H/EES
Classwork
Atmosphere
Name: _________________________
Global Warming Position Piece
Introduction: Not everyone agrees about global warming and climate change. The debate
around global warming is complex with many variables that need to be
understood. Our goal is to look at some of the variables and look at the
research from both sides of the issue.
EPA overview: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html
The Heat Over Global Warming
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/304/
God and Global Warming
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/343/index.html
Your Task:
Think about the following question: In your opinion, has human activity caused the world's
climate to change over the past 100 years? You need to do the following:
1. Comparing Points of View on Global Warming --Using a variety of resources, fill
out the attached Venn diagram. Be sure to note the sites where you are getting
your information.
2. Forming Opinions about Global Warming--write 2-3 persuasive paragraphs to answer
the following questions:
a. In your opinion, is global warming an imminent world threat? Why or why not?
b. Based on your opinion, what actions do you believe should be taken to address
the global warming issue? Remember to support their opinions with specific
information from the Venn Diagram.
3. Share their opinions – next class you should be prepared to share your opion with
at least two other student in class.
Resources:
Skeptical Science- http://www.skepticalscience.com/


The goal of Skeptical Science is to explain what peer reviewed science has to say
about global warming. When you peruse the many arguments of global warming
skeptics, a pattern emerges. Skeptic arguments tend to focus on narrow pieces of
the puzzle while neglecting the broader picture. For example, focus on Climategate
emails neglects the full weight of scientific evidence for human-made global
warming. Concentrating on a few growing glaciers ignores the world-wide trend of
accelerating glacier shrinkage. Claims of global cooling fail to realize the planet as a
whole is still accumulating heat. This website presents the broader picture by
explaining the peer reviewed scientific literature.
Often the reason for disbelieving in man-mad global warming seem to be political
rather than scientific. Eg- “it’s all a liberal plot to spread socialism and destroy
capitalism”. As one person put it, “the cheerleaders for doing something about
H/EES
Classwork

Atmosphere
Name: _________________________
global warming seem to be largely the cheerleaders for many causes of which I
disapprove”. However, what is causing global warming is purely scientific question.
Skeptical Science removes the politics from the debate by concentrating soley on the
science.
Go to the arguments tab on the top of the page and look at at least one argument
that you’ve heard about global warming. Remember you are looking for evidence on
both sides of the argument.
ICECAP- www.icecap.us

ICECAP, International Climate and Environmental Change Assessment Project, is the
portal to all things climate for elected officials and staffers, journalists, scientists,
educators, and the public. It provides access to a new and growing global society of
respected scientists and journalists that are not deniers that our climate is dynamic
(the only constant in nature is change) and that man plays a role in climate change
through urbanization, land use changes and the introduction of greenhouse gases
and aerosols, but who also believe that natural cycles such as those in the sun and
oceans are also important contributors to the global changes in our climate and
weather. We worry the sole focus on greenhouse gases and the unwise reliance on
imperfect climate models while ignoring real data may leave civilization unprepared
for a sudden climate shift that history tells us will occur again, very possibly soon.
Global Warming Debate- http://www.warmdebate.com/

Global Warming Debate was created in February 2010. The stated purpose of this
site is to help the public learn about all aspects of global warming, environmental
issues, and political trends pertaining to global warming.
Climate Debate Daily- http://climatedebatedaily.com/

Climate Debate Daily is intended to deepen our understanding of disputes over
climate change and the human contribution to it. The site links to scientific articles,
news stories, economic studies, historical articles, PR releases editorials, feature
commentaries and blog entries. The main column on the left includes arguments
and evidence generally in support of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change) position on the reality of significant anthropogenic global warming. The
right-hand column includes material skeptical of the IPCC position and the notion
that anthropogenic global warming represents a genuine threat to humanity.
NOTE: In addition to the sources listed above, you may use search engines to locate reliable
primary sources of information that can be used for your research. Be sure to note the
name of the website and the web address when recording information from these
websites.