Tackling the Global Warming Challenge

2010 Workshop at the 2010 NSTA National Conference, Philadelphia, PA

Lisa Gardiner (egardine@ucar.edu)Randy RussellOffice of Education & OutreachUniversity Corporation for Atmospheric ResearchBoulder, COWWW.WINDOWS.UCAR.EDU

Presentation OverviewPresentation Overview

• Intro: Why is global warming happening? What can we do?• Climate and Global Change educational resources from

Windows to the Universe• Activities:

– Energy Choices and Climate Change, a new online module

– Plugged in to CO2

– CO2: How Much Do You Spew?

– Watch Where You Step

Workshop OverviewWorkshop Overview

Data compiled by Hadley Centre of the UK Meteorological Office

Earth is warming…

What controls the climate?What controls the climate?

Volcanic eruptions Reflective snow & iceReflective snow & ice

The Sun & Earth’s orbit

And the amount of greenhouse gases…

Clouds

Greenhouse gases trap heat, causing warming.

Heat absorbed by CO2 radiated to space (A). Heat can make its way to space directly (B). Heat absorbed by CO2 radiated towards Earth (C).

Sources of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in 2004. (IPCC, 2007)

Where do the extra greenhouse gases come from?

• We can try to adapt to changing climate– Adaptation: protecting people/places by making them

less vulnerable to climate impacts

• We can try to slow or stop warming– Mitigation: slowing global warming by lowering levels of

greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

What can we do?

Overall goal –keep Earth a livable place

Sustainability: meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

http://www.windows.ucar.edu

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/climate.html

Three levels of content in two languagesThree levels of content in two languages

Energy Choices and Climate Change

• Energy Choices and Climate Change, an online module, provides a new way to look at how the choices we make about energy affect the amount of greenhouse gases we send into the atmosphere.

• Users make decisions about the types and amount of energy used and see what effect those decisions have on the amount of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere.

• The goal is to reduce CO2 emissions from fossil fuels while keeping costs within reason.

Now Available on Windows to the Universe!www.windows.ucar.edu/modules/energy

Plugged in to CO2

Students investigate various appliances and electronics, discovering how much energy each uses and how much carbon dioxide (CO2) is released to produce that energy.

Calculate these! Work with your neighbors!

P.S.1 kilogram

(or ~2 pounds) of CO2 gaswould fill up an average refrigerator.

Discussion questions:

Did the appliances that use the most energy according to the kill-a-watt meter produce the most CO2 over a year?

How can we reduce the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere while still using these appliances?

CO2: How Much Do You Spew?

Students analyze the energy consumption of a hypothetical household to determine the amount of carbon dioxide they are adding to the atmosphere each year.

CO2: How Much Do You Spew?Directions:• Each group has a card profiling a hypothetical family or individual. • Families/individuals live in different situations & use energy in different ways.• Students use the worksheet to calculate a household’s CO2 emissions.

Sample card

Answer Key for CO2: How Much Do You Spew

Sample discussion questions:1.What activities emitted the most CO2 for the family you examined? 2.Could those activities be changed to emit less CO2? How? 3.How would you change your scenario to reduce CO2?

(Above is from last page of activity handout. Units are pounds of CO2)

How do you use natural resources?Watch Where You Step

© Facing the Future

First, Choose:

• A Favorite Meal

• A Favorite Object

• A Piece of Clothing

• A Mode of Transportation

Then, Diagram:

• Resources needed

• Processes needed

• Impacts on the environment

slaughterhouse

packaging

Transport to the store

gasoline

highways

Refrigeratedtruck

styrofoam

plastic wrap Grazing landCattle feed

pesticides

fertilizer

Fossil fuels for tractors

water

water soil

soiltractors

sun

sun

Cow

Beef

cooking

stove naturalgas

pan

Transport home

gasoline

roads

car

refrigerator

Guiding questions

• What’s it made of?

• What resources are needed to make it?

• What processes are needed to make it?

• Is transportation required?

• Are fossil fuels required?

• What are the possible impacts?

© Facing the Future

Facing the Future Resources

Teacher lesson plan booksTeacher lesson plan books Many lessons available for free

at www.facingthefuture.org

1-2 week curriculum units Containing lesson plans and student readings

Student textbooks

Linked to lessons available on website

UCAR Office of Education and Outreach, Boulder, CO, www.eo.ucar.edu

Workshops and Presentations

Saturday, March 208:00 – 9:00 Tackling the Global Warming Challenge - Sheraton, Philadelphia South9:30 - 10:30 Cloudy Day Activities - Sheraton, Independence A9:30 - 10:30 NESTA Earth Science Share-a-thon - Sheraton Liberty A/B2:00 - 3:00 Getting Students Involved with BudBurst - Sheraton, Philadelphia South5:00 – 6:00 Climate Change: Classroom Tools - Sheraton, Liberty C

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Are you looking for an online Professional Development Opportunity?

Climate Discovery, a series of online professional development courses for middle and high school educators

Summer Semester – June 18 to August 8, 2010

CD 501 – Introduction to Climate Change

CD 502 – Earth System Science: A Climate Change Perspective

CD 503 – Understanding Climate Change Today

For registration information visit

http://ecourses.ncar.ucar.edu

UCAR Office of Education and Outreach, Boulder, CO, www.eo.ucar.edu

For more information, visit Windows to the Universe

or email Lisa at egardine@ucar.edu

WWW.WINDOWS.UCAR.EDU

Saturday, March 208:00 – 9:00 Tackling the Global Warming Challenge - Sheraton, Philadelphia South9:30 - 10:30 Cloudy Day Activities - Sheraton, Independence A9:30 - 10:30 NESTA Earth Science Share-a-thon - Sheraton Liberty A/B2:00 - 3:00 Getting Students Involved with BudBurst - Sheraton, Philadelphia South5:00 – 6:00 Climate Change: Classroom Tools - Sheraton, Liberty C