and our Environment Climate Change Possible script Today we are going to learn more about Climate Change which is a big environmental problem. [Ask the children if they have heard of climate change.]

Changing Weather Some countries are getting hotter Possible script Climate change is making our weather change. Some places are getting hotter and drier.

Changing Weather Some countries are getting more rain Some places are getting more rain which is causing floods. Do you remember hearing about the recent floods in Britain? Scientists think that climate change caused these floods.

Changing Weather Some countries are getting more wind Scientists also think that climate change is causing strong winds. Strong winds can be very dangerous - trees blow over and houses are damaged.

People won’t have enough to drink When the weather gets hotter and it rains less people in some countries will not have enough water to drink or to water their crops.

Animals will suffer Polar Bear Hedgehog Bumble Bee Possible script Lots of animals will fid it hard to live with the changing weather. Polar bears could be extinct in 100 years. They live at the north pole where there is lots of snow and ice. As the weather warm up the ice melts and the polar bears will struggle to survive. Hedgehogs go to sleep (‘hibernate’) in the winter. Winter weather is getting warmer because of climate change they are waking up in the middle of winter and having their babies early. But the weather isn’t warm enough for the baby hedgehogs to survive and they die. Bumble bees also sleep through the winter, but are waking up earlier and earlier each year as the weather gets warmer. These bumble bees then die in cold-snaps later on in the winter. Polar Bear Hedgehog

People will get poorly Possible script Climate Change will cause more people to get poorly. This boy lives in Africa and he has a disease called malaria, it is a dangerous disease which lots of people die from. Mosquitoes (small flies) spread this disease. As the weather gets warmer these mosquitoes will be able to live in different countries. People that live in and go on holiday to Spain and Italy might get malaria in the future. In Britain, as the weather gets hotter and more sunny, more people will get diseases like skin cancer and heat stroke.

Pollution causes climate change Climate change is caused by… …pollution from factories and power stations.

Pollution causes climate change …pollution from rubbish dumps.

Pollution causes climate change ….pollution from cars and aeroplanes.

What can we do? Possible script Additional Information Electricity In Britain most of the electricity is generated in coal or gas-fired power stations, which release carbon dioxide. By using more electricity we create a higher demand for it meaning that the power stations must work harder to produce that extra electricity. Switching off lights and turning off unused electrical equipment is an easy way to make sure we don’t waste electricity. Energy efficient light bulbs use less electricity and last longer - if each house installed three energy saving bulbs, it would save enough energy to run the country's street lights for a year.

What can we do? Possible script We need to buy food that has been grown in Britain, grown organically and isn’t packaged in lots of wrappers. Additional information Food Miles Some of the food that we eat cannot be grown here in Britain so we have to import them from other countries, e.g. bananas, pineapples, oranges and grapefruit. However, a lot of foods that can be grown here are still imported from other countries. Apples are imported from Chile, lamb from New Zealand and beans from Kenya. All of these foods can be produced in Britain, yet we choose to buy from other countries. The problem is that as we transport these foods in aeroplanes, boats and lorries which pollute our atmosphere. Organic Food Food grown organically has not been treated with chemical fertilisers or pesticides. Fertilisers and pesticides cause climate change because they release carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Fertilisers and pesticides are very energy intensive to manufacture: the factories release carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. In addition, once the fertilisers are added to the soil, more nitrous oxide is released. Furthermore farmers then have to add lime to the soil to neutralise the acidifying effect of the fertiliser; the manufacture of lime is very energy intensive, releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide.

What can we do? Waste Most of the rubbish we thrown away in the UK ends up in landfill sites, which release methane gas as the rubbish rots. By reducing, reusing and recycling our waste less of it ends up in landfill sites.

What can we do? Transport Cars release nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Car sharing or travelling by bus is better as more people are travelling in the same vehicle. A much more environmentally friendly option is to travel by bike or on foot.