree growth depends on environmental condi-tions (such as sunlight temperature precipitation humidity and wind) growth rings can help researchers determine the age of wood and learn about past climates In some areas a growth ring from certain tree species can be correlated to a particular calendar year The patterns of rings create a chronology or record of time and can be matched with other trees to build a more complete his-tory Most individual trees live less than a few hundred years but a tree-ring chronology built from the analysis of many trees in a re-gion can go back thousands of years
In addition to climate conditions there are many other factors that can affect the rate of tree growth such as soil other trees genetic differences impacts from humans or pests disease fire volcanic eruptions and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A wider ring could be explained by several factors including ample water and sunlight or more nutrients (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for example) so scientists must examine many trees from a region in their effort to understand which environmental factors best explain shared characteristic growth patterns Scien-tists attempt to separate out a single factor to study by looking at trees in certain areas where they are most sensitive to a particular factor Because tree growth in dry regions is largely limited by moisture availability dry regions such as the southwestern US in-cluding the lands of the Navajo Nation are well suited for studies of dendroclimatology Steven Chischilly the scientist featured in
18
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
the video has been studying pinyon pines in the southwestern US to look for correlations between the growth rings and changes in climate
Discussion Questions
bull What are some of the main contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
bull What determines the width of tree rings
bull What factors can you think of that could impact the amount of moisture available to a tree
bull Explain how a scientist can use tree rings to understand past cli-mate What exactly are the scientists measuring and what does it tell them
bull Do you know of other things or processes besides tree growth that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it so that the carbon is not available to contribute to Earthrsquos greenhouse effect (For example oceans are a natural carbon sink)
Additional Resources
Test yourself on Tree Rings
The interactive diagram below demonstrates a very simple model of tree ring growth
19
Movie 33 Navajo Dendroclimatology
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
Humans have already begun to impact the planet in ways that are visible today These are just a few of the things that are being noticed with many more on the way
CHAPTER 4
20
What is already changing
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
21
The worlds glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates and many scientists believe it is due to changes in climate Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and Dr Douglas Hardy of UMass-Amherst discuss glaciers and how they melt and pay special attention to Africas tallest mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
Movie 42 Changing Planet- Melting Glaciers
Glacier Lab ActiviesGlaciers Then and NowStudents compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last centuryModeling a Moving GlacierStudents make a model of glacier motion and then design an experi-ment to figure out what effects the speed of a glacier
Rising Sea Level ActivitiesRising Sea Level VisualizationThe science surrounding global and regional projections of future sea level has grown rapidly in recent years and depicts a worsening pros-pect of substantial amounts of sea level rise over this and following centuries As a result assessing and anticipating potential sea level rise impacts to coastal areas is now of increased importanceThermal Expansion of Water if global atmospheric temperatures rise the oceans will absorb heat and expand
In the past century as the climate has warmed sea level rise has accelerated Scientists predict it will only increase and theyre studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising
Movie 41 Rising Sea Levels
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
Discussion Questions
1 After viewing the three videos what do these changes have to do with you Will they impact you personally
2 What would be in your video about how a changing climate will affect you Your household Your school or work Your city and state
3 If you are talking to someone (or you) who does not ldquobelieverdquo in climate change what is your argument that it is not human caused What do you need to know in order to refute their claims
4 How do you plan on taking this information and sharing it Who will be your audience
22
As the global population continues to increase scientists and farmers are concerned about the impacts that climate change could have on the worlds crops To better understand the process of photosynthesis and how plants use water and carbon dioxide to thrive scientists are study-ing the stress limits of plants
Movie 43 Withering Crops
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
CHAPTER 5
23
What can you do about it
The series premiere goes through the major stories from fall 2011 specifically methane bubbling in the Arctic the Durban UNFCC conference and a sobering warning about building more fossil fuel burning power plants
Movie 51 Dont Just Sit There - Do Something is a video series that discusses all things climate and includes actions people can take at both an individual and a larger level
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
SECTION 1
1 Travel light Walk or bike instead of driving a car Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the United States automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions Walk or bike and youll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel
2 Teleconference instead of flying For office meetings if you can telephone or videoconference you will save time money and carbon emissions Airplanes pump carbon emissions high into the atmosphere producing 12 percent of transportation sector emissions
Small changes in our daily lives can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and if many of us take action help stop climate change Source wwwclimatechangeeucom
Actions
24
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
3 See the light Use compact fluorescent light bulbs These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change because they reduce the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent over the life of the bulb
4 Recycle and use recycled products Products made from recycled paper glass metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials For instance youll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle Recy-cling paper also saves trees and lets them continue to reduce cli-mate change naturally as they remain in the forest where they re-move carbon from the atmosphere
5 Inflate your tires If you own a car it will get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon Check your automobile monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated Follow this tip and save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10000 miles you drive
6 Plant native trees Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source producing oxygen for us to breathe A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime
7 Turn down the heat Heating and air conditioning draw more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house
or go to bed You can easily install a programmable thermostat that can save up money and carbon
8 Buy renewable energy Electricity generation produces 40 percent of carbon emissions from the United States A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels windmills and other technologies If your utility offers renewable energy buy it If not send them a mes-sage asking for clean energy
9 Act globally eat locally If you shop at a supermarket the food you buy may travel in a plane from the other side of the world burning fossil fuels the entire trip Shop at a local farmers markets and you will find fresh and healthy food and help save our climate
Citation wwwnatureorgourinitiativesurgentissuesclimatechangehelptips-from-a-nature-conservancy-scientistxmlResources
What else can you do
A Studentrsquos Guide to Global Climate Change- Be part of the Solu-tion Learn about technologies that reduce the amount of green-house gases being added to the atmosphere Discover Actions you can take to save energy Explore ways people can prepare for cli-mate change
25
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
SECTION 2
Interpret and Challenges
26
Discussion Questions1 What does this map say
about what you can do personally As a group
2 What groups need to be responsible when it comes to helping change what we do about climate change What should they be doing
3 The map is titled ldquoBe-haviour changerdquo what behaviors are in need of changing and why
4 Pick one branch from the middle and give ex-amples of they mean or how they could be done
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
The Carbon Bathtub Map
1What are the different inputs into the tub What are the outlets Do they add up for homeostasis If not why not
2Why is CO2 so important
3 It says that CO2 emissions have not been this high in a very long time what else could have been different that long ago Does it help us to know or is this all new to the earth
Learn more
Stabilization Wedges Game
The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem plus technologies that already exist to dramati-cally reduce our carbon emis-sions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damag-ing climate change
Game Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Role-Play
In this role-play activity stu-dents take the roles of various
important players in the climate change policy debate including politicians scientists environmentalists and industry representa-tives Working in these roles students must take a position debate with others and then vote on legislation designed to reduce green-house gas emissions in the United States
Fate of the World Strategy Game
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years The science the politics the destruction
27
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28
SECTION 3
What can I do now
1My background knowledge on climate and climate change is deeper
2I am better able to answer student questions on the science and research being done
3Understand models how they are created and tested
4Resources available are immense - both in people and research curriculum etc
5Help students be able to articulate their understandings by giving them a resource to take with them
6TIME- to develop this ebook and look at the scope and sequence of what I wanted to teach
Experiences with RETI
28