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Global Climate Change Chapter Problems

Understanding Climate GraphsClasswork 1

Use the graph from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to answer the following questions. Graph data is over the time period 1961-1990.

1. What location is this graph for?

2. Define the x-axis.

3. Define the y-axis.

4. Explain what a daily maximum temperature is.

5. What do the blue and red colors represent?

www.njctl.org 7th grade PSI Global Climate Change

daily extreme lows

average

daily extreme highs

6. What does the black line represent?

7. Describe the trend in the wavy lines.

8. Describe the trend in the black line.

9. Which line(s) represents weather? How about climate?

10. Are the line(s) that represent weather related to the line(s) that represent climate? If so, how?


Weather and Climate in Your CityHomework 1

Answer all questions. Use the graphs from NOAA that your teacher has provided you to answer questions #2-5.

1. Use the internet, newspaper or television to obtain today’s date, maximum temperature, minimum temperature and amount of precipitation. Be sure to include units such as degrees Fahrenheit, inches, etc.). Also write down the source of your data.

Date:_________________________________

Maximum temperature: ____________

Minimum temperature: ____________

Precipitation: ___________

Data obtained from:____________________________________________________________

2. Locate today’s date on the climate graphs provided. How do your observations compare with the climate data?

Today’s maximum temperature versus climate data:

Today’s minimum temperature versus climate data:

Today’s precipitation versus climate data:


3. Do you feel that today’s weather is a reflection of the climate system in your area? Explain.

4. Do any of today’s weather observations exceed the extreme values (wavy lines) on your climate graphs? If so, which observation?

5. If a daily weather observation is significantly higher or lower than the climate average, does this indicate that the climate is changing in your area?


Weather or Climate?Classwork 2

Warmup: Describe the difference between weather and climate:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Read each statement and decide whether or not it represents weather, climate or both. Write ‘W’ for weather, ‘C’ for climate and ‘B’ for both.

1. Hawaii is a wet state.

2. Today is really windy.

3. Every February, it snows.

4. It is supposed to be clear and sunny tomorrow

5. The lowest recorded temperature of all time was -129 degrees Fahrenheit in

Antarctica.

6. Most of Arabia is dry and warm.

7. The hottest year on record was 1979.

8. Last year on this day, it rained.

9. Hawaii is much warmer than Alaska.

10. Today is much warmer than usual.

The Greenhouse Effect


Homework 2

Part I: Fill in the blanks in the story that explains how the greenhouse effect on Earth works.

The greenhouse effect on Earth starts with input from the

_______________________ in the form of solar radiation. Solar radiation consists of

____________________ waves and _______________________ waves and is often

referred to as shortwave radiation. When the energy from these waves reach Earth’s

atmosphere, it is either _________________________ or

____________________________. The amount of reflectivity from Earth’s surface or

___________________ depends on the surface itself because some surfaces like ice

reflect more solar radiation. Lighter colored surfaces will have a __________________

reflectivity than darker colored surfaces.

The solar radiation that is absorbed by the land and the atmosphere is converted

into ____________________ radiation, which is then emitted outwards. Some of this

emitted radiation from Earth leaves the atmosphere and goes directly to

__________________ while some is absorbed by clouds. Most of it, however is

absorbed and re-emitted by greenhouse gases such as ___________________ or

_____________________ This re-emission of longwave radiation by greenhouse gases is

what helps to keep our planet ______________________________.

Part II When you’re finished, draw a model on the back representing the greenhouse effect. Be sure to include what happens to both the shortwave radiation from the sun and the longwave radiation emitted from the Earth. Add details and labels and even color if you want!

Global Climate Change Concept Map


Activity Name ____________________________________

Directions: Create a concept map that shows how the following terms are connected. A concept map starts with one word or concept that links to other related words or concepts. The link includes a phrase that relates the two concepts or terms. You will use ovals around each concept/term and link them together with arrows.

Include the following terms on your concept map. An example of the first two terms in the first set of terms is given. As you concept map gets larger, feel free to tape or paste pages together.

