Transcript Talking points: Examples of news headlines relating to climate

Talking points – headlines
Teacher’s notes
In this activity, students are presented with a series of news headlines
relating to climate change. Each headline is accompanied by some
information explaining the issue.
Ask students to discuss the information on each slide in groups and,
where possible, to decide what action could be taken to deal with the
problems or concerns raised. One student from each group could then
report back to the class.
You may wish to print this presentation so you can hand out the
information slides to your students, for group discussion.
Use this activity as an opportunity to explain the link between energy
use and climate change.
Carbon Footprint Toolkit
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Talking points – headlines
Carbon Footprint Toolkit
www.bp.com/bpes/cft2009
Talking points - headlines
• Read the information on the slides and discuss it with your group
• Decide how you would deal with the problems raised or what you think
about the things that are reported
• Nominate a member of your group to tell the rest of the class
Carbon Footprint Toolkit
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New protection for Scottish bogs
Apart from providing havens for wildlife, the bogs also
help slow down global warming by trapping carbon
from the atmosphere.
Across the UK, the amount of lowland peat land has
decreased from 95,000 hectares to 6,000 hectares
since the start of the 19th century.
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Rising sea temperatures kill coral reefs
Rising sea temperatures kill the algae that the coral
polyps live on.
Research indicates that parts of the Indian Ocean
could see all the coral die within 20 years.
A recent study in Australia predicted that most of
its Great Barrier Reef could be devoid of live coral
by 2050.
Carbon Footprint Toolkit
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Increase in emission of greenhouse gases
in Wales
Carbon emissions have risen in Wales since 1990 by
0.2% – England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have
all seen a decrease.
Blame has been put on Wales’ booming economy
and its rural nature, which means people rely greatly
on private transport.
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Three Gorges Dam progresses
When its 26 turbines become operational in 2009,
the dam will have a capacity of more than 18,000
megawatts and will reduce China’s oil dependency
(China is the 2nd largest oil user in the world).
Over a million people have been moved from their
homes to make way for the dam and more than
1,200 towns and villages will disappear under its rising
waters.
The water behind the dam is already heavily polluted.
China says the whole project will cost about $25bn
(£13bn), but the environmentalists estimate the cost
will be several times higher.
Carbon Footprint Toolkit
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Pipeline spill
A corroded transit pipeline in the Prudhoe Bay oilfield,
Alaska, leaked 267,000 gallons (one million litres) of
crude oil over the ice; this was discovered on 2nd
March 2006.
The spill covered about two acres of the snow-covered
tundra.
Many see drilling in Alaska as an alternative source of
energy to the Middle East that improves international
security.
Oil spills harm this pristine wilderness and endanger
a key habitat for migratory birds, polar bears, caribou
and other animals.
Carbon Footprint Toolkit
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Two decades left for tropical ice field
There are only four tropical ice fields left outside the Andes.
Glaciers in the Rwenzori Mountains in East Africa are
often referred to as the ‘Mountains of the Moon’ and are
on the border between the democratic Republic of Conga
and Uganda.
An analysis of the data from field surveys and images
from satellites shows the combined area of the Rwenzori
glaciers has halved from around 2 sq km to just under
1 sq km since 1987.
The cause of the decline seems to be an air temperature rise
of roughly half a degree Celsius per decade since
the 1960s without any real change in annual rainfall.
Carbon Footprint Toolkit
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Climate change a ‘deadly threat’
The charity Christian Aid has
warned that 182 million people
in Africa alone could die as a
result of climate change before
the end of the century.
The effects of global warming,
such as increased floods and
droughts and the growth of
areas infested by malariacarrying mosquitoes could
cause a huge rise in deaths.
Carbon Footprint Toolkit
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Oil tanker ran aground in Alaska
An oil tanker ran aground at a port in south-west
Alaska on 2nd February 2006.
It was carrying more than 100,000 barrels of different
oil products; the Coast Guard said some oil leaked into
the sea.
An oil spill from the Exxon Valdez in Alaska in 1989
devastated wildlife and took four years to clean up.
A spokesman for the Tesco refinery, which had
chartered the vessel, said the Seabulk Pride broke
free after being hit by an ice floe.
Carbon Footprint Toolkit
www.bp.com/bpes/cft2009
Carbon Footprint Toolkit
www.bp.com/bpes/cft2009