Global Warming and Climate change

Why should we be concerned about Global Warming? Many people consider that Global Warming is the greatest environmental threat of the 21st Century. However, during the 80s and early 90s scientists argued about the causes and effects of global warming. In the late 1990s scientists reached a consensus that global warming was a cause for concern. So, why should you be concerned about global warming?

Explanation of the causes of global warming Video; What is global warming

How has the temperature of earth changed over time? The Hockey stick model

What effects could have it? Melting of the ice caps Eighteen thousand years ago, around the peak of the last ice age, the temperature was only seven degrees colder than it is today, and glaciers (large blocks of ice) covered almost all of North America! Crop planting areas may change dramatically Could affect the fragile balance and critically endanger many living things; the ocean's ecosystems could also be affected, creating many risks to the animal population.

Explanation of the effects of global warming

What do you think you could do to help the environment? Write down a list of day to day things which you do and that society does that may harm the environment and what you could do instead. How many recycle waste? Do you turn off electricity when not in use? Use the bus, bike or walk rather than drive Buy products with less packaging Plant more Use non-renewable energy sources i.e solar power, hydroelectricity Reduce the burning of fossil fuels

Solutions to the problem…

An Alternative View; Against Global warming It has been argued that the change in temperature on earth is just a natural cycle i.e. the hole in the ozone layer was blamed on man made activity, so how has the hole disappeared? Some people have argued that the government is trying to save money on fossil fuels and ensure they last longer – perhaps global warming is a convenient excuse

Interesting fact The sun is the source of energy for the earth's climate system. Although the sun's energy output appears constant from an everyday point of view, small changes over an extended period of time can lead to climate changes. Some scientists suspect that a portion of the warming in the first half of the 20th century was due to an increase in the output of solar energy. 10 global warming myths/

Global Warming; Truth or Hoax? What do you think? For Global warming; The believers Against Global Warming; The non-believers An inconvenient lie

Conclusion Have these video’s changed your opinion in any way? What do you think about global warming and climate change? In groups draw a poster spider diagram or create a PowerPoint advertising your belief in global warming or your belief against global warming. Use the internet to help you decide on whether there is more evidence for global warming or not. Your ideas will then be presented to the rest of the class.

Whatever you decide, living in a population free of pollution is always going to be beneficial, the population on earth is getting bigger and bigger so we need to think about ways of allowing life to continue in a healthy environment!