Teacher Earth Science Education Programme PARTNERS PRINCIPAL PLATINUM GOLD
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Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Teacher Earth Science Education ProgrammePARTNERS
PRINCIPAL
PLATINUM
GOLD
Presenter
Presentation Notes
This slide must be displayed before talk commences
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Teacher Earth Science Education ProgrammePARTNERS
BRONZE
Anglo Coal
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
CS Energy
Department of Sustainability and Environment, Vic
Essential Petroleum
Flinders University
Gordon Wakelin King
Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee
Hot Dry Rocks
Macquarie University
Sandy Menpes
Monash Energy
Museum Victoria
Our Water Our Future, Vic
Petroleum Geo-Services
Primary Industries and Resources SA
Stanwell Corporation
Velseis
ZeroGen
SILVER• The Australian National University
• Department of Primary Industries, Vic
• Pitney Bowes Business Insight
• PowerWorks
• Queensland Resources Council
• Rob Kirk Consultants
• The University of Sydney
• University of Tasmania
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Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
RIDING THE CLIMATE ROLLER COASTERMODERN CLIMATE CHANGE
Greg McNamaraTESEP
Executive Officer
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THIS SLIDE INTRODUCES PART II AND MUST BE SHOWN BEFORE TALK COMMENCES
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
The Roller Coaster Part 2The Modern Record of Climate and Climate Change
• Revisit– Climate, Weather
• Define – Carbon cycle, water cycle– Global warming– Greenhouse gases
• Examine– Recent climate change records– Sources of information and data– Drivers of climate change
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THIS SLIDE SETS THE SCENE
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Image: NOAA Courtesy of Windows to the Universehttp://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/climate/cli_define.html&edu=high
ClimateWhat do we mean by climate?• Weather averaged over time
– 30 years usual but...• Time is an important factor
– Generational» Granddad's day
– Historical» The dark ages
– Geological» The dinosaurs
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Presentation Notes
THIS IS JUST TO RECAP Climate is often defined as the weather averaged over a long period of time. The usual averaging period is 30 years. Climate also refers to daily to yearly variations and seasonal fluctuations. Climate Zone names such as tropical, temperate or polar are used as adjectives to describe climates and zonal climates through time but are essentially proxies for temperature and rainfall. http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/climate/cli_define.html&edu=high
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
WeatherWhat is weather?• Natural processes and events
– In the atmosphere– Over a short period of time
• Hours• Days• Week
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MORE RECAP Weather is taken to mean all the processes and events in the atmosphere at a given time. With respect to climate 'weather' is the relatively instantaneous culmination of current processes and events [time intervals from weeks to hours] The atmosphere is zoned. Almost all familiar weather phenomena occur in the troposphere. Weather does occur in the stratosphere and can affect weather lower down in the troposphere, but the exact mechanisms are poorly understood.
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Carbon cycleWhat is it?• Natural processes that circulate carbon
– In the atmosphere– In the biosphere– In the geosphere
• Short periods• Long periods• Geological periods
Image: NASA - Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Carbon_cycle-cute_diagram.svg
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Presentation Notes
THIS SLIDE INTRODUCES THE CARBON CYCLE – BIG IMAGE IS NEXT SLIDE GOOD place to mention that the 'cycle' is not so regular as this diagram might suggest – some areas sequester carbon for very long periods of time. In fact, if it were not for industrial use, most of the carbon sequestered in the last 500Ma would still be sequestered! This IMAGE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Carbon_cycle-cute_diagram.svg
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Carbon cycle
Ocean clathrates
Image:2nd IPCC report
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I HAVE PUT THIS IMAGE IN IN PREFERENCE TO THE ONE ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE BECAUSE IT SHOWS HYDROCARBON STORAGE. I HAVE ADDED IN THE LOCATION/S OF CLATHRATES. Good place to briefly mention the key elements of the 'cycle'. Methane clathrate, also called methane hydrate or methane ice, is a solid form of water that contains a large amount of methane within its crystal structure (a clathrate hydrate). Originally thought to occur only in the outer regions of the Solar System where temperatures are low and water ice is common, significant deposits of methane clathrate have been found under sediments on the ocean floors of Earth. Methane clathrates are common constituents of the shallow marine geosphere, and they occur both in deep sedimentary structures, and as outcrops on the ocean floor. Methane hydrates are believed to form by migration of gas from depth along geological faults, followed by precipitation, or crystallization, on contact of the rising gas stream with cold sea water. Methane clathrates are also present in deep Antarctic ice cores, and store a record of atmospheric methane concentrations, dating to 800,000 years ago.[2] The ice-core methane clathrate record is a primary source of data for global warming research, along with oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Water cycleWhat is it?• Natural processes that circulate water
