Category: Climate Change
CC7. What Is the Controversy About?
Chapter 7 { Climate Change Contents } Controversy about climate change has changed dramatically in the past decades. In Chapter 4 we took a careful look at questions about global warming, examining Dr. James Hansen’s statement that the “globe is heating up.” We saw in chapter 4, through International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Reports and the […]
CC6.2. What Are the Human-Caused Sources of Carbon Dioxide?
Investigation { Climate Change Contents } If the average global temperature is rising and a large part of the cause is increasing CO2, we need to be aware of any ways that humans are adding to global CO2 levels. It appears true that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is much higher today than […]
CC6.1. The Findings From Mauna Loa
Investigation { Climate Change Contents } I. Carbon Dioxide in the Northern Hemisphere This investigation is “selected” by the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) As a student assistant, your job is to analyze data from the strip chart recorder and to find the average concentration of carbon dioxide for each month. It takes […]
CC6. How Is The Atmosphere Changing?
Chapter 6 { Climate Change Contents } Let’s examine the actual data collected at the Mauna Loa Observatory (in Hawaii) and figure out what it means. The carbon dioxide data on Mauna Loa constitute the longest record of direct measurements of CO2 in the atmosphere. They were started by C. David Keeling of the Scripps Institution […]
CC5.2. Sampling Carbon Dioxide
{ Climate Change Contents } { All GSS Books } Discuss question 5.4 with your teammates and write down your prediction. Then determine whether or not you were right by first taking gas samples and then testing the samples to determine which has a greater concentration of carbon dioxide. Question 5.4. Which source do you […]
CC5.1. An Interview with Pieter Tans
{ Climate Change Contents } { All GSS Books } This page features an interview with Pieter Tans, senior scientist at the Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Boulder, Colorado. Watch the Greeting from Pieter Tans and listen to any or all of the questions by clicking […]
CC5. How is Carbon Dioxide Measured?
Chapter 5 { Climate Change Contents } For at least the past million years, hot lava has flowed from cracks in the Pacific Ocean bottom and slowly built the Hawaiian islands. The largest is the island of Hawaii, which is primarily composed of two volcanoes: Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. If it is measured from […]
CC4.3. Caption Writers
{ Climate Change Contents } { All GSS Books } A B These four images are related to consequences of climate change. Write a caption for each image to explain how it is related to the prediction that Earth is warming. C D
CC4.2. A Look at the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Project
{ Climate Change Contents } { All GSS Books } Analyze the article below, by Professor Richard Muller of University of California Berkeley, in terms of the question posed on the Worksheet for this Investigation. You may do this one of several ways: print out the worksheet and write on it, or create your own equivalent worksheet […]
CC4.1. How has the debate changed over decades?
{ Climate Change Contents } { All GSS Books } The first point Jim Hansen made to Congress back in 1988 was, “the globe is heating up.” Let’s look closely at the scientific process in action by examining how the debate around this question has changed since then. Has the scientific community come to consensus […]