1. Human Impacts and Responses
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.

2. Do Now Human Impacts of Climate Change around the globe
Do you think some populations of people more vulnerable than others?
What types of climate effects are most likely to hit our region?
What are some solutions to reduce CO2 emissions?
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.

3. ©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved. www.educurious.org
Who is most affected?
Under-resourced areas and high poverty populations
Areas that will experience more severe changes, like coast lines and islands
A National Academies of Science report focusing on responding to climate change addresses the inequity inherent in climate change impacts in that those who are most impacted will have the most difficulty adapting:
Climate change will affect ecosystems and human systems—such as agricultural, transportation, and health infrastructure—in ways we are only beginning to understand… In general, the larger and faster the changes in climate are, the more difficult it will be for human and natural systems to adapt. Unfortunately, the regions that will be most severely affected are often the regions that are the least able to adapt. (National Academies of Science [NAS], 2008, p ).
This disparity in responsibility for and adaptability to a changing climate make it ultimately a social justice issue, with implications far outside the scientific community (e.g. Thomas & Twyman, 2005). This is a concern of international efforts that recognize the “common but differentiated responsibilities” of developed and industrialized countries in the creation and implementation of global policy to reduce carbon emissions ("Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework," 1998).
Health, extreme weather, drought (resources), flooding, extreme heat, agriculture, tourism and the economy
Climate refugees
HOWEVER this holds true even in the US
High poverty populations, even in prosperous areas
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.

4. Human Health Impacts
Go to
Read about the 3 topics below, and fill in your evidence organizer.
Temperature Related Illnesses
Air Pollution
Spreading Diseases
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.

5. Food Security/Agriculture
Important for all crops, but especially for wheat, rice, soybeans, and corn
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.

6. Impacts of Climate Change on Food Security
Increasing temperature over the next 50 years will cause decreases in yield (amount harvested):
Decrease in grain ripening
Decrease in spikelet fertility (not as many seeds formed)
Increased water stress & respiration
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.

7. Energy Uses: Transportation, Heating, Electricity, Industry
What is produced as a byproduct of this energy? (next slide)
Go to:
What’s at Stake? Remember, Washington state gets 80% of its energy from hydroelectric dams
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.

8. Where does energy come from and what does it produce?

9. Energy In your Evidence Organizer, record
Go to:
In your Evidence Organizer, record
What is energy being used for
What’s at Stake
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.

10. Do NOW
What are some effects of climate change that will have an impact on your life?
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.

11. ©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved. www.educurious.org

12. ©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved. www.educurious.org
Carbon Footprint
The best estimate of the total climate change impacts of something
Direct emissions:
Emissions from burning of fossil fuels
Driving a car
Indirect emissions:
Everything else
Mining materials
Manufacturing
Transport to retailers
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.

13. Some Carbon Footprint Rankings
Moderate cell phone use (per year) – 47 kg CO2e
10 pounds of trash – 3.1 kg CO2e
Beef cheeseburger – 2.5 kg CO2e
Pint of beer – 500g CO2e
Bottle of water – 200g CO2e
Cycling a mile – 100g CO2e
Banana – 80g CO2e
Walking through a door – 10g CO2e
A web search – 2g CO2e
Forest fire – 100 million tons CO2e*
Having a child – 700 tons CO2e
2.5 acres deforestation – 500 tons CO2e
New car – 17 tons CO2e
Airplane flight (LA to Spain) – 4.6 tons CO2e
New computer – 720 kg CO2e
Road trip (SF to LA) – 500 Kg CO2e
Light on for a year – 400 kg CO2e
$100 of groceries – 62 kg CO2e
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.
*CO2e, or carbon dioxide equivalent, is a way of expressing all of the different greenhouse gases as a single number

14. ©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved. www.educurious.org
Historical Emissions
Billions of Tons Carbon Emitted per Year 16
Historical
emissions 8
We have consistent historical data for carbon emissions for the last 50 years.
1950
2000
2050
2100
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved. 14

15. Stabilization Triangle
The Stabilization Triangle
Billions of Tons Carbon Emitted per Year 16
Current path = “ramp”
Stabilization Triangle
Interim Goal
Historical
emissions 8
Flat path
If business continues as usual we can project the same path for the next 50 years. Our interim goal is stabilize our rate of emissions so they don’t increase every year. This results in a triangle shape representing all the cumulative carbon that is added above a flat path. A flat path assumes no increase in rate, carbon would still be added. Eventually the goal would be decrease emissions.
1.6
1950
2000
2050
2100
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved. 15

16. Stabilization Triangle
The Stabilization Triangle
Billions of Tons Carbon Emitted per Year
Easier CO2 target 16
Current path = “ramp”
~850 ppm
Stabilization Triangle
Interim Goal
Historical
emissions 8
Flat path
Tougher CO2 target
~500 ppm
The scenarios would result in levels between 500 and 850 parts per million of carbon dioxide.
1.6
1950
2000
2050
2100
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved. 16

17. ©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved. www.educurious.org
Stabilization Wedges
Billions of Tons Carbon Emitted per Year 16
Current path = “ramp”
16 GtC/y
Eight “wedges”
Goal: In 50 years, same
global emissions as today
Historical
emissions 8
Flat path
The triangle is divided into 8 wedges, reflecting different actions to reduce emissions.
1.6
1950
2000
2050
2100
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved. 17

18. Wedge Game
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.

19. ©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved. www.educurious.org
What is a Wedge?
A “wedge” is a strategy to reduce carbon emissions that grows from 0 to 1.0 GtC/yr. in 50 years. The strategy has already been used successfully somewhere in the world.
1 GtC/yr
Total = 25 Gigatons carbon
The area of the wedge reflects all the carbon dioxide that is not emitted over the 50 time frame, building up to a savings of 1 gigaton per year.
50 years
Cumulatively, a wedge redirects the flow of 25 GtC in its first 50 years. This means $2.5 trillion dollars at $100/tC.
A “solution” to the CO2 problem should provide at least one wedge.
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.

20. Fossil Fuel-Based Strategies Renewables & Biostorage
There are 15 Wedge Strategies in 4 Categories
Energy Efficiency
& Conservation
Fossil Fuel-Based Strategies
Stabilization
Stabilization
Triangle
Triangle
Renewables & Biostorage
2010
2060
Nuclear Power
©2013 Educurious Partners. All rights reserved.