Chunk 1Climate WeatherAtmosphereSolar RadiationAlbedoGreenhouse EffectLongwave RadiationShortwave RadiationTemperature

Chunk 2Anthropogenic Climate ChangeFossil FuelsGreenhouse GasesSolar RadiationTemperatureCarbon DioxideMethaneNitrous OxideTransportationAgriculture

Chunk 3Natural Climate ChangeSolar VariationsSunspotsMilankovitch CycleTiltPrecessionOrbitVolcanoesTemperature

Chunk 4Rising TemperaturesSea LevelOceansIce capsGlaciersTropical stormsPrecipitationDroughtHeat wavesWild firesHabitatsHuman health


Climate Weather

Is the long term average of

Is Global Climate Change Occurring?


Classwork 3

Warmup: Explain why observing a single abnormally hot or cold day does NOT signifiy climate change. What else is needed in order to claim that the climate is changing?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Examine each of the graphs on the board and use them to answer the following questions.

1. In your own words, describe what the first graph is showing about the global

temperatures. What trend is the data showing?

2. How does graph 2 compare to graph 1?


3. Is the trend in graph 1 evident in graph 2?

4. By looking at these two graphs, would you conclude that climate is changing?

Why or why not?

5. What is the general trend in graph 3 and what does this mean about carbon

dioxide in the atmosphere?

6. How does graph 4 compare to graph 3? Is there any connection between the two

graphs.

7. Based on what you have seen in these graphs, do you think there is a connection

between global climate change and greenhouse gases? Explain this connection.


Anthropogenic Sources of Greenhouse GasesClasswork 4

An enhanced greenhouse effect on Earth can occur when greenhouse gases increase. In this activity you will learn more about each of the greenhouse gases that humans put into the atmosphere resulting in anthropogenic climate change.

Directions: Read the information on the following webpage in order to complete this sheet. Be sure to click on the pie chart to read about each type of greenhouse gas. http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/basics/today/greenhouse-gases.html

Greenhouse Gas Examples of Sources Atmospheric Life Span

% contribution to global

climate changeCarbon Dioxide

Methane

Other gases

Nitrous Oxide

Fluorinated Gases


http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/basics/today/greenhouse-gases.html

1. Which greenhouse gas is responsible for most of the global warming the planet experiences? The least?

2. Is water vapor a greenhouse gas?

3. Explain the role of water vapor in a global warming positive feedback loop scenario.

4. Rank the top four activities in the US that releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere with the activity that releases the most listed first.

5. Explain why climate change requires global action.

6. By about how much (in million metric tons) has the concentration of carbon dioxide changed from 1990 to 2005?


Do you contribute to global climate change?Homework 4

Review: Write down the four major greenhouse gases that contribute most to global climate change from largest contributor to smallest contributor (omit “other gases like CFCs” for this assignment). Beside each greenhouse gas, list a few examples of the man made sources of the gas.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Think about your day today--from the moment you got up to the moment you sat down to work on this assignment. In the left hand column write down things that you did during the day even if you think it is insignificant (for example: got dressed for school, watched an hour of tv after school). Come up with at least 10 different things.

Next, in the right hand column write down which greenhouse gas each of your entries most likely contributed to and why. Try to come up with more than one greenhouse gas for each entry and be sure to provide a justification for each gas listed. An example is given.


Today I… Which most likely contributed to…

Ex. Ate breakfast Carbon dioxide- It took electricity to warm up my toast. It took gas for the trucks to transport my food from the farm to the store.Nitrous Oxide- Fertilizer was probably used to grow the strawberries I ate.Flourinated gases- the refrigerator kept my orange juice cold.



Manmade or Natural Climate Change: Which is more important?Classwork 5

Directions:

1. Using the attached graphs, see if you and your group members can find meaningful relationships between global temperature and

Man made sources of climate change Natural sources of climate change (solar variations, aerosols from volcanoes)

Keep in mind that each graph shows something different. The time period for each graph may also be different.

2. After analyzing all the graphs, make a decision as to whether or not your group thinks the major cause of Earth’s global climate change (temperature change) is primarily man made, natural or both. If your group decides that both play a role, do you think both influence climate change by the same amount? Your group must have logical justifications for how you came to your decision that are based on the data presented here.