– In the atmosphere– In the biosphere– In the geosphere
• Short periods• Long periods• Geological periods
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Art http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Water_Molecule_Formula_png
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THIS SLIDE INTRODUCES THE WATER CYCLE Neat graphic of water molecule from: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Water_Molecule_Formula_png
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Water cycle
Image: USGS
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GOOD SLIDE TO BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT THE WATER CYCLE – MOST PEOPLE FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH IT NOT TO DWELL TOO MUCH. MIGHT be worth mentioning that it is possible to withdraw water from the ground water systems faster than they can be recharged! IMAGE: USGS websites
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Greenhouse?What is it?• Natural processes that warm the surface of the Earth
– Solar radiation• Warms surface materials
– Re radiated to atmosphere & space as infra-red• Some absorbed by greenhouse gases
– Re emitted – FURTHER warming atmosphere and land
KEEPS EARTH SURFACE WARM-18 vs +14
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THIS SLIDE INTRODUCES THE GREENHOUSE CONCEPT.
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Greenhouse?• Gases control energy
flux– Relatively stable over
short geological periods– Feedback mechanisms
over longer periods can change gas ratios and hence energy flux
– Artificial changes to the ratios will also change the flux
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Art http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Atmospheric_Transmission_png
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THIS IMAGE SHOWS HOW ATMOSPHERIC GASES TRANSMIT AND ABSORB VARIOUS WAVELENGTHS. IT shows the absorption bands in the Earth's atmosphere (middle panel) and the effect that this has on both solar radiation and upgoing thermal radiation (top panel). Individual absorption spectrum for major greenhouse gases plus Rayleigh scattering are shown in the lower panel. It can be used to show that the amount of energy absorbed in various wavelengths is dependant upon the gas type and concentration.. IMAGE: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Atmospheric_Transmission_png Also SEE: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Wikipedia:Greenhouse_effect
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Image: Global Warming websitehttp://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/index.html
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GOOD DIAGRAM TO SHOW THE PROCESS. The Earth receives energy from the Sun in the form of radiation. Most of the energy is in visible wavelengths and in infrared wavelengths that are near the visible range (often called "near infrared"). The Earth reflects about 30% of the incoming solar radiation. The remaining 70% is absorbed, warming the land, atmosphere and oceans. For the Earth's temperature to be in steady state so that the Earth does not rapidly heat or cool, this absorbed solar radiation must be very closely balanced by energy radiated back to space in the infrared wavelengths. Since the intensity of infrared radiation increases with increasing temperature, one can think of the Earth's temperature as being determined by the infrared flux needed to balance the absorbed solar flux. The visible solar radiation mostly heats the surface, not the atmosphere, whereas most of the infrared radiation escaping to space is emitted from the upper atmosphere, not the surface. The infrared photons emitted by the surface are mostly absorbed in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases and clouds and do not escape directly to space. IMAGE: http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/what-is-the-greenhouse-effect.html
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Greenhouse gasesNatural components of the atmosphere• CO2• CH4• N2 O• Ozone• Water vapour
Solely human gases• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)• Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)• Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Art http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Sulfur_Hexafluoride_Molecule_Formula_png
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THIS SLIDE SETS OUT THE IMPORTANT GASES FOR CONSIDERATION. It is worth noting that naturally occurring gases can be put into the atmosphere by people in unnatural amounts or at unnatural rates. Water vapour is a naturally occurring greenhouse gas and accounts for the largest percentage of the greenhouse effect, between 36% and 66%. Water vapour concentrations fluctuate regionally, but human activity does not directly affect water vapour concentrations except at local scales (for example, near irrigated fields. The Clausius-Clapeyron relation establishes that warmer air can hold more water vapour per unit volume. Current state-of-the-art climate models predict that increasing water vapour concentrations in warmer air will amplify the greenhouse effect created by anthropogenic greenhouse gases while maintaining nearly constant relative humidity. Thus water vapour acts as a positive feedback to the forcing provided by greenhouse gases such as CO2. IMAGE: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Sulfur_Hexafluoride_Molecule_Formula_png
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Greenhouse gases
Gas Pre 1750 concentration
Current concentration
GWP(100 yr)
Atmospheric lifetime
Radiative forcing Wm
CO2 280 ppm 380 ppm 1 5-200 yr 1.7
CH4 730 ppb 1840 ppb 23 12 yr 0.5
N2 O 270 ppb 318 ppb 296 114 yr 0.2
CFC-12 0 ppt 540 ppt 10600 100 yr 0.3
PFCs 0 ppt ? ppt 6500-9200 ? >100 yr 0.3
SF6 0 ppt 6.5 ppt 23900 3200 ?
