Transcript Green Efforts

Green Efforts
Preparing to Participate in the
National Teach-In for Global
Warming Solutions
February 4th and 5th, 2009
Kimberly Smith
Robert Reavis
Steve Emrick
Overview
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Climate Change
– The basics
– Recent updates
Incorporating Sustainability into Your
Curriculum
 National Teach-In for Global Warming
Solutions February 4-5
 The Green Efforts Committee
 Resources
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Climate Change Basics
IPCC = Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change. A conservative
scientific body established in 1988 to
study human caused climate change.
 Climate – weather averages, very
predictable, depends on Earth’s orbit,
axis, the sun, and atmospheric gases.
 Greenhouse gases = carbon dioxide,
water vapor, and methane.
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Climate Change Basics
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Greenhouse Effect = greenhouse
gases absorb heat and warm the
atmosphere. They exist naturally or life
would not exist. However, some of
these gases are being concentrated
unnaturally by human activity such as
burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and
certain agricultural practices like
factory farming of animals.
Climate Change Basics
The climate changes slowly and
naturally over millions of years and ice
ages come and go.
 However humans are currently
creating an atmosphere unlike
anything Earth has experienced.
 The accelerated disturbances of
human activity on climate will have
devastating effects.
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Climate Change Basics
Climate Change Basics
Climate Change Basics
Climate Change Basics
Signs of Global Warming
Sea level rising
Sea ice melting (Arctic and Antarctic)
Glaciers melting worldwide
Arctic and Antarctic Peninsula heating up fastest
Melting on ice sheets is accelerating
More severe weather (droughts, floods, storms,
heat waves, hard freezes, etc.)
The Bottom Line:
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These changes do not fit natural patterns unless we add
in human effects of increased Greenhouse gasses
Climate Change Basics
Scientists have no doubt
Climate Change Basics
Climate Change Basics
1941
2004
McCarty Glacier, Alaska
Climate Change Basics
Who cares if Ice Melts?
Areas in
red will be
under
water if all
Greenland
melts.
Climate Change Basics
Additional Consequences
Fastest extinction rate of life on Earth in 65
Million years (1000x normal rate)
Increased disease (e.g. asthma, malaria)
Increased poverty and hunger
Sea level rise, habitat loss
Coral bleaching, ocean acidification
More extreme weather
– Droughts
– Flooding
– Heat-waves
– Storms
Climate Change 101
Presentation
On the Green Efforts web site there is
a PowerPoint explaining the basics of
climate change in easy to understand
language.
 Any GCC faculty can use/modify this
presentation to share with their
students
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Climate Change Updates
Global CO2 emissions are exceeding
the most pessimistic IPCC emissions
scenario.
 Despite the increasing international
sense of urgency, the growth rate of
emissions continued to speed up,
bringing the atmospheric CO2
concentration to 383 parts per million
(ppm) in 2007.
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Climate Change Updates
The growth rate of CO2 was 2.2 ppm
per year in 2007 (up from 1.8 ppm in
2006), and above the 2.0 ppm average
for the period 2000-2007.
 This concentration of 383 ppm is the
highest during the last 650,000 years
and probably during the last 20 million
years.
 Many scientists agree that it is of
critical importance to keep carbon
dioxide levels lower than 450 ppm.

Climate Change Updates
To stabilize at 450 ppm, fossil fuel use
needs to peak by 2020. Even then
global temperatures will increase
2.1oC and sea level will rise 20 inches.
 China has passed the U.S. to become
the largest CO2 emitter, and India will
soon overtake Russia to become the
third largest emitter.
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Incorporating Sustainability
The book PLAN B 3.0: Mobilizing to
Save Civilization by Lester R. Brown,
available for free downloading at
http://www.earthpolicy.org/Books/PB3/
Contents.htm
 Green Efforts recommends this book

Incorporating Sustainability
Have students read a green book or
watch a green DVD and write a report
as an assignment or extra credit.
 Assign team projects on sustainability.
 Have students write their local, state,
and federal politicians regarding green
initiatives, laws, and economics.
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Incorporating Sustainability
You don't need to be a global warming
expert. Just talk for ten minutes about
issues surrounding global warming,
bringing in your own disciplinary
perspective.
 Remind students to recycle on
campus.
 Tell students about the Environmental
Club.
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Incorporating Sustainability
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Psychology – fear and denial of climate
change
Health – asthma and pollution
Communications – media and climate
change
Business – green businesses
English – global warming and science fiction
Environmental studies – oil alternatives
Architecture – LEED buildings
Ag – end of factory farming?
Food science – buying local foods
Math – examining the tipping point
Incorporating Sustainability
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Economics – flood and drought
consequences
Political Science – global warming refugees
Foreign Language – different nations,
different approaches
Engineering – green designs
Debate – has nuclear power’s time come?
Science – ocean acidification, solar power
Business – sea level rise and insurance
Sociology – breaking oil/car addictions
Art – poster contest
More ideas on the Teach-In website
National Teach-In
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In the next few years, we as a nation
must make critical decisions regarding
climate change, pollution and clean
technology investments.
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These decisions will have far-reaching
impacts on the lives of today’s
students.
National Teach-In
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At this moment in time, we owe our
students at least one day of focused
discussion about the worldwide
repercussions of climate change.
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A national teach-in is being organized on
our nation’s response to climate change —
creating a dialogue at over a thousand
colleges, universities, and schools.
Schedule of Events
Wednesday February 4th
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8:00 AM - 2:00 PM Sustainability Fair
– Green vendors
– Student displays and demos
6:00 PM - 6:50 PM GCC Percussion
Ensemble - African Drumming
 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM 'First 100 Days'
Webcast with discussion to follow
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Schedule of Events
Thursday February 5th
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8:00 - 8:35 AM 'First 100 Days' Webcast (repeat)
8:40 - 9:00 AM Science of Global Warming, Mary
Harris, GCC Faculty
9:05 - 11:20 AM Teach In: GCC Faculty & Student
presentations
11:30 AM - 12:20 PM Keynote Speaker: Nancy
Selover, PhD, Arizona State Climatologist
12:30 - 1:30 PM Round Table Discussion & Lunch
5:00 - 6:00 PM Music and Sustainable Snacks
6:00 - 7:00 PM Panel Discussion
Sustainability Day on
Earth Day April 22nd
Dumpster Dive
 Poster Session – students will display
their green class projects
 More TBD
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How Can You Participate
in the Teach-In?
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Attend and encourage your students to
attend the planned events February 4 - 5.
Give extra credit or have students write a
short summary of the presentations they
attend.
Teach a mini-lesson in your own class about
climate change and sustainability. Ideas are
online.
Use the Climate Change 101 presentation
and show to your classes.
What is the Green
Efforts Committee?
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Promotes green activities, processes, and
actions at GCC.
Facilitates campus information on and
efforts toward sustainability, recycling and
awareness of environmental issues.
Meets on the second Friday of each
month 1:30 - 3:00 PM, HT1 Room 124.
Everyone Welcome!
Resources
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Be sure to get the Resources Handout
before you leave
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Thank you for coming and we hope to
see you again.