Transcript Climate Change and Waste Managementx

Climate change
Outcome: ES20-AS2 Analyze current and potential future effects of
global climate change on Earth and humans, including the need for
adaptation and mitigation strategies.
OR
Looking at garbage we create and how to clean it up
Mitigating Technology that we discussed
• Why care about Air Pollution? Ways to reduce it!
https://www3.epa.gov/airquality/peg_caa/concern.html
https://www3.epa.gov/airquality/peg_caa/reduce.html
• Groundwater remediation (cleaning) – using bacteria to clean water!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater_remediation#Bioaugmentation
• New technologies that reduce impact of coal-power plants
http://www.engineerlive.com/content/22603
• Causes and effects of Soil Pollution
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-soilpollution.php
Climate Change Overview
• Bill Nye Explains Climate Change
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v-w8Cyfoq8
• John Oliver on Climate Change
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjuGCJJUGsg
• Climate Change in the Media Assignment: two-three lab days to work
on it!
How does Climate Change affect us? Economically.
e. Explain the economic impact of climate change on agriculture, energy, forestry, transportation, and/or tourism in Saskatchewan. (STSE, K)
f. Examine how policy makers use scientific information, including climate model predictions, to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies to respond to the effects of climate change. (STSE, K,
A)
g. Recognize differences in vulnerability to climate change impacts and rates of change at northern versus equatorial latitudes, specifically recognizing the Arctic as an indicator region, and the
impact on traditional lifestyles. (K, A)
h. Hypothesize how life on Earth might respond to changing global climate given different scenarios change such as sea level rise, extreme weather events, water shortages, increased spread of
disease, and flooding. (STSE, K)
• Agriculture – the higher temperatures can cause droughts and as a result make it
harder for plants/crops to grow.
• Energy industry – change in climate could affect solar energy (less sunlight, more
humidity/clouds), more wind power due to stronger weather conditions. If serious
about climate change – we may see a transition to more renewable energy sources.
• Forestry industry – CO2 won’t affect trees directly because they “breathe” it in. More CO2 =
hotter, drier conditions  Forest fires.
Deforestation can also reduce plant CO2 usage.
• Transportation industry – burning of fossil fuels causes climate change – to prevent
climate change, we may see more electric vehicles.
• Tourism industry – people go on vacations to warmer places – Mexico for example may
become too hot. In SK, if lakes dry up we lose a significant part of our tourism $
(boating/fishing).
• Where people live…
Politics of Climate Change
• Canada’s current stance on climate change
• Bill Gates and other rich meeting to combat climate change
Indicators/Evidence of Climate Change
• List of some physical or biological indicators of climate change.
 Ice caps are melting and shrinking – they are smaller than they’ve ever been in recent
history.
 Air Quality Health Index rising – we are seeing a greater concentration of pollutants in
the air – this includes CO2. CO2 levels are the highest they’ve been in recent history.
 Caterpillar egg hatch time and migratory patterns of animals are changing. Hatch time
may not affect caterpillars, but it could affect what depends on them for food.
 Polar bear population decline – due to habitat change.
 Fresh water body sizes declining (more water evaporating) as well as flooding in other
environments (the water from one area had to go somewhere)
Importance – It is important so that we’re aware that there are effects that are happening
right now and that there may still be future effects down the road. This may allow us to
make changes to combat climate change.
Climate Model Techniques
• Dendrology – study of trees and tree rings! The thicker the tree rings were
the more “favourable” the environment was to tree growth. So higher
levels of CO2 may mean greater tree ring size in that year.
Satellite imagery – taking pictures of our atmosphere then (1980s) and
now (2016) and comparing them (weather, temperatures, gas
concentrations, etc).
• Ice core samples – dig down into glaciers, ice caps and the ice traps air
from different parts of history and we can measure how much gas was in
these air bubbles and compare it to now!
• Other?
How do we stop climate change? Tips
• What are some ideas to reduce our effect on the environment?
How will the earth respond? What will
happen if?
Back up your claims with data:
• Sea level rises?
• Extreme weather events?
• Water shortages (California or Flint, MI)
• Increased spread of disease
• Flooding
Review Questions
• What is climate change and increasing global temperatures? Why
might there still be a lot of snow or really cold temperatures? What
are two indicators that tell us that the earth is warming and/or
climates are changing? (5)
• How can climate change affect ecosystems, specifically in
Saskatchewan – answer it addressing the following questions: How
can it affect agriculture? Energy usage and production? Forestry
industry (think of recent events up north)? Transportation? Tourism?
(5)
Review Questions
• What are some ways that the effects of climate change are being
mitigated/reduced or what are two suggestions that people can do
(2)? What do you think is the most effective way to do this? What are
potential problems and benefits of this way? (3) (Total – 5)
• Hypothesize how life on Earth might respond to changing global
climate given different scenarios change such as sea level rise,
extreme weather events, water shortages, increased spread of
disease, and flooding. Back it up with evidence to support your
theory.
Making a change
Outcome: ES20-HP1 Investigate resource use and waste generation
associated with human populations as well as methods and
technologies used for mitigation or management.
OR
Looking at garbage we create and how to clean it up
Human growth rates:
Examine current and historical rates of global human population growth. (K)
• Human population is at its highest, but growth rates are on the
decline… and have been “slowing” since the 1960’s! Why?
• World population:
Increasing due to medicine and food security
• World population growth rate:
• Fertility rates/Mortality rates = growth rate
• More education  smaller families (no offence) – Why? More time
spent in post-secondary and working? Knowledge of contraceptives?
Waste Overview
Investigate advances in technologies and processes (e.g., sewage treatment plants, incineration, composting, engineered
landfills, and curbside recycling) used for storing, handling, and disposing of human and/or livestock waste. (K, STSE)
• What are some ways to process waste?
Field Work: Lab – Collecting Garbage around
school
Design and carry out a waste audit, and propose a plan of action for waste reduction and/or diversion based on
the findings. (S, A, K)
• Count number of separate pieces of garbage
_______
• Weight of total amount of garbage
_______
• Pictures of garbage – put on “Global” in “Environmental Science 20”
• Location of garbage (we will have a map)
• What garbage did we find the most of? How does this particular
garbage affect the environment? How is it normally disposed of
(landfill, recycle)? What is our best way to dispose of it?
• What is the cause/source?
• Solution: how do we combat this?
Advocacy – making a change
• Why is this important? Why should people care?
• Facts help!
• Waste disposal information
• Convey information (announcements, posters, social media)