Trop O3 25 ppb 34 ppb n/a Days 0.3
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GWP = Global Warming Potential GWP is the warming potential of a gas. GWP’s are revised from time to time as knowledge increases about the influences of different gases and processes on climate change. GWP’s also vary with the time horizon being considered. The 100 year horizon is generally used in policy analyses. The GWP enables a comparison to be drawn between the six Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gases. The GWP is a relative scale, where CO2 = 1. The other gases are given a number based on their effect on the atmosphere relative to CO2. The GWP changes relative to the time horizon, for example Methane has a GWP of 21 over 100 years, meaning it has 21 times the amount of heating capacity of CO2. The term “radiative forcing” has been employed in the IPCC Assessments with a specific technical meaning to denote an externally imposed perturbation in the radiative energy budget of the Earth’s climate system, which may lead to changes in climate parameters. The exact definition used is: The radiative forcing of the surface-troposphere system due to the perturbation in or the introduction of an agent (say, a change in greenhouse gas concentrations) is the change in net (down minus up) irradiance (solar plus long-wave; in Wm-2) at the tropopause AFTER allowing for stratospheric temperatures to readjust to radiative equilibrium, but with surface and tropospheric temperatures and state held fixed at the unperturbed values. Why some gases and not others? See: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Wikipedia:Greenhouse_effect#Greenhouse_gases Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) contain no chlorine. They are composed entirely of carbon, hydrogen, and fluorine. They have no known effects at all on the ozone layer. Only compounds containing chlorine and bromine are thought to harm the ozone layer. CFC-12 = Dichlorodifluoromethane (R-12), usually sold under the brand name Freon-12. Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are compounds derived from hydrocarbons by replacement of hydrogen atoms by fluorine atoms. PFCs are made up of carbon and fluorine atoms only, such as octafluoropropane, perfluorohexane and perfluorodecalin. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, SF6 is the most potent greenhouse gas that it has evaluated
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Greenhouse gases
Image: IPCC AR4
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Humans in climate change
Genus Homo
Earliest australopithecines
Homo sapiens
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Art http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Five_Myr_Climate_Change_Rev_png
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ANOTHER REMINDER THIS SLIDE PUTS CLIMATE IN THE CONTEXT OF HUMAN EVOLUTION I have added approximate pointers to show when hominds began to emerge and when modern humans appeared. It shows nicely how humans have lived with and through climate changes. Here the data is solidly provided by ice cores and oxygen isotope records. NOTE: VOSTOK refers to ice core data fro the russian base in the Antarct. In the 1970s The Soviet Union drilled a set of cores 500–952 m deep. These have been used to study the oxygen isotope composition of the ice, which showed that ice of the last glacial period was present below about 400 m depth, Then three more holes were drilled: in 1984, Hole 3G reached a final depth of 2202 m; in 1990, Hole 4G reached a final depth of 2546 m; and in 1993 Hole 5G reached a depth of 2755 m; after a brief closure drilling continued during the winter of 1995. In 1996 it was stopped at depth 3623 m, by the request of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research that expressed worries about possible contamination of Lake Vostok. This ice core, drilled collaboratively with the French, produced a record of past environmental conditions stretching back 420,000 years and covering four previous glacial periods. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vostok_Station#Ice_core_drilling IMAGE: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Five_Myr_Climate_Change_Rev_png
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Recent climate changesBig oscillations• Glacial – interglacial cycles
– Ice ages– ?extinctions– evolution
• Sources– O18-16 ratios– Ice core gas inclusions– Sediment core fossils
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Art http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Ice_Age_Temperature
_Rev_png
