Carbon Dioxide Exercise

In the lesson, students work in groups, plotting carbon dioxide concentrations over time on overheads and estimating the rate of change over five years. Stacked together, the overheads for the whole class show an increase on carbon dioxide over five years and annual variation driven by photosynthesis. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/examples/co2.html

Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center

The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) is the primary climate-change data and information analysis center of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). CDIAC’s data holdings include records of the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other radiatively active gases; the role of the terrestrial biosphere and the oceans in the biogeochemical cycles of greenhouse gases; emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel consumption and land-use changes; long-term climate trends; the effects of elevated carbon dioxide on vegetation; and the vulnerability of coastal areas to rising sea level. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://cdiac.ornl.gov/

Carbon Tracker

Carbon Tracker is a system to keep track of carbon dioxide uptake and release at the Earth’s surface over time. This is a resource for interactive and animated maps. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/carbontracker.

Climate Change Information Kit and Publications

The United Nations Environment Programme and the U.N. Framework Convention produced a Climate Change Information packet suitable for student research as well as numerous resources that address the international scope of the issue. United Nations Environment Programme. (2011). Climate Change. Retrieved January 17, 2013 from http://www.unep.org/climatechange/.

CO2Now.org

CO2Now.org republishes and organizes global climate data and related information from leading science and media sources around the world. The website and its online tools are produced independently by informed, non-scientists to give people of many backgrounds easy access to the world’s most current and reliable numbers, targets and reports on the planet we share. CO2Now.org is featured in the 2010 Guide to Best Websites on Sustainability. There are many links and graphics at this site. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://co2now.org/

Gateway to Global Change Data and Information

These portals have a variety of links to U.S. agencies: Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.globalchange.gov/, http://library.globalchange.gov/, and http://www.climate.gov/#climateWatch. “Ask Dr. Global Change” is a place to seek answers to global climate change questions (http://www.gcrio.org/doctorgc/index.php).

Global Climate Change Research Explorer

Global Climate Change: Research Explorer allows students to examine the same data that scientists and researchers look at in studying global climate change. Developed with the Exploratorium, the site was supported by the National Science Foundation. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.exploratorium.edu/climate/

Global Surface Temperature Analysis

The basic GISS temperature analysis scheme was defined in the late 1970s by James Hansen when a method of estimating global temperature change was needed for comparison with one-dimensional global climate models. Graphs and tables are updated around the 10th of every month on this site. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/

Global Warming Questions

Answers to frequently asked question about global warming are found here. This page is based on a brief synopsis of the 2007 Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as well as National Climate Data Center resources. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html

How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate

In Lynne Cherry’s book (How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate) is an overview of climate change written for young people. In the book, climate scientists uncover mysteries of the Earth’s climate history through mud cores, ice cores and tree rings. They study birds’ and butterflies’ responses to global warming. Citizen-scientists help collect data to help the scientists, and young people reduce their carbon footprints. Retrieved January 17, 2018, from http://www.lynnecherry.com/ how_we_know_what_we_know_about_our_changing_climate__scientists_and_kids_explore_67915.htm

Investigating Climate Change and Remote Sensing (ICCARS)

Hosted by Wayne RESA, the ICCARS eLearning Collaboratory is an eLearning portal which includes many resources dealing with climate change and remote sensing. This includes images, videos, lesson plans, documents, tutorials, and more. The collaboratory features web-based geographic information system, a student observation database, and groupware for social networking to build the ICCARS supporting community. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.resa.net/curriculum/curriculum/science/professionaldevelopment/climatechange/.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA’s Global Warming and Climate Change Policy Websites lists numerous resources for climate change information. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://gcmd.nasa.gov/Resources/pointers/glob_warm.html

NOAA Climate Indicators

This site combines the results of many studies to create online time series for indicators such as land surface air temperature, sea level, sea surface temperature, and glacier mass balance. The graphs were created for Arndt, D. S., M. O. Baringer, and M. R. Johnson, Eds., 2010: State of the Climate in 2009. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 91 (7), S1-S224. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/bams-state-of-the-climate/2009-time-series/

NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory

The Earth System Research Laboratory was formed to pursue a broad and comprehensive understanding of the Earth system. Main interest areas are to understand atmospheric mechanisms that drive the Earth’s climate, assure the continuing health and restoration of atmospheric resources, and improve predictions through expanded climate and weather products. This site has many educational resources. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/outreach/index.html.

On the Air: Climate Change

Developed by the non-profit Clean Air Partners, the On the Air curriculum facilitates the understanding of air pollution by studying: Criteria Air Pollutants, the Air Quality Index, Ozone, Particulate Matter, the Health Effects of Air Pollution, Community Sources and Solutions of Air Pollution and Climate Change. In Unit 7, students rotate through different Climate Change Information Stations to learn about the earth’s atmosphere, greenhouse gases, the greenhouse effect, the carbon cycle, and rising CO2 and temperature levels. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.cleanairpartners.net/onTheAir.cfm

Trends in Carbon Dioxide

The most current carbon dioxide measurements (Keeling Curve) from the Mauna Loa Observatory can be found at this site. There is information about how atmospheric carbon dioxide is measured. An interactive world map of other places where carbon dioxide is being measured shows current levels at those sites as well. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/

United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)

UNEP offers a wide range of technical guidelines and resources for governments, policy-makers, and the public at large. This website is designed to serve as a central repository where users may retrieve resources produced by UNEP. Available information includes technical guidelines, clearing-houses, trainer manuals, databases, CDs, publications and other useful tools. Retrieved January 17, 2018, from https://www.unenvironment.org/

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Climate Change

EPA’s website provides information on climate change for communities, individuals, businesses, states, localities and governments. It has links to frequently asked questions, climate change indicators, science, policy and economics, health effects, greenhouse gas emissions, and what we can do. A Student’s Guide to Global Climate Change is linked from this site as well. Retrieved January 17, 2013, from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/