3. Finally, discuss additional data that you might want to collect that may help strengthen your decision or perhaps change it.


Image from earthobservatory.nasa.gov

This graph shows the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere due to volcanic eruptions in blue and the global temperature anomalies in red from about 1850 to 2000.


Image from epa.gov

This graphs shows the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from 1900 to 2000.


image from windows2universe.org

This graph shows the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from about 1750-2000. Measurements before 1950 were made using ice core techniques.


This graph shows three different variables between about 1855 to about 2010.

The red lines show the global temperature. The spiky line represents true observations while the darker smooth line is an average and shows the trend.

The blue line represents the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The yellow lines represent the number of sunspots. The spiky line represents true observations while the darker smooth line is an average and shows the trend.



This graph shows the emissions of different fossil fuels from about 18800 to 2000.



This graph shows the global temperature from about 1850 to 2005. The black line represents the yearly average and the smooth red line shows the trend.


This graph shows the global temperature in blue. The spiky line represents raw or true data while the darker line is an average and shows a trend.

The amount of solar radiation is shown in red. The spiky line represents true observations while the darker smooth line is an average and shows the trend.


Climate Change: Cause and EffectClasswork 6

Part I: As the class goes over the accompanying slides, fill in your own notes in the left hand column for each indicator of climate change. Jot down the reason(s) for why it happens, what it is or any other facts that are new to you. You will work on the right hand column later in groups.

Part II: As a group, use the internet to research the effect that your climate change indicator may have on humans, animals, ecosystems, etc. Here are a few websites to get you started:

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/impacts/signs/index.html

Show your teacher your final table.

Part III: Using the information you found in your groups, create a short skit that demonstrates how the global climate change might affect you, your friends and your family. You will present your skit to the class.

Cause EffectHigher temperatures:

Warmer Oceans:

Melting Sea Ice:


http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/impacts/signs/index.html

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/

Melting Glaciers:

Rising Sea Level:

Increased tropical storms/hurricanes:

Changes in Precipitation Patterns:


Drought:

Heat Waves:

Wild Fires:


Adaptation StrategiesClasswork 7

Directions: On a large piece of butcher paper, draw the following table. The table should take up the entire sheet. Each box represents a “sector” in the government that climate change impacts. You will place adaptation strategies in each category. Write down any limitations to the strategies listed. For example, a possible limitation to having people evacuate coastal areas prone to flooding is that not everyone can afford to move.

Ecosystems Agriculture

Human Health Water Supply

Coastal Lands Energy


Read the following list of adaptation strategies and decide which sector it best belongs in. Write the adaptation strategy in the sector you choose.

Monitor protected natural preserves

Assess vulnerability of coastal infrastructure

Fix water leaks in buildings

Plant different crops that can withstand impacts of climate change

Update insulation in older buildings

Increase water intake

Research heat and drought resistant crops

Plant trees in cities to moderate temperature and air quality

Modify zoning processes to prevent development in areas vulnerable to sea level

rise

Strengthen efficiency in building codes

Change the time of year when crops are planted

Implement water conservation programs

Provide information about prevention and control of diseases

Breed new plant species

Develop natural reserves for a range of habitat types

Improve early warning systems of extreme weather

Migrate animal and tree species to more suitable climates

Adjust clothing to handle temperature

Build dikes and other structures to protect from flooding

Increase water use efficiency for irrigation

Invest in storm and waste water recovery

Promoting and improving methods of putting out fires

Protect water from contamination

Improve groundwater basin management

Improve disaster response to flooding

Implement a carbon tax or fee on companies that burn excessive fossil fuels


Answer Keys

Understanding Climate GraphsAnswer Key/Teacher Guide

Students may have some confusion about what the graph is showing due to the title of the graph. It is good to walk around and clear up misconceptions as they go or discuss as a class after everyone has had a chance to brainstorm and come up with their own answers.