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ANOTHER REMINDER THIS SLIDE SHOW THE 'MODERN' CYCLES IN MORE DETAIL. It is worth noting that all peaks and troughs are the result of totally natural processes and the last interglacial was warmer than today. Also note that the last glacial was cold enough to 1) lock up enough ice to lower sea level to a point where people could walk to Tasmania and New Guinea 2) Expose most of the continental shelf as dry land 3 generate small glacial activity on Tasmania and Australian Alps These temperature graphs derived from oxygen AND hydrogen isotope variations. Heavy hydrogen (deuterium) influences water fractionation in the same way that O18 does so the data sets are effectively the same. NOTE: Vostok – ice cores from Russian Antarctic base The EPICA core in Antarctica was drilled at [show location on an interactive map] 75°S 123°E / -75, 123 (EPICA core) (560 km from Vostok) at an altitude of 3,233 m, near Dome C. The ice thickness is 3,309 +/-22 m and the core was drilled to 3,190 m. Present-day annual average air temperature is -54.5 °C and snow accumulation 25 mm/y. Information about the core was first published in Nature on June 10, 2004. The core went back 720,000 years and revealed 8 previous glacial cycles. Raw data from: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/icecore/antarctica/domec/domec_epica_data.html and for all cores: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/icecore/current.html See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_core IMAGE: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Ice_Age_Temperature_Rev_png
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Recent climate changes
Image Courtesy of IPCC 3rd report
http://www.grida.no/publicati ons/other/ipcc_tar/?src=/clim ate/ipcc_tar/wg1/fig2-22.htm
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THIS SLIDE SHOWS RECENT CLIMATE FLUCTUATIONS Image Courtesy of IPCC 3rd report http://www.grida.no/publications/other/ipcc_tar/?src=/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/fig2-22.htm NOTE THE CORRELATIONS – NOT HUMAN! BUT AT THIS RESOLUTION THIS GRAPH DOES NOT TELL US WHICH DATA SET LEADS AND WHICH FOLLOWS. DISCUSS IF THERE IS TIME
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Recent climate changes
Humans in Australia
Image NOAA NESDIShttp://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/ctl/clisci100k.html
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NICE IMAGE SHOWING RELATIVE TEMPERATURE AND SEA LEVEL Image NOAA NESDIS http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/ctl/clisci100k.html GOOD point to mention sea level changes changing the landscape of Australia
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Recent climate changes
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Arthttp://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:1000_Year_Temperature_Comparison_png
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NO MATTER HOW YOU MEASURE THINGS, THE TEMPERATURE HAS EXCEEDED ANYTHING THAT HAS OCCURRED IN THE LAST 1500 YEARS
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Recent climate changes
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Arthttp://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Global_Carbon_
Emission_by_Type_png
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NO MATTER HOW YOU MEASURE THINGS, IN THE LAST 150 YEARS EMISSIONS OF ALL KINDS HAVE ESCALATED IMAGE: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Global_Carbon_Emission_by_Type_png
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Recent climate changes
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CLEAR DATA SHOWING THE TEMPERATURE CHANGE OVER THE LAST 150 YEARS IMAGE FROM THE HADLEY CENTRE UK
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Recent climate changes
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Art
http://www.globalwarmingart.com /wiki/Image:Major_greenhouse_
gas_trends_png
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CLEAR DATA SHOWING THE BEHAVIOUR OF GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE SINCE 1976 NOTE HOW THE CFC DATA IS DECREASING SINCE THE GLOBAL ACTION ON OZONE DEPLETION BANNED THEIR PRODUCTION Also not, recent data suggests methane concentrations are now rapidly rising again. IMAGE: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Major_greenhouse_gas_trends_png
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Recent climate changes
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Art
http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:S hort_Instrumental_Temperature_Record_png
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CLEAR DATA SHOWING THE TEMPERATURE TRENDS SINCE 1980 IMAGE: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Short_Instrumental_Temperature_Record_png
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So what?Changes pre-human
– Warmings– Coolings
• Sea level changes• Ocean chemistry changes• Threats and opportunities for plants & animals
Changes now no different?– Animals and plants coped last time– Evolution coped last time– People are smart – we'll cope
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HERE IS A CHANCE TO ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS THAT CREATE CONFUSION IN THE PUBLIC MIND The so what? We'll manage attitude is one that needs addressing. It is also the one fed by the complacency generated by the belief that this is an entirely natural process.
