University of British Columbia Drastic Change in Global Climate Trends PaperSchool

University of British Columbia

Question Description

Climate Change: Do we take action?

Climate Change: Do we take action?

Summary of what we have learned so far:

• Climate change is a drastic change in global climate trends
• The main culprit of climate change is the release of greenhouse gases, such as CO2 (released when we burn carbon-based material, such as trees and fossil fuels) and Methane (methane is a gas made of carbon and hydrogen (CH4), often released when organic/natural material breaks down. Examples include decay of leaves during autumn and the release of gas after eating food)
• Leading causes of climate change are deforestation, transportation, farming, manufacturing and energy use
• Evidence of climate change can be seen in the thinning of ice sheets, increased global temperatures, acidification of the oceans, warming oceans, glacial retreat, less snow cover, sea level rise and extreme weather events (more hurricanes, tsunamis, etc.)

Learning Goals for Today:

• Reminders on the mass extinctions in the past
• Connect the causes of the past mass extinctions to the present day issues we face
• Understand the importance of our oceans for life on Earth, from the tiniest plankton to the largest whales
• Justify whether we should take action to fight climate change

To Do:

• Watch the following videos
• Fill in the table below
• Write a paragraph justifying your opinion

Part 1: Watch the Videos

Video #1: Mass extinctions of the past (review)Time: 1:41

Video #2: The Problem with MethaneTime: 2:54

Video #3: What are plankton and why are they important for life in the oceans and on land?Time: 3:10

Video #4: The Impacts of Climate Change on our OceansTime: 7:05

Part 2: Fill in the table

Once you have finished watching the videos, fill in the table below. This table is a way to organize your thinking and to form arguments for or against taking action to fight climate change. You may wish to do further research to support your ideas with facts and examples.

On one side, we consider the possibility of human-caused climate change is either True or False ; on the other side, we consider the option we are able to control — Do we take action or not?

*You are welcome to fill in this table with a partner/small group. Discussions are a great way to come up with ideas!*

Is anthropogenic climate change true?	Do We Take Action?
Yes	No
False	What would happen (positives/negatives) if we do take action and there IS NO climate change?	What would happen (positives/negatives) if we don’t take action and there IS NO climate change?
True	What would happen (positives/negatives) if we do take action and there IS climate change?	What would happen (positives/negatives) if we don’t take action and there IS climate change?

Part 3: Does the evidence for anthropogenic climate change justify taking action? Write a paragraph explaining your perspective on whether the evidence for human-caused climate change justifies taking action to stop it. Should we act? Why or why not?

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