Go over what daily maximum temperature is if needed by reminding them about diurnal temperature variations. You could even pull up the slide #7 to show the example of high and low temperature forecasts (in the ‘day to day’ image). Tell them that daily max temperatures usually occur around the late afternoon after the sun has reached its highest peak. While, daily min temperatures usually occur early in the morning before they even wake up.

Clarify the meaning of daily extremes. Emphasize that this graph looked at daily maximum temperatures over a 30-year period. So for example, to get the extreme lowest daily maximum temperature for June 30 (blue line), scientists compared the maximum temperature on June 30 for 1961, 1962, 1963 and so on until 1990 to find the lowest value. So extreme low values represented by the blue line could come from any year in the time period. Same goes for the red line, except in this case scientists looked for the highest value for each day in the 30 year time period.

Emphasize climate averages versus weather event. The wavy lines have more spikes and dips because it is looking at a single daily event in the 30-year time period. A single daily event represents weather. The thick lines are smoother because it is looking at averages over the 30 year time period and this means it represents climate. Students should note that though the wavy lines represent weather, it is clear that the weather is an expression of the climate since they follow the same overall trend. The climate system determines the weather. As an example zoom in on the current date and discuss the differences between the red, blue and black line for the day. This will help with the homework assigned.

Answer Key1. Chicago O’Hare, IL2. Days/Month3. The daily maximum temperature in degrees Fahrenheit4. A daily maximum temperature is the hottest temperature that a location reaches in

a 24 hour period. 5. Blue- this represents the lowest daily maximum temperature ever recorded for

each day during the 30 year time period.Red- this represents the highest daily maximum temperature ever recorded for each day during the 30 year time period.

6. Black- this represents the average daily maximum temperature over the 30 year time period.


7. Although there are day to day variations represented by varying spikes, the overall trend is low daily max temperatures starting in January that gradually increase through mid-July and August where they start to decrease again to the temperatures from January.

8. The black line shows the same trend as the wave lines except it does not have day-to-day variations. The spikes are smoothed out.

9. Wavy lines look at weather. Smooth black line looks at climate. 10. They seem to be related because they show the same trend, only one is smoothed

(or averaged out).


Weather and Climate in Your CityAnswer Key/Teacher Guide

Go to http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/usclimate/states.scroll.html and get the climatology for your city. If your city is not listed, pick the closest. Print out the climate graphs and give a copy to your students. An example is below.

Answer Key1. Varies by location2. Answers will vary. More than likely, the student’s values will be close to the

climate data values. 3. Since the observations will probably be close in value to the climate averages, the

weather event seems to be a reflection of the long-term averages. Students may point out that it is difficult to accurately compare trends without several month’s of daily observations to look at.

4. Varies5. No, a single weather event is too short a time period to make the claim that

climate is changing. Climate is observed over at least a 20 year time period.


http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/usclimate/states.scroll.html

Weather or Climate?Answer Key

Warmup: Weather is what happens in a specific location at a certain time. Climate is the long term average of weather.1. C2. W3. C4. W5. W6. C7. W8. W9. C10. B


The Greenhouse EffectAnswer Key

Part I

The greenhouse effect on Earth starts with input from the

____sun___________________ in the form of solar radiation. Solar radiation consists of

______UV______________ waves and _______visible________________ waves and is

often referred to as shortwave radiation. When the energy from these waves reach

Earth’s atmosphere, it is either ________reflected_________________ or

_________absorbed___________________. The amount of reflectivity from Earth’s

surface or ____albedo_______________ depends on the surface itself because some

surfaces like ice reflect more solar radiation. Lighter colored surfaces will have a

____higher______________ reflectivity than darker colored surfaces.

The solar radiation that is absorbed by the land and the atmosphere is converted

into _______infrared_____________ radiation, which is then emitted outwards. Some of

this emitted radiation from Earth leaves the atmosphere and goes directly to _____outer

space_____________ while some is absorbed by clouds. Most of it, however is absorbed

and re-emitted by greenhouse gases such as ______methane_____________ or

______carbon dioxide (or nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapor)_______________ This re-

emission of longwave radiation by greenhouse gases is what helps to keep our planet

_______warm_______________________.

Part II answers will vary. It should resemble slide #20.


