Hot topic: Climate Change
Icebergs near New Zealand! Flooding in the Coromandel! Drought in Canterbury!
Climate change is a fact of life – the climate is continually changing and has brought both benefits and problems for people in the past. Major climatic changes have caused droughts, heatwaves and ice ages. But now the global climate appears to be changing more quickly than in the past – quickly enough to affect our lifestyles, our economies, and for some Pacific islands, their very existence.
Scientists believe that the most likely cause of this speeding up of climate change is the release of ‘greenhouse gases’. These gases act like a blanket around the Earth, keeping some of the sun's warmth close to the Earth's surface, rather than letting it all back out into space. Without this blanket of greenhouse gases, the Earth would be frozen, like Mars. The amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere has increased dramatically over the last 150 years, causing the Earth to heat up and affecting the global climate.
Because of industrial development, huge amounts of greenhouse gases (particularly carbon dioxide (CO2)) have been released into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels (eg petrol, coal, and gas). The cutting down of forests has also affected the Earth’s capacity to deal with extra CO2. Methane (from intensive agricultural practices) and nitrous oxide (from erosion) have also added to the problem.
Recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) paint a vivid picture of how climate change will impact on our planet, and include some detailed information on the likely effect on New Zealand's natural and artificial environments.
Although the overall effect of increased greenhouse gases is global warming, scientists suggest that the opposite effect (global cooling) could occur due to the impact the melting ice may have on the huge sea currents which transfer heat around the globe.
It is important that we all understand the impact of climate change and recognise what can be done, both individually and collectively, to help maintain a sustainable environment.
Below are TKI resources that provide information about the impact of climate change. These key resources include the major reports in either written, video, or interactive form. Student activities include webquests and interactives which illustrate the scientific basis of climate change, and show ways to adapt our lifestyles and business practices so that we can contribute towards a sustainable environment.
Resources on TKI: Climate change information
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is an international panel convened to facilitate agreement between nations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The IPCC’s recent reports have updated our understanding of the causes and effects of climate change.
www.ipcc.ch/
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change provides information on nation responsibility.
http://unfccc.int/2860.php
Ministry for the Environment: New Zealand Climate Change
These Ministry for the Environment's climate change pages provide plain English explanations of what causes climate change, and what strategies the government has in place to try and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/climate/
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
The New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment reviews and provides advice on environmental issues to Parliament, local councils, businesses, tangata whenua, communities, and other public agencies. This site includes news items, reports, current projects, FAQs, a public complaints page (which provides opportunity for feedback), a glossary, and many links on environmental issues.
http://www.pce.govt.nz/
An Inconvenient Truth
This website tells about the movie An Inconvenient Truth – Al Gore's fervent crusade to halt global warming's progress in its tracks by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it.
www.climatecrisis.net/aboutthefilm/
Climate Change – Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
This section of Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand has links and information about climate change. It includes sections on global warming, global influences, past climate, predicting future climate, consequences for New Zealand, and also contains images and video clips. www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/ClimateAndAtmosphere/ClimateChange/en
Sleeping Giants
These two video clips from Sleeping Giants present personal and professional concerns about climate change, from a range of respected experts who presented at the Climate Change conference held in Wellington in March 2006. They discuss what is happening, why it is happening, and how we can start to manage it.
The Canary in the Coal Mine
What Keeps You Awake at Night?
The Science of Climate Change
This GAMMA series article from the Royal Society of New Zealand explains the science of climate change and provides outlines of some of the potential consequences of human-induced climate change. (PDF 356KB) http://www.rsnz.org/education/gamma/GlobalWarming.pdf
GoGlobal
This website from the Global Education Centre features a comprehensive database for education and resource needs on global and development issues. It allows users to search for a resource such as a unit of learning, a DVD, or a game, or to find out what is happening to an issue in the global arena.
http://www.goglobal.org.nz/
NIWA: Climate for Students
This page from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) website provides students with answers to some frequently asked questions on climate change, global warming, greenhouse gases, and NIWA greenhouse gas measurements.
www.niwascience.co.nz/edu/students/faq/change
Climate Change – Time for Action
The Pembina Institute is a Canadian organisation working on climate change policy and solutions. Through research, education, consultancy, and advocacy, their aim is to increase understanding, highlight opportunities, and get solutions implemented. http://climate.pembina.org/
Wellington City Libraries Eco News Teens
http://www.wcl.govt.nz/teens/eco_news.html
Resources on TKI: Student activities
Climate Change – Kids Site
This website from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has information for students about global warming and contains a series of articles, games and learning activities for students at all primary school levels.
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html
Biomes WebQuest: How Global Warming May Affect the Ecological Communities of Earth
In this webquest, students research global warming and characteristics of one of six major land biomes: rainforest, taiga, grassland, desert, tundra, or temperate broadleaf deciduous forest, in order to design and create PowerPoint slides to share with others. www.questgarden.com/34/91/1/061117111303/
Global Warming Interactive
This is a web-based multi-user educational game which explores the relationship of global warming to economic, political, and science policy decisions. The game takes into account social and economic variables such as the development of alternative energy sources, taxes on carbon production, unemployment levels, and public opinion. www.globalwarminginteractive.com/
New Zealand’s Climate in the Future
This Assessment Resource Bank task provides students with information on how NZ's climate might be different in 2200, and they then use this information to predict changes that would result in specific environments. The task relates to level 4 of the New Zealand science curriculum, “Making sense of planet Earth and beyond” strand, objective 1. http://arb.nzcer.org.nz/resources/science/planet/7000/pe7544.htm
Glaciers and global warming
This Assessment Resource Bank task helps students to make an informed decision about global warming in relation to changes to the Franz Josef glacier. The task relates to level 5 of the New Zealand science curriculum, “Making sense of planet Earth and beyond” strand, objective 4.
http://arb.nzcer.org.nz/resources/science/planet/9000/pe9536.htm
Determination of the Molar Volume of Carbon Dioxide
Dry ice and a balloon are used in this experiment, which involves taking measurements of a carbon dioxide sample in solid and gaseous states to determine the molar volume of CO2. It introduces the concept of buoyancy and its importance when determining the mass of objects of low density.
www.woodrow.org/teachers/ci/1986/exp5.html
Global Eye: Focus on Climate Change
This Global Eye website introduces students to the concept of global warming. The website focuses on the effects of global warming in relation to rising sea levels, climate, and ocean temperature. It features a section that describes some of the changes in the Pacific region caused by global warming. Suitable for use at primary level. http://www.globaleye.org.uk/primary_summer2002/focuson/intro.html
School Stuff – Understanding climate change
This page from the New Zealand 4 million careful owners website contains information for student and teachers about climate change, including how to take action and prepare for, and adapt to, climate change. Activities include an interactive game and making the greenhouse effect in a jar. There are also booklets on climate change (PDFs), and picture and learning resources for teachers including links to the environmental education guidelines. http://www.4million.org.nz/climatechange/understanding/schoolstuff/index.php
Curriculum links on TKI
Science in the New Zealand Curriculum
Social Studies in the New Zealand Curriculum
Please note: These links were valid when this page was posted. However the Web is very volatile, and TKI has no control over outside websites. Please let us know if you find anything inappropriate, if you find a broken link, or if you have an update for a link by emailing links@tki.org.nz. Te Kete Ipurangi recommends that teachers view all websites we link to before using them with students.
