Climate change: Menace or myth? Student Activity Sheets 1. Is the Climate Changing? In your group brainstorm your opinions on the question ‘is the climate changing?’ Note down your answers and keep them for later. Read through the data and information below. You need to prepare a short presentation (about 2 minutes) on the data and information. You could use a flipchart to help you present your ideas. Use the language support (LS1) for help. Below are some questions that your presentation could help to answer: • • • •
What does the graph indicate? What predictions are made about global warming? Do you think the evidence is reliable? Is there any missing information you would like to find out?
Once all the presentations are finished, think about your answers to the question ‘is the climate changing?’ Have any of your opinions changed?
Source: Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/hadleycentre/obsdata/globaltemperature.html
Projected Impacts from Global Warming Source: Stern Review: Economics of Climate Change, HM Treasury (2006).
What’s happening today?
Millions of years ago
The increasing number and intensity of natural disasters in the last 2-3 decades is cited as further evidence for climate change. This evidence includes • Radically changed rainfall patterns with dry countries getting less rain and countries prone to flooding (such as Bangladesh and India) with more rain often falling in a shorter time frame • Increasing incidence of forest fires in many countries including; Indonesia, America (California) and Australia • Intense hurricanes in the Southern USA (Hurricane Katrina) and the Caribbean. • Melting ice cap and glaciers in Greenland leading to a loss of traditional lifestyles and rising sea levels.
Dinosaur bones found in areas that are desert today show that they lived on a diet of juicy tropical vegetation, indicating that the area was not always desert.
Thousands of years ago Ice cores taken from the North and South poles have pollen and gases trapped in them. These indicate that climatic conditions were often very different in the past.
More recent changes Lake Chad, previously the fourth largest in Africa, has almost completely dried up and disappeared (it is less than 1/20 the size it was 40 years ago). This is partly due to changing rainfall patterns in sub-Saharan Africa but primarily due to human activity, in this case demand for water.
LS1
Presenting climate change data
Temperature deviation The graph shows The x-axis indicates The y-axis shows From the graph we can see that For the period/the time/the years from … to … There is/has been … (an increase/decrease/rise/fall/overall growth) compared to the average temperature for the period from … to … The evidence shows that there has been an … over the last … years
Projected temperature changes There are a number of reasons why the temperatures are different throughout Europe Temperature changes may occur due to a number of factors There could be There might be It may be that there is/are Temperature changes are higher/lower in the … countries of Europe In the … temperature change range from … to … degrees C In the … temperature changes range between … and … degrees C However, On the other hand, Nevertheless, Having said that,
In the distant past we know that …
What’s happening today? More recent changes
More recently … In the more recent past there is evidence that … Thousands of years ago… Millions of years ago…
Thousands of years ago Millions of years ago In conclusion
I would like … to see similar comparative data for periods of climate change in the past to compare factors for climate change in the past such as … to make comparisons of evidence of climate change for similar periods in the past, for example …
2. The Greenhouse Effect Task 1 The text below describes the greenhouse effect. Read it through and then look at the diagram of the greenhouse effect. Can you complete the diagram using the text boxes provided? Reading Have you ever seen a greenhouse? Most greenhouses look like a small glass house. Greenhouses are used to grow plants, especially in the winter. Greenhouses work by trapping heat from the sun. The glass panels of the greenhouse let in light but keep heat from escaping. This causes the greenhouse to heat up, much like the inside of a car parked in sunlight, and keeps the plants warm enough to live in the winter. The Earth’s atmosphere is all around us. It is the air that we breathe. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere behave much like the glass panes in a greenhouse. Sunlight enters the Earth's atmosphere, passing through the blanket of greenhouse gases. As it reaches the Earth's surface, land, water, and biosphere absorb the sunlight’s energy. Once absorbed, this energy is sent back into the atmosphere. Some of the energy passes back into space, but much of it remains trapped in the atmosphere by the greenhouse gases, causing our world to heat up. The greenhouse effect is important. Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth would not be warm enough for humans to live. But if the greenhouse effect becomes stronger, it could make the Earth warmer than usual. Even a little extra warming may cause problems for humans, plants, and animals. Source: US EPA (copyright required)
Source: WWF UK Climate Chaos.