Global Climate Change Concept MapAnswer Key

Answers will vary but students should have logical connections.


Is Global Climate Change Occurring?Answer Key/Teacher Guide

The original graphs used for this class activity can be found here http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/warming/etc/graphs.html .

Open the notebook to the section on “Global Climate Change”. Go over what global climate is relative to regional climate. Give the students time to answer the warmup question and then discuss as a class. Use the next slide to introduce the idea of an anomaly.

Warmup- to really make the claim that climate is changing one must look at decades worth of data to see how much the temperature deviates from the normal condition (or long term average).

Next pull up the first two graphs that show the global temperature anomalies from 1860-2000 and from 1000-2000. Reiterate that the temperature anomalies are deviations from the normal condition. Even if the students can’t quite grasp what a temperature anomaly is, they will still get the big picture that the temperature is changing on the graph. Have the students work in pairs to answer the questions regarding graph 1 and 2. Note that Graph 2 technically shows the temperature for the northern hemisphere and not the global temperature but is irrelevant for the big idea. Discuss answers. When discussing trends, it may be helpful to draw a smooth line/curve over each graph to smooth out the peaks and dips so students get a clearer idea of what the trend is.

1. Temperature anomalies show a steady increase implying global temperatures are warmer.2. Graph 2 is showing the temperature anomalies for a much longer time period than graph 1. Graph 2 does not show a steady increase in global temperatures. It only shows a sharp increase towards the end coinciding with the steady increase in graph 1.3. No. (see above)4. Yes. By looking at graph 2 one can see that the graph does not show a clear trend (neither increasing or decreasing steadily) from 1000 AD to 1860. If anything, it may be showing a slight decrease in temperature. This means that the global temperature is not deviating much from the normal. However from 1860-2000 (about 140 years), the temperature anomalies start increasing dramatically especially compared to the first 800 or so years. Since we see this increase happening steadily over about 140 years, one can conclude that the climate is changing.

Next pull up graphs 3 and 4 in the notebook. Ask the students if they recall what greenhouse gases do and list some examples. State what each graph is showing and then have the students work in pairs to answer the questions regarding graph


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/warming/etc/graphs.html

3 and 4. Discuss answers. Again, when discussing trends on the graph it may be helpful to draw a smooth trend line over the graphs to help students visualize it. 5. The graph shows a general increasing trend indicating that total carbon dioxide concentrations have risen and will continue to rise.6. Graph 4 shows concentrations of carbon dioxide nearly 450,000 years ago before what is shown in graph 3. The majority of graph 4 does not show a clear trend. Instead, it shows the concentration of carbon dioxide cycling up and down. It isn’t until the very end of graph 4, that the concentration makes a steady and sharp increase reaching the highest values (>360ppm) than it ever had during the previous 400,000+ years. This sharp increase probably is connected to the steady increase seen in the temperature anomalies of graph 3.7. Answers will vary but most students will agree that the increase in carbon dioxide has led to more heat being trapped which may be responsible for the increase in temperature seen in graph 1.


Anthropogenic Sources of Greenhouse GasesAnswer Key/Teacher Notes

Greenhouse Gas Examples of Sources Atmospheric Life Span

% contribution to global

climate changeCarbon Dioxide Electricity to heat

buildings burning gas for

cars/transportation biomass burning industrial processes like

cement (point out to students that we use cement everyday when we walk on sidewalks)

At least 50,000 years

54.7

Methane livestock livestock manure landfills natural gas coal mining

12 years 30%

Other gases CFCs No info on site 9.8

Nitrous Oxide Farming/soil Burning fossil fuels Industry/manufacturing

114 years 4.9

Flourinated Gases Coolants (refrigerators, air conditioners, freezers)

Industry/manufacturing (computer chips)

At least a thousand years

0.6

1. Carbon Dioxide, Fluorinated gas2. Yes3. Water vapor is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and contributes

to warming. This warming evaporates water from Earth’s surface leading to more water vapor in the atmosphere that traps heat and contributes to more warming...the process repeats itself in a positive feedback loop.

