Friday, November 1st
Class Discussion Question
Do you believe that human beings
are significantly contributing to
climate change? Why or why not?
After today…
Students will comprehend the factors that
are impacting climate.
Students will assess human beings role in
climate change.
Students will determine what impact
climate change will have on human
beings.
What is the…
Climate Change
OR
Global Warming?
Many people use these terms
interchangeably but there are some
differences.
'Climate change’ refers to the changes
in the global climate which result from
the increasing average global
temperature.
Terminology matters according to polls.
An Inconvenient Truth
 Former Vice President Al Gore
believes that climate change is
responsible for extreme
weather conditions like flooding
and drought that have
displaced millions of people this
year.
 He believes that human beings
are the primary force behind
climate change because of our
excessive burning of fossil
fuels.
Climate
The prevailing or average
weather conditions of a
place as determined by
the temperature and
meteorological changes
over a period of years.
How is this different from
weather?
Climatic Controls
Solar Energy
Latitude not Longitude
Interaction between Land & Water
Global Pressure Systems
Global Wind Patterns
Global Warming
The greatest hoax ever…
 A minority of scientists and some
politicians feel that global
warming and / or human’s impact
on the rise in global
temperatures is exaggerated at
best or entirely made up at
worst.
 James Inhofe (R) US Senator
from Oklahoma has said that
global warming, “is the greatest
hoax ever perpetrated on the
American people.”
Debate
Greenhouse Gases
Over the past 150 years
there has been a
“significant” increase in
greenhouse gases –
mainly carbon dioxide or
CO2.
Unless halted, this will lead
to warmer temperatures of
2 to 4 degrees F around
the globe by 2030.

Source: DAG textbook
Burn Baby Burn…
Many people (including
most scientists) have
concluded that the
activities of human beings
are the significant piece to
this equation.
Use of fossil fuels such as
oil & coal.
Higher world populations
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a plan created by
the United Nations for the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate
Change that tries to reduce the effects of
climate change, such as global warming.
Although many industrialized countries
signed the agreement, the USA under the
Bush administration declined to join.
Problems
The Treaty did not require Developing
Countries like China to sign onto the
agreement.
The Bush administration was unsure about
the science behind the Treaty.
They felt that the economic costs
associated with implementing the Treaty
would be harmful to the US economy.
Activity
Log on to a computer.
Find a political cartoon that supports the
link between human beings and climate
change.
Find a political cartoon that is skeptical of
the link between human beings and
climate change.
Read the Richard Muller report.
After today…
Students will comprehend the factors that
are impacting climate.
Students will assess human beings role in
climate change.
Students will determine what impact
climate change will have on human
beings.