Number stickers matchand showing Power cord plugged in

Carbon Cycle & Climate Change

Essential Question:How is human activity linked to

global climate change?

2. What’s the difference between climate and weather?• Climate refers to the average weather conditions in a certain

place over many years.• Weather is short term (1 day, 1 week); climate is long term

(decades, centuries)

3. “Climate” refers to the average weather conditions in a certain place over time (e.g. decades, centuries). What evidence is there that climate is changing dramatically?

1. Glaciers melting, polar ice caps melting, rate of melting is speeding up.

2. Temperatures risen during the last 30 years; last 10+ years hottest on record.

3. Droughts longer and more extreme worldwide Last winter’s snowpack record or near-record lows4. Stronger hurricanes and other tropical storms.5. Ocean surface temperatures increasing.

.13 degrees F per decade 6. Avg. sea level around the world rising

1 foot/century, but increasing.

Hurricanes in the northern half of the Atlantic Ocean have become stronger over the last few decades. This graph shows the Power Dissipation Index, which measures total hurricane power each year based on the number of hurricanes and their wind speed. The graph also shows how hurricane strength is related to water temperature. Source: EPA's Climate Change Indicators (2010).

4. What are fossil fuels? Give examples and explain why they are called fossil fuels.• Coal, oil, natural gas.• Formed by bodies of dead animals and plants under ground, under

pressure for millions of years.• Used in car engines, factories, and power plants to generate electricity.

5. What is the “Greenhouse Effect” and how are fossil fuels related to it?• Burning fossil fuels adds carbon dioxide (CO2) to atmosphere.

• CO2 acts like a blanket, trapping heat in atmosphere, causing climate to change.

• Others gases (CH4, N2O) function like CO2

• Note: the “ozone hole” has nothing to do with climate change/CO2

6. What evidence is there for scientists to conclude that burning of fossil fuels are contributing to climate change?• Increases of CO2 in atmosphere correspond closely with

increases in CO2 emissions from burning of fossil fuels– Corresponds closely with increasing global temps

• Measure this in air bubbles trapped in ice cores from Antarctica• No evidence that anything else (e.g. sunspots, earth’s orbit,

volcanic activity) are causes.• Note: there is no doubt in the scientific community: increased

CO2 levels (and other greenhouse gases like methane) are responsible for the increase in Earth’s temperatures. – The uncertainty relates to the significance of effects…

6. What are the likely effects of climate change on people and the environment? Give at least 5 different examples.• Icreased acidity of oceans harms all pH-sensitive organisms (most of

ocean life!)• Crop damage from heat, droughts, storms = less food• Rising sea levels and increased flooding of coastal towns/cities. • Animals and plants that can’t adapt to warmer temps will die, e.g.

polar bears, coral reefs.• More wildfires in forests. • Ticks and mosquitoes that carry tropical diseases like malaria can

survive longer and kill more people.

Footprint Quiz!• http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/ • Click on “footprint basics”, then “personal

footprint”. Take the quiz.– You are a “new user” (“get started”)– 90% of electricity from renewable

sources (88% hydro, 2% biomass)• When finished, record your ecological

footprint in “# of Earths” needed if everyone lived like you. – Record your carbon footprint in “pounds

of CO2”. (22 tons = 44,000 lbs)• Add your carbon and ecological footprints

to the graphs on the board; record on the piece of paper to be turned in.

• Done? Work on homework in notebook: what could you do to lower your footprints? “Carbon footprint solutions”

• .

Today’s goal:• Review:– WA State Science Standards expect you to understand:• Unintended consequences of using ecosystem services• Sustainable development• Constraints on making resource use more sustainable

– Discuss with your partner and be ready to share: what do each of the above terms mean (review!)?

• Today’s task: – Since fossil fuel consumption is unsustainable and has had

unintended consequences, we may have to develop solutions. What are constraints on those solutions?

Carbon Footprint Presentations• As a group, complete the following on paper (turned in – include names!)• Develop an answer: “What IS ONE effective solution your group thinks could

be taken to meaningfully lower the average US CO2 footprint?” Solutions could be at the individual, community, or global level. – Be reasonable, and fully explain how solution would be implemented.– USE WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM YESTERDAY’S QUIZ – What are constraints for your solution? Explain each constraint.

• Solutions must have reasonable constraints.• Groups are being graded on their presentations. One reasonable, explained 

solution with clearly identified constraints will earn full credit. – Solutions must actually have a chance of working to earn full credit. Passing a law to make everyone a vegetarian is not a reasonable solution. 

• Be ready to present in front of class by the time on the board. – Choose one or two presenters, two recorders

Carbon Footprint Presentations• Take notes – “Carbon Sustainability Presentations”• Record: – Group number– Main idea of each solution– Major constraints of each solution

• Be prepared to offer your opinions, thoughts, etc on solutions you think might be most effective.

7. What are some ways we can reduce our impact on climate change? Give at least 5 different examples.• Use less energy; turn off lights, drive less.• Switch to clean energy: solar, wind.• Drive more fuel efficient cars, burns less gas.• Recycle and Re-use, saves energy.• Reduce waste. Cloth shopping bags, towels save energy.