Task 2 What do you think the effects of the greenhouse effect might be? Complete the table below with your ideas, and then share your ideas with your classmates. List your ideas below in the appropriate heading Global Impact
European Impact
National Impact
Size of impact (high, medium, low)
Whose fault is it?
3. Impacts of Climate Change Task 1 Life in 2050 could be very different from today. Below are some predictions about what the impacts of climate change might be. Match the descriptions to the pictures. For each picture/description explain why you think this might be an important impact of climate change and how it could affect your quality of life in the future.
Life in 2050 could be very different to today! Sea level rise. Predicted to rise by 15cm by the year 2050 and 34cm by 2100. Stabilising emissions by the year 2025 could cut the rate of sea level rise in half. Deforestation. Could account for 15% of the CO 2 in the atmosphere by 2050, mostly from the Amazon. At current rates 73% of the world’s tropical forests will have been felled by 2100. Crops Collapse. By 2050 current crop yields must double to keep up with increasing population. Research suggests that a 50% loss in crop yield under constant 2050 levels of CO2. Water Conflict. Humans are already using more than half the world’s fresh water. By 2025 this could be more that 70%. Some of the fastest growing populations live along rivers shared by two or more nations.
Tropical Storms. Around 50 tropical storms reach hurricane force each year. Warmer oceans mean that figure could double. Tropical atolls like the Maldives, which are less than 1.8 metres above sea level, could disappear for ever. Fishing. Two thirds of fish species in the North Sea have moved north to find colder waters. Temperature rises in the oceans will force fish to migrate to more favourable waters…if they can. Disease. The percentage of the Earth where mosquitoes transmit malaria is likely to rise from 45% today to about 60% in 2050. Increases in cholera, salmonella, asthma and cardio respiratory diseases are also likely. Wildlife. Between 15 and 37% of all species could become extinct by 2050 if current levels of climate change continue.
Task 2 Think about the impacts you have read about in task 1. Imagine that you are a journalist for a broadsheet newspaper and have been asked to write an article about climate change. Think about the issues above and select one. Now write your newspaper article using LS2 for guidance. Your • • • •
article could: Describe the impact. Suggest who will be affected. Offer solutions. Say who needs to act.
Your article should e about 250 words in length.
LS4
How to write a good newspaper article
How to write a good article Journalists write their articles in a way which reflects what we know about how people read newspapers. An interesting phenomenon is ‘pyramid writing’ which suggests that though around 100% of readers on a given page will read the headlines, the percentage diminishes as the article goes on with 70% getting to the end of the first paragraph and only 50% will read to the end of the second. This figure decreases to 40% by the end of the third paragraph on average. Because of this journalists use certain techniques to keep the attention of their reader and make sure that as many people as possible read as much of their writing as possible. The headline is very important in persuading people to go on and read the beginning of the article and it must be eye catching. Journalists and editors in some newspapers also use font size and colour in headlines to catch the readers’ eye. Font size may decrease in the first paragraph but it may also be larger than the font size in the second paragraph. This is important! The first sentence of each paragraph is also important in itself in getting the reader to read on and finish reading the rest of the paragraph. Try to make sure that your writing catches the attention of the reader!
4. Climate Change Opinions Task 1 Opinions are important, and in order to find effective solutions to climate change we need to know what other people think. In groups, read LS3 carefully and choose at least 4 people in your class to interview. Write the answers in the boxes provided. When you have completed your survey prepare a presentation about your result findings. The presentation should be between 2 – 3 minutes. Use LS4 to help you.
LS3
Class climate change survey
Do you think that climate change is really happening? Yes
No
Don’t know
How much do you think that climate change will have an effect on your life? Significantly
Insignificantly
Don’t know
Name one thing that you would be prepared to do in your daily routine to help combat climate change.
