Climate Change Lesson 12 : What Can I Do?

Alliance for Climate Education (ACE)

ACE is a non-partisan organization working across the US to build national climate change awareness and develop student leadership for education and engagement efforts. ACE provides free assemblies to educate schools about climate change and inspire students to be a part of the solution. Retrieved December 8, 2011, from http://www.acespace.org.

Climate Change Handbook: A Citizen’s Guide to Thoughtful Action

This student-friendly guide illustrates the difference between adaptation (taking steps to live with climate changes) and mitigation (taking steps to slow the rate of change). Taking personal action is a key element of this handbook. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from https://rurallandscapes.extension.arizona.edu/sites/rurallandscapes.extension.arizona.edu/files/resources/final-climate-booklet.pdf

CO2GETHER Carbon Calculator

Carbon calculator aimed to educate South Central Wisconsin residents about their carbon footprint and encourage actions to reduce that individual emissions. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from http://www.co2gether.org/login

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Emissions Calculator

A website that offers individuals and households to calculate personal carbon emissions and offers ideas on how to reduce emissions. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/householdcarbon-footprint-calculator

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Green Vehicles

Visit the U.S. EPA’s Green Vehicle website where you can retrieve information about a specific vehicle’s air pollution score, greenhouse gas score, and fuel economy. The Green Vehicle Guide gives information about the environmental performance of vehicles and provides the user with dynamic search and sort capabilities. Side-by-side comparisons can be performed for up to three vehicles and searches can be customized based on user choices by using the Advanced Search function. Retrieved December 14, 2011, from http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/Index.do

Michigan Climate Action Council

Details on the Michigan Climate Action Council are found on this site. The Council is comprised of members representing academia, a broad base of industry, utilities, state and local government, and environmental interest groups. Useful information in the background section includes information about what Michigan is already doing to address climate change. The site links to the 2009 Michigan’s Climate Action Plan final report, which has an abundance of specific information about mitigating climate change in Michigan. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from https://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/deq-Spotlight_-MCAC_247984_7.pdf

Michigan Climate Coalition

The Michigan Climate Coalition (MCC) seeks to foster synergy through information, communication and action, in order to assist Michigan in responding to climate change. The MCC was founded in November 2010 by MSU Climate Change Leadership Fellows and Michiganders from the public and private sectors – from NGOs, businesses, government, and educational institutions. It is open to all with an interest in climate science, energy efficiency, sustainability and related disciplines. The MCC is modeled on the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI). Like WICCI, the MCC seeks to enhance networking and collaboration, communication and action within the state and beyond. Retrieved December 16, 2011, from http://www.miclimatecoalition.org

Michigan Department of Community Health

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is working in partnership with local health departments, researchers, and decision-makers to address the adverse human health impacts of climate change. Retrieved December 16, 2011, from http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,4612,7-132-54783_54784_55975---,00.html

Michigan Green Schools

Michigan Green Schools is a non-profit 501(c)3 agency dedicated to assisting all Michigan schools – public and private – achieve environmental goals which include protecting the air, land, water and animals of our state along with world outreach through good ecological practices and the teaching of educational stewardship of students pre-kindergarten through senior high school. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://michigangreenschools.us/

National Service-Learning Clearinghouse

This website offers webinars, tools to build your own unique curriculum and highlights successful service-learning projects to emulate. Very helpful for teachers interested in planning larger scale follow up service-learning projects. Retrieved January 23, 2013, from http://www.nylc.org/

Nature Conservancy Carbon Calculator

The Nature Conservancy is a conservation organization that works around the US on ecological issues. The carbon calculator is paired with an online community option to commit to individual actions to slow climate change. Retrieved December 8, 2011, from http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/index.htm

Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science

The Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS) has been designed as a collaborative effort among the Forest Service, universities, and forest industry to provide information on managing forests for climate change adaptation, enhanced carbon sequestration, and sustainable production of bioenergy and materials. As a regional, multi-institutional entity, NIACS builds partnerships, facilitates research, and synthesizes information to bridge the gap between carbon and climate science research and the information and management needs of land owners and managers, policymakers, and members of the public. Retrieved June 28, 201, from https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/programs/uesd/

Stabilization Wedge Game

The Stabilization Wedges Game is a team-based exercise that teaches players about the scale of the greenhouse gas problem, plus technologies that already exist to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and get us off the path toward dramatic and damaging climate change. Players pick eight carbon-cutting strategies to construct a carbon mitigation portfolio, filling in the eight wedges of the stabilization triangle. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://cmi.princeton.edu/wedges/game.php

Tree Planting and Climate Change

In 2008, the Wisconsin DNR teamed up with Polar Bears International, a non-profit organization, for a 10-year project to encourage people to plant and care for trees on their land and in their communities. Educational tools, financial support for on-the-ground tree planting and motivating people to take personal action to reduce their carbon footprint through planting trees are components of the project. Retrieved December 5, 2012, from http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/treeplanting/documents/pbi_summer_09.pdf

Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics

These U.S. Forest Service Tree Guides identify and describe the benefits and costs of planting trees in a specific climate zone to assist community officials and tree managers increase public awareness and support for tree programs. They answer a number of questions about the environmental and aesthetic benefits of community trees. Retrieved December 16, 2011, from  http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/programs/uesd/uep/tree_guides.php

EPA ‘At School’

A website that offers tips and activities for middle and high school teachers as well as motivated students to better understand climate change and take action to reduce individual, household or school emissions. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climatechange/what-you-can-doschool_.html

Return to top