Transcript Exploring the International Polar Year with NOAA

LIVE INTERACTIVE LEARNING @ YOUR DESKTOP
IPY/NSTA Web Seminar:
Polar Climates, How Are They Changing?
Allan Miller
National
Science
Foundation
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time
Heard a little about climate
change lately?
Temp and CO2 Have A Strong Relationship
Bob Raynolds, Denver Museum
How well do you think scientists can
model climate on a global scale?
A – there are too many drivers / variables at this
point to create any useable models
B – it can be modeled on a limited scale, but not with
any accuracy on a global scale
C – basic trends can be modeled accurately, but the
future is very speculative
D – basic trends, including the future, can be
modeled accurately
E – models are completely accurate in past modeling
and can predict specific future occurrences
and timelines.
But what about that “complex
climate system”?
 It is a myth that global climate is too
complex to be predictable
 Climate inputs:
– Incoming solar energy
– Aerosols, snow and other reflectors
– Greenhouse gases
 If these are known, scientists can reproduce
temperatures quite well
Time/ABC/Stanford poll (March, 2006):
 About 85% of Americans say global
warming is happening…right
 But 65% think scientists disagree
about global warming…wrong
 And 81% oppose higher taxes on electricity,
68% oppose higher gasoline taxes
 Perception and reality… the first step is
admitting you have a problem… living on a
fault line…
?Abrupt Climate Change?
Open a web tour with Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institute animations on
thermohaline circulation
http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=12455&tid=282&cid=9986
Intergenerational
ethics
Keep in mind that the
increase is exponential…
…half of all atmospheric
CO2 was put there since
about 1975…
The baby boom generation
will burn nearly all of the
oil and natural gas, but
pay little of the
environmental costs
IPCC SPM 2007
IPY
It’s not just a year
(or two),
it’s a responsibility…
Blog links to classrooms and the public
Open PolarTREC Website in browser
www.polartrec.com
Place a stamp in any IPY topic for which there are
clear connections in your curriculum / standards
Earth
Land
Atmosphere
Ice
People
IPY Topics Cover All
Science Content Standards
 Science as Inquiry- Interpret data from an ice core
 Physical Science- Analyze changes in surface
temperatures over time
 Life Science- Examine interdependence of polar
organisms
 Earth and Space- Measure and graph ice sheet
dynamics using satellite images
 Science and Technology- Explain how advances in
technology have aided study of polar regions
 Science in Personal and Social PerspectivesCompare the risks and benefits of polar exploration
 History and Nature of Science- Examine the changes
in polar regions since the first IPY
What is the ratio of an igloo’s
circumference to its diameter?
http://passporttoknowledge.com
International IPY website www.ipy.org
International IPY website www.ipy.org
U.S. and NSF IPY website www.ipy.gov
Contact your own researcher
Browse the NSF website awards
database to find a researcher whose
interests match a particular curriculum
you would like to enhance
www.nsf.gov
Last option: come to DC and immerse
yourself in science and public policy
1 full year in DC working with NSF, NASA,
NOAA, DOE or on Capitol Hill
http://www.trianglecoalition.org/ein.htm
http://www.elluminate.com
http://learningcenter.nsta.org
National Science Teachers Association
Gerry Wheeler, Executive Director
Frank Owens, Associate Executive Director
Conferences and Programs
Al Byers, Assistant Executive Director e-Learning
NSTA Web Seminars
Flavio Mendez, Program Manager
Jeff Layman, Technical Coordinator
Susan Hurstcalderone, Volunteer Chat Moderator
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