Friday , November 1st Class Discussion Question

1. Friday, November 1stClass Discussion Question Do you believe that human beings are significantly contributing to climate change? Why or why not?

2. After today… • Students will comprehend the factors that are impacting climate. • Students will assess human beings role in climate change. • Students will determine what impact climate change will have on human beings.

3. What is the…

4. Climate Change OR Global Warming? • Many people use these terms interchangeably but there are some differences. • 'Climate change’ refers to the changes in the global climate which result from the increasing average global temperature.  • Terminology matters according to polls.

5. An Inconvenient Truth • Former Vice President Al Gore believes that climate change is responsible for extreme weather conditions like flooding and drought that have displaced millions of people this year. • He believes that human beings are the primary force behind climate change because of our excessive burning of fossil fuels.

6. Climate • The prevailing or average weather conditions of a place as determined by the temperature and meteorological changes over a period of years. • How is this different from weather?

7. Climatic Controls • Solar Energy • Latitude not Longitude • Interaction between Land & Water • Global Pressure Systems • Global Wind Patterns

8. Global Warming

9. The greatest hoax ever… • A minority of scientists and some politicians feel that global warming and / or human’s impact on the rise in global temperatures is exaggerated at best or entirely made up at worst. • James Inhofe (R) US Senator from Oklahoma has said that global warming, “is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.”

10. Debate

11. Greenhouse Gases • Over the past 150 years there has been a “significant” increase in greenhouse gases – mainly carbon dioxide or CO2. • Unless halted, this will lead to warmer temperatures of 2 to 4 degrees F around the globe by 2030. • Source: DAG textbook

12. Burn Baby Burn… • Many people (including most scientists) have concluded that the activities of human beings are the significant piece to this equation. • Use of fossil fuels such as oil & coal. • Higher world populations

13. Kyoto Protocol • The Kyoto Protocol is a plan created by the United Nations for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that tries to reduce the effects of climate change, such as global warming. • Although many industrialized countries signed the agreement, the USA under the Bush administration declined to join.

14. Problems • The Treaty did not require Developing Countries like China to sign onto the agreement. • The Bush administration was unsure about the science behind the Treaty. • They felt that the economic costs associated with implementing the Treaty would be harmful to the US economy.

15. Activity • Log on to a computer. • Find a political cartoon that supports the link between human beings and climate change. • Find a political cartoon that is skeptical of the link between human beings and climate change. • Read the Richard Muller report.

16. After today… • Students will comprehend the factors that are impacting climate. • Students will assess human beings role in climate change. • Students will determine what impact climate change will have on human beings.