CLIMATE CHANGE

CLIMATE CHANGE addresses the controversial question of how human activities may be changing Earth's climate. It takes students on a "field trip" to Mauna Loa Observatory where they see how scientists have measured carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere since 1957. They graph and interpret data from Mauna Loa and other observatories which led to the prediction, in 1988, that changes in our atmosphere will cause the entire globe to gradually warm up. They also measure carbon dioxide in the laboratory to find out how much is contained in a sample of human breath and car exhaust. The Guide goes on to show how the discoveries at Mauna Loa have been challenged by other scientists in the early 1990's, and discusses the consensus of opinion about global climate change that finally emerged in 1995. The Guide identifies scientific questions which still remain unanswered, and involves students in thinking about the economic, political, and ethical implications of regulating human activities to reduce the likelihood of global climate change.