4. Electricity, transportation, industry and agriculture.5. Greenhouse gases don’t stay in one place. They get mixed throughout the

atmosphere such that concentrations of a gas will be the same everywhere in the world. That is why it must be treated globally. So even if the US puts out a lot of greenhouse gases, it affects people in China and vice versa.

6. About 6,000 million metric tons.



Do you contribute to global climate change?Answer Key/Teacher Guide

HOMEWORK: The first part of this assignment is a review of CW 4: Human Sources of Greenhouses. Student responses should match the classwork assignment.

The second part requires the students to think critically about how even simple tasks are related to the release of greenhouse gases.

Both the first and second part should be taken home for homework following CW4.

CLASSWORK: The next day in class, have students get together in small groups to share with each other their greenhouse gas entries. Students may add to their charts during this group session. The goal is for students to see collectively how their activities contribute to greenhouse gases. Additionally, it gives students a chance to see hidden sources of greenhouse gases that they might not have considered but their group member did, such as the transportation involved in getting electronic devices such as televisions to the stores. This group share session also give students who may have struggled with the assignment to learn from their peers.

Once students feel their table is complete, the group as a whole should decide which greenhouse gas they think their group contributed to the most and why by listing the specific activities. Each group can have a representative to share out with the entire class.

Once all groups have presented, go over slides 50 and 51 to compare class results with data from the EPA.


Manmade or Natural Climate Change: Which is more important?Answer Key/Teacher Guide

Put students into small groups. Warm them up by asking them what causes climate change. They should respond with various anthropogenic and natural sources.

Ask them to make a hypothesis as to which source they think is most responsible for changes in global climate…humans or natural causes? They can share their ideas with each other or you can have students share with the class.

Tell them that today they will be using real data to either confirm or reject their hypothesis.

Give each group the seven color graphs and the above directions. Also give each group two large pieces of butcher paper. One butcher paper is for jotting down ideas as they analyze the graphs and brainstorm. The other butcher paper is for writing down their final decision including bullet points of justification.

Remind them that each graph shows something different and that it is important for them to pay attention to what each graph is showing. As the students work, monitor the groups and answer questions. Students may have forgotten what an anomaly is and what it means. Some students may have trouble understanding graphs with multiple lines.

Students will most likely decide that humans play a larger role in climate change due due to burning fossil fuels. The correlation tends to be stronger between the temperature and the rate of change of various greenhouse gases than it does between the temperature and natural causes such as solar cycles or volcanic dust.

Go over slide 69 to summarize ideas. Slide 69 shows a computer model of the global temperature. Explain to the students that computer models mimic what the Earth does (similar to how they made a smaller and simpler model of Earth’s greenhouse effect using the soda bottles in an earlier lab). In one case, the scientists ran the computer model but only included the natural sources of climate change such as solar variability and volcanic dust. One can see that the resulting temperature matches the true observed temperatures during only the first part of the time period. The scientists then ran the model with BOTH anthropogenic sources (CO2, methane, etc) of climate change and natural sources. Point out to the students how now the observed temperatures very closely match the model. This means that while natural sources are important (especially during early time periods), anthropogenic sources seem to play a larger role.


Climate Change: Cause and EffectAnswer Key

Student answers will vary, however here is a table with some sample responses. Students should see that the indicators of climate change are very much connected to each other.

Cause EffectHigher temperatures:

Caused by increased greenhouse gases

Can cause heat waves which can lead to heat strokes and death in people/animals.

Leads to other climate changes (warm oceans, etc)

Hurt crop growth which means less food for people

Respiration issues as more ozone is created in warmer temps.

Warmer Oceans:

Caused by warmer atmospheric temps as ocean absorbs some of this heat

Causes stronger storms which could destroy people’s homes and businesses

Affects weather patterns Can destroy sea life habitats such as coral

reefs Melt glaciers and ice caps

Melting Sea Ice:

Caused by warmer oceans and warmer sea surface temperatures

Makes the sea level rise Makes more sun reach the earth causing

more warming Destroys habitats for animals

Melting Glaciers: Makes the sea level rise


Caused by warmer oceans and warmer sea surface temperatures

Makes more sun reach the earth causing more warming

Destroys habitats for animals living in colder areas. These animals may be important for ecosystem.