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It's all about timeChanges pre-human
– Took thousands of years• Sea level changes - gradual• Ocean chemistry changes – gradual• Threats and opportunities – Evolution kept pace
Now?– Rapid changes
• No time to adapt• No time to evolve• No time for feedback loops to stabilise
=> New Extinction event??
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THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE IS RATE OF CHANGE MAKE SURE THIS IS MADE CLEAR – even if nothing that happens now is different in any other respect to what has happened in the past EXCEPT for the rate the damage done will be extreme and perhaps permanent The worst case scenario is an EXTINCTION event, that may actually include humans as well as a plethora of other species. ?PERHAPS this is the ULTIMATE feedback LOOP – if the GAIA hypothesis has merit then it is conceivable that we are the first representation of GAIA achieving sentience [see essay by Tim Flannery ] BUT if we are the source of irreparable damage to an otherwise a self sustaining system the obvious action of GAIA will be to remove the source of the damage!
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Climate drivers nowBeyond Earth
– Solar radiance– Orbital variance – Milankovitch cycles
• Eccentricity• Tilt• Precession
– Bolide impacts
Earthly origins– Plate Tectonics– Volcanism– Evolution - biosphere– Feedback mechanisms
Human origins–Changes in albedo
–Greenhouse gases
–Other gases
–Particulates
–Heat islands
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DISCUSS THE TIME SCALES FOR THESE EVENTS AND PROCESSES ALL THE OTHERS ARE STILL WITH US – but the TIME SCALE IS SO DIFFERENT for the human induced actions that most of the other processes are of no concern in this debate with the EXCEPTION of the feedback processes which we do not yet know enough about
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Albedo– Deforestation
• Fire smoke [short term]• Grass lands
– Irrigation
Greenhouse gas emissions– CO2
– CH4 & clathrates– HCFC/HFC– Ozone depletion– Water vapour
Human drivers
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CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS CO2 is the main issue because there is so much of it being emitted CH4 is a potential issue because it is so much more effective a GHG than CO2 and there is potentially much more of it that can be emitted, especially via feedback mechanisms from natural reservoirs Other GHGs such as SF6 etc are much worse BUT their volume is low, there is no natural source and we know about them. We have the capacity, as per the original CFC problem to deal with them Changes in Albedo via human activity is perhaps providing a masking effect for the GHG emission problem in the short term
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Modern data• CO2 data very hard to deny• Temperature data firm
• Sea level data firmingImages Courtesy of Global Warming Art
http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Recent_Sea_Level_Rise_pnghttp://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Mauna_Loa_Carbon_Dioxide_png
http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Instrumental_Temperature_Record_png
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CONTINUE CONVERSATION One issue raised is that the sceptics claim reductions in numbers in recent years. Good hard data does not support that contention. The problem is that point data vs trends are very hard for the public to tease apart. IMAGEs: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Recent_Sea_Level_Rise_png http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Mauna_Loa_Carbon_Dioxide_png http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Instrumental_Temperature_Record_png See also http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Satellite_Temperatures_png For evidence that no matter which way you measure it temperatures are rising
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Modern data
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Art
http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Im age:2007_Arctic_Sea_Ice_jpg
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ICE ON THE NORTH POLE – CHANGES OVER TIME Reductions in ice cover reduces albedo, thus warming the area even more. IMAGE: NASA – via http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:2007_Arctic_Sea_Ice_jpg
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Modern data
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Goes with previous satellite image to make the point
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What's going on?• CO2 levels going up
– Fossil fuels• Geologically sequestered Carbon• Rapidly released
– Industry and Agriculture• Cement• Soil treatments
– Deforestation• Burning• Reduction in biomass• Desertification
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Arthttp://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Greenhouse_
Gas_by_Sector_png
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Chance here to revisit sources of GHG emissions IMAGE: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Greenhouse_Gas_by_Sector_png Date may not be Australian but it gives a good general overview of the sources
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What's going on?• CH4 levels going up
– Fossil fuels• Geologically sequestered Carbon
