What you need to know: What is Global Warming?

What you need to know:

What is Global Warming?

How do our energy choices affect the environment?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Nuclear Power?

Is Nuclear Power the Answer?

Questions:1. Are you in favour of nuclear power? Why?

2. Why is global warming a bad thing?

Carbon dioxide traps heat energy in the atmosphere

The more CO2 there is in the atmosphere, the warmer the atmosphere gets

Date

As the atmosphere warms up:

• polar ice-caps and glaciers melt

• sea levels rise

• habitats for many plants and animals are destroyed

Adele penguins Polar bears

Ice fish

Burning fossil fuels increases the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere

Nuclear fuel does not produce any CO2

Biofuels do not add any more CO2 to the atmosphere...

... because they are made from plants, which remove CO2 from the atmosphere as they photosynthesise

But, growing biofuels uses up land

which could be used to grow food

To Do:

Read through the Yes Please? No Thanks? worksheet

Cut up the sheet and rearrange into two lists:

points in favour, and...

points against nuclear power

The case FOR nuclear power

The case AGAINST nuclear power

Who is in favour of building new nuclear power stations?

Who is against?

Who has changed their mind during this lesson?

How can we make sure we are making the right decisions about things like this?

What should we do if decisions about science are not black and white?