What if oil was discovered in Antarctica? This term we are learning how people’s management of oil in Antarctica might impact on environmental and social sustainability.

This week we are learning how the concepts of climate change, peak oil and Antarctica are all connected Our goal is to explain our understanding of these connections with one of – Toondoon ( – A popplet (popplet.com/) – Spiceynode (

How are climate change, peak oil and Antarctica all connected? Task 1: Treasure hunt warm up (slide 4) Task 2: On a google map (or a blank map of the world if you don’t have a netbook), use the PowerPoint on slide 5 to: – Mark the place that will be affected by global warming (climate change) – Briefly write how each place will be affected. Task 3: Watch the first 35 minutes of “An Inconvenient Truth” and complete the causes and consequences chart from slide 6 in your books.

A long term consequence of climate change Climate changeEnvironmental sustainabilityEnvironmental exploitation CarbonA consequence of fuel becoming scarceSocial sustainabilityA solution to peak oil Peak oilA solution to climate changeGreen house gasesA cause of climate change ClimateA medium term consequence of climate change Non-renewable resourcesThe difference between weather and climate Find someone who can explain what these are:

The Maldives These islands only lie barely two metres above sea level. Life for over 300,000 people is threatened even with a small rise in sea level. Egypt If sea levels rose by a metre, 15% of Egypt’s farmland would disappear. London The Thames Flood Barrier protects London from floods. But sea level rises could push more water up the river Thames, putting landmarks like Tower Bridge or the Houses of Parliament at risk. Senegal Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, lies on the coast. Today, 2 million people live here, and most of Senegal’s factories are based here too. Rising sea levels could eat away the land, threatening life in the city. Bangladesh Bangladesh’s coast is very low-lying. Even a small rise in sea level could be disastrous for Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries in the world. A metre rise in sea level would destroy half the country’s rice fields, and force millions of people to move elsewhere. China In the world’s most populated country, a rise in sea levels of one metre could ruin the lives of 70 million people, and put a third of the city, Shanghai underwater. New York New York City is home to nearly 20 million people and a large amount of global business takes place here. But the city’s shoreline will change if sea levels rise. Tuvalu This tiny country in the South Pacific may be the first to go under if sea levels rise. Already, the 11,000 people that live there are hoping to evacuate to New Zealand.

Global warming refers to a slight but noticeable increase in temperature at the planetary scale. Causes of climate change and global warming Long term consequences Short term consequences