– Unintended escapes– Industry and Agriculture
• Decomposition• Ruminant animals• Sewage treatment
– Feedback release from• Permafrost melting• Ocean clathrate turnover
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Arthttp://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Greenhouse_
Gas_by_Sector_png
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Chance here to revisit sources of GHG emissions IMAGE: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Greenhouse_Gas_by_Sector_png Date may not be Australian but it gives a good general overview of the sources
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What's going on?• Models predict ongoing warming
Image Courtesy of Global Warming Art
http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image: Global_Warming_Predictions_png
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Predictions based on current data and a variety of models including CSIRO Image: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Global_Warming_Predictions_png
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Other issues• CO2
– Ocean acidification• Calcareous skeleton growth problems• Entire biosphere dynamics upset
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_acidification
• CH4– Sudden release of clathrates
• Sudden increase in warming impact of methane– Extreme and/or rapid warming to follow– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clathrate_Gun_Hypothesis
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Actions?• This is a teacher moderated student discussion that
needs to happen– Evidence is or is becoming overwhelming
• Global changes are happening in response to human activities• Ecosystems are under pressure due to rapid rates of change
– Greenhouse gases from people the most significant cause
– Could proposed changes to • Sources of energy and materials• Industrial and agricultural processes• Human activities in pursuit of wealth and happiness
– be harmful even if the situation is not as bad as it appears?
– If not, why not do it anyway / just in case?
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Presentation Notes
Perhaps here is a good place to discuss the precautionary principle. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precautionary_principle for one explanation and discussion Seehttp://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/pr/Precautionary_Principle for another explanation, both well written
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Actions?• This is a teacher moderated student discussion that
needs to happen– HOWEVER
• We need to avoid a sense of hopelessness– Students are very concerned– We must offer them a way forward
» The success of the anti-CFC campaign shows it can be done
» Think global, act local initiatives give a sense of involvement
» Law changes at the state and federal level point towards a social awareness of the need to make changes and action happening
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The cold war and the threat of nuclear annihilation was a bit influence, not always for the good, on the minds of the youth of that time. This issue is the nuclear threat for this generation and, due to the increased level of global communication and information available, may actually weigh heavier on them than the threat of nuclear did on their parents. Sadly, while the threat of a nuclear conflict has not entirely gone away, it now seems the prospect of an environmental holocaust is much more likely and less avoidable to many. This could bring about despair or hopelessness amongst our best and brightest – the very people needed to help the world survive and prosper. As teachers it is incumbent upon us to try and not only make our students aware of the issues but provide them with the intellectual tools to rise above their concerns and use their social and intellectual capital to make the changes necessary to ensure the survival of the planet in a form that does not reduce us to the level of global parasite.
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End of Part 2:Questions?
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HERE IS A GOOD CHANCE TO TAKE QUESTIONS AND BREAK FOR LUNCH WITH ONGOING DISCUSSIONS
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Teacher Earth Science Education ProgrammePARTNERS
PRINCIPAL
PLATINUM
GOLD
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Presentation Notes
This slide must be displayed before talk commences
Teacher Earth Science Education Programme
Teacher Earth Science Education ProgrammePARTNERS
BRONZE
Anglo Coal
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
CS Energy
Department of Sustainability and Environment, Vic
Essential Petroleum
Flinders University
Gordon Wakelin King
Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee
Hot Dry Rocks
Macquarie University
Sandy Menpes
Monash Energy
Museum Victoria
Our Water Our Future, Vic
Petroleum Geo-Services
Primary Industries and Resources SA
Stanwell Corporation
Velseis
ZeroGen
SILVER• The Australian National University
• Department of Primary Industries, Vic
• Pitney Bowes Business Insight
• PowerWorks
• Queensland Resources Council
• Rob Kirk Consultants
• The University of Sydney
• University of Tasmania
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This slide must be displayed before talk commences
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