Rising Sea Level:

Caused by melting sea ice/glaciers

May cause coastal areas to flood more easily destroying homes/habitats

Flooding may lead to more mosquitos and hence disease

Flooding can damage crops and food supplies

Increased tropical storms/hurricanes:

Caused by rising ocean surface temperatures

May cause coastal area flooding Damages homes and properties forcing

people to relocate Can destroy crops/food supply Can leave people without power and basic

supplies

Changes in Precipitation Patterns:

Caused by increasing temperatures which evaporates more water from Earth’s surface and puts it into the atmosphere.

More rain in some areas can lead to flooding (destroy crops, mosquitos, crops ruined)

Less rain in some areas can lead to drought (ruined crops, breathing problems, habitat loss, no water supply for animals or humans)

Some areas may experience more snow (blizzards can shut down a city, cause traffic problems)


Drought:Caused by increasing temperatures which evaporates more water from Earth’s surface.

Destroy crops and food supply No water supply for animals and humans Respiration/breathing problems Lose ecosystems that depend on water

supply (rainforests) Lose energy sources that depend on water

such as hydroelectricity.

Heat Waves:

Caused by increasing temperatures

Can cause heat related illness or even death in people (heat stroke)

Air pollution due to ozone Increased potential for spreading disease

through warm weather insects (ticks, mosquitos)

Have to run air conditioning more which uses electricity and contributes to global warming.

Wild Fires:

Caused by increasing temperatures and drought

Crop and food supply damage Destroy and kill animals and their habitats Destroy large sources of carbon dioxide

sinks as plants absorb carbon dioxide. Drains valuable resources such as water


Adaptation StrategiesAnswer Key/Teacher Notes

This activity was adapted from an activity from the pangea.stanford.edu page.

The activity can be given without the list of adaptation strategies if you would like the students to brainstorm their own strategies. The following is an example of how students might place adaptation strategies. Note that some strategies could go in more than one sector.

After students have completed the table, go over each sector and what students placed in each. Clarify what each adaptation means if necessary. It is important to discuss the limitations to the strategies. While many of the strategies seem straightforward, remind students that the strategies themselves are dependent on people and animals’ ability and willingness to carry them out. It is also important to note to the students that there are some overlaps between mitigation and adaptation strategies. Adaptation strategies are predicated on the idea that many of the impacts of climate change are experienced in the present day, are here to stay and possibly could get worse. Adaptation strategies can be thought of as reactive strategies to deal with climate change while mitigation strategies are proactive strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, building levees is a response to the rising sea level that is indeed happening, while turning off lights when not in use is a proactive action done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Only a few items on the list below could be considered both as an adaptive and mitigation strategy. These items are in bold.

Example Response:

Ecosystems:Migrate animal and tree species to more suitable climatesDevelop natural reserves for a range of habitat typesMonitor protected natural preserves

Agriculture:Plant different crops that can withstand impacts of climate changeBreed new plant species Change the time of year when crops are plantedResearch heat and drought resistant cropsIncrease water use efficiency for irrigation

Human health:Plant trees in cities to moderate temperature and air qualityAdjust clothing to handle temperatureIncrease water intakeProvide information about prevention and control of diseases


Improve early warning systems of extreme weatherPromoting and improving methods of putting out fires

Water supply:Implement water conservation programsInvest in storm and waste water recoveryImprove groundwater basin managementProtect water from contamination

Coastal lands:Build dikes and other structures to protect from floodingAssess vulnerability of coastal infrastructureImprove disaster response to flooding (could go in human health)Modify zoning processes to prevent development in areas vulnerable to sea level rise

Energy:Strengthen efficiency in building codesImplement a carbon tax or fee on companies that burn excessive fossil fuelsUpdate insulation in older buildingsFix water leaks in buildings


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