LS4 •
Presenting climate change survey results
Use this sheet and phrases to help you prepare your presentation of the results of your class survey
Climate change – real or not? In response / reply / answer to the question ‘Do you think that climate change is really happening?’ 25 people said / answered / replied / responded ‘yes’, (only) 1 person answered ‘No’ and 4 people said ‘Don’t know’. The (vast / overall / overwhelming) majority of people who replied / responded / answered said ‘Yes’ / ’No’ / ’Don’t know’ Nearly all of the people said ‘Yes’
•
Will it impact me?
•
What can we do?
In answer to Question 2 20 people said that they thought that climate change would affect their life significantly/insignificantly … said that they didn’t know
When asked to name one thing that they would be prepared to change in their daily lives, respondents said the following: The largest group, 15, said they would be prepared to switch electronic equipment (PC etc) off standby at home 8 people said they would take showers instead of baths 3 people replied that they would try to walk to school/eat less fast food/more local foods
•
Conclusions In conclusion To sum up All in all We can say that our class is / thinks / considers … Our class seems to be …
Task 2 Below you will find five quotes about climate change. Work in pairs and read each quote, then decide if the ‘agree,’ ‘disagree’ or ‘don’t know’ with each quote. Write 2 - 3 sentences next to each quote explaining their answer. Use LS5 to help you structure responses. "Our children and grandchildren are going to be mad at us for burning all this oil. It took the Earth 500 million years to create the stuff we’re burning in 200 years. Renewable energy sources are where we need to be headed." Jack Edwards, Professor of Geology, University of Colorado "I believe that not only can we solve a greenhouse gas, I believe we will." George Bush "Globally, emissions may have to be reduced, the scientists are telling us, by as much as 60% or 70%, with developed countries likely to have to make even bigger cuts if we're going to allow the developing world to have their share of growing industrial prosperity…The Kyoto Protocol is only the first rather modest step. Much, much deeper emission reductions will be needed in future. The political implications are mind-blowing." Michael Meacher, UK Environment Minister, November 2000 "Ignoring climate change will be the most costly of all possible choices, for us and our children." Peter Ewins, British Meteorological Office "The scientific consensus presented in this comprehensive report about humaninduced climate change should sound alarm bells in every national capital and in every local community." Klaus Topfer, United Nations Environment Program, commenting on the IPCC’s Third Assessment Report, January 2001. We can debate this or that aspect of climate change, but the reality is that most people now accept our climate is indeed subject to change as a result of greenhouse gas emissions. Tony Blair, UK Prime Minister.
LS5
Discussing quotations
(If you need to, use some of the following phrases to help you give a response to the quotations) We agree / disagree / don’t know if we agree or disagree with .... We completely agree / disagree We can’t say one way or the other whether or not we agree or disagree It’s true / not true / nonsense What he says is true / is not true It goes without saying that / It is not a foregone conclusion that We don’t actually know / Nobody actually knows There is no evidence to suggest … It’s a fact that / It is not proven that It’s clear that / It is by no means clear It’s not black or white It’s more complicated than that This is a careless thing to say This is silly This is childish This is a thoughtless thing to say This is an uninformed thing to say This statement lacks evidence What … says is very convincing This is a very convincing argument This is shocking / frightening We can’t bury our head in the sand We can’t afford to ignore this We have to do something about this We have to listen It’s about time people listened People have to pay attention
5. Myths and Facts Below are several statements about climate change, but which of them is fact and which of them are myths? Working in groups, use the table to sort them out. Once you have decided which are myths and which are facts, your teacher will provide the answers. Are there any surprises in between your answers and the real answers? Fact
Myth
Winters have been getting warmer. Measurements show that Earth's climate has warmed overall over the past century, in all seasons, and in most regions.
Satellite measurements of temperature over the past two decades show a much smaller warming in the atmosphere than is measured by thermometers at the surface. This contradicts global warming predictions based on climate models.
The global warming over the past century is nothing unusual. For example, the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), roughly from A.D. 1000 to 1400, was warmer than the 20th century.
Global warming can't be happening, since winters have been getting colder.
Human activities contribute only a small fraction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, far too small to have a significant effect on the concentration of the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.
The science behind the theory of global warming is too uncertain to draw conclusions useful to policy makers.
Don’t know
Ten independent scientific studies all have found a large 20thcentury warming trend compared to temperature changes over the past millennium or two. Uncertainty exists as to exactly how warm the present is compared to the past.
Recent research has corrected problems that led to underestimates of the warming trend in earlier analyses of satellite data. The new results show an atmospheric warming trend slightly larger than at the surface, exactly as models predict.
Models have trouble predicting the weather a few days in advance. How can we have any confidence in model projections of the climate many years from now?
Modelling studies indicate that most of the warming over the past several decades was probably caused by the increase in humanproduced greenhouse gases.
The Earth's warming is caused by natural factors like increased sunlight and sunspots or decreased cosmic rays, not by greenhouse gases.
Society can easily adapt to climate change; after all, human civilization has survived through climatic changes in the past.
While humans as a species have survived through past climatic changes, individual civilizations have collapsed. Unless we limit greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, we will face a warming trend unseen since the beginning of human civilization.
The primary scientific debate is about how much and how fast, rather than whether, additional warming will occur as a result of human-produced greenhouse gas emissions.
(Myths and facts copyright Š 2002 Environmental Defense.)
6. How much is enough? The majority of people accept that climate change is real and influenced by man to the extent that we will create severe problems if we do not reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we produce. But much do we have to reduce emissions by? If we are to avoid severe effects from climate change, by how much will we need to reduce emissions by 2050? Have a guess and share your answers. The Kyoto Protocol is the only international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases. It sets targets for developed nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 2012. The Kyoto Protocol now covers more than 160 countries globally and over 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions. How much will the Kyoto Protocol reduce carbon dioxide emissions by? Have a guess and share your answers. The reading below will help you find out the real answers. Read it through and find out how close to the truth you were. Reading To have half a chance of curbing global warming to within safe levels, the world's greenhouse gas emissions need to fall dramatically to between 30% and 50% of 1990 levels by 2050, a new study suggests. This is needed to achieve the European Union's ambition of trying to limit global warming to below 2°C over this period - a crucial goal which now appears wildly optimistic. Such emissions cuts would allow the world's carbon dioxide levels to be stabilised at 450 parts per million (ppm), says Malte Meinshausen from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, who presented the work at a major climate conference in Exeter, UK, on Wednesday. Carbon dioxide concentrations are currently approaching 380 ppm, having risen from pre-industrial levels of around 280 ppm. But the EU has recommended 550 ppm CO2 as a suitable goal. "Two degrees is a hard target, but we have to start somewhere," says Frank Raes, a climate modeller at the European Commission's research centre in Ispra, Italy. "We will not get started if we say, no, we have to go to 450 ppm," he cautions.
But Meinshausen calculates that 450 ppm is the level at which there is just a 50-50 chance that the world's average temperature rise will not exceed 2째C by 2050. (Source: This article comes from the UK magazine The New Scientist February 2005.) Permission required.
All three major political parties in the UK are committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by 2050. Some think emissions cuts need to be 80%. Whoever is right, the level of cuts is huge!!
7. Climate Change Quiz Climate Change Quiz 1.
Which of the following can be caused by global warming and climate change? Floods Droughts Hurricanes Spread of tropical diseases Animals becoming extinct
2.
What are the gases carbon dioxide, methane and *HFCs known as? (*HFCs are the gas in aerosols, refrigerator coolants and air conditioners.)
3.
Why are they called this?
4.
When fossil fuels are burnt to make electricity, what is the main gas that is released?
5.
Can you name three ways of making electricity without burning fossil fuels?
6.
Which of the following are fossil fuels? Coal Air Oil Gas Water
7.
Can you list four things that you do that need electricity?
8.
Which of the following uses fossil fuels? Cars Walking Power stations Reading Factories Aeroplanes
9.
What is causing the ice caps in the Arctic to melt?
10. Who is responsible for helping to stop climate change? 11. Can you name four things that you can do to help stop climate change?