Investigating Global Warming and Climate Change

Why is the Climate changing?

Your second task is to answer the question

The first R is Reality — about 97% of climate experts have concluded that human-caused climate change is happening.

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For over 200 years, humanity has powered itself with fossil fuels like oil and coal. We’ve seen an enormous amount of development and progress— can you name some? (Cars, trains, airplanes, heat, factories, etc.) But there is an incredible cost

Scientists from the United States and around the world have agreed on the three “R’s” of climate change

When burnt, fossil fuels all release carbon dioxide.

This is a gas which acts like a blanket around the Earth

Wrapping a blanket around you warms you up – that’s how Carbon Dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere is warming our planet

The second R is Risk — the reality of climate change means impacts we can expect

As carbon dioxide increases - Earth warms

• Sea levels rise
• Extreme weather becomes more common
• A whole range of impacts—wildfires, flooding, extreme heat and drought—become more likely and more severe

The third R is Response — there is much we can do and that the sooner we respond, the better off we will be!

We need to

Learn more about solar energy and Earth’s atmosphere

2 experiments to understand why more Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere is causing a

“GREENHOUSE EFFECT” and Climate Change.

Earth’s Energy Balance

Earth’s atmosphere

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Earth’s surface

The Sun sends energy in all directions.

Some of that energy travels to Earth. Of that energy,

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some is absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere or its surface,

some is reflected by the atmosphere,

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some is reflected by clouds after entering the atmosphere

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some is reflected by Earth’s surface,

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some is reflected by Earth’s surface, then by the atmosphere back to the surface

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Space

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Kidsminds.org

The Experiment

1. Your teacher will direct you to set up two thermometers either outside in the sun or on a sunny windowsill.
1. One in a glass jar or vase with the opening tightly covered with clear plastic wrap.
2. One left in the open next to it.

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2. Your teacher will Assign the “Research Assistants” in each Research Team by color to record the temperatures using the data sheet. Research Assistant 1, Research Assistant 2, Research Assistant 3, Research Assistant 4.
3. Each “Research Assistant” will read the thermometer and record the number on the data sheet.

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What are your results?

Make a graph of your data

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What is happening to the temperature inside the jar or vase?

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What is happening to the temperature outside the jar or vase?

Is there a difference in the change in temperature?

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Why do you think the temperatures inside and outside of the jar or vase are different?

• Solar energy goes inside the vase and this heat cannot escape the vase - it’s trapped by the plastic wrap. The air inside of the vase gets warmer and warmer as more solar energy enters the vase.
• The second thermometer is exposed to air. Even though it doesn’t seem like much is happening in the air, a lot of factors are at work that allow the warmer air to mix with the cooler air keeping the temperature from changing too much.

• The conditions in the jar or vase are similar to what happens in a greenhouse.
• The walls and roof of the greenhouse stop the solar energy from escaping and the temperature in the greenhouse goes up.
• The plants grow in warm temperatures even though there may be snow outside!
• People in charge regulate the temperature to keep the plants happy by opening and closing vents in the roof and walls of the greenhouse.

Greenhouse

This is similar to Earth’s atmosphere when fossil fuels release Carbon Dioxide.

This gas keeps the solar energy trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere.

This trapped energy acts like a blanket around the earth and is warming our planet – this is called the

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

What happens to the land?

Where do we find soil? (outside) So a lot of the planet that we live on is made of this stuff we call soil. Do you think the Greenhouse effect is heating up the Earth’s soil?

The second experiment

The Experiment

1. Your teacher will direct you to prepare two cups filled with soil.
2. Label on cup “Greenhouse” and one cup “Open”
3. Place one soil thermometer in each cup so the sensor is buried down in the soil.
4. Tightly cover the opening of the “Greenhouse” cup with clear plastic wrap. Leave the gage out so you can read the temperature.
5. Do not cover the “Open” cup.

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Soil Thermometers

6. Your teacher will place the cups so they are exposed to the sun or a heat lamp.
7. Your teacher will Assign the “Research Assistants” in each Research Team by color to record the temperatures using the data sheet. Research Assistant 1, Research Assistant 2, Research Assistant 3, Research Assistant 4.
8. Each “Research Assistant” will read the thermometer and record the number on the data sheet.

The Experiment

What are your results?

Make a graph of your data.

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What is happening to the temperature of the soil in the “Greenhouse” cup?

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What is happening to the temperature of the soil in the “Open” cup?

Is there a difference in the change in temperature?

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Why do you think the temperatures of the soil in the two cups are different?

• Solar energy goes inside the “Greenhouse” cup and this heat cannot escape - it’s trapped by the plastic wrap. The air inside the cup gets warmer and warmer as more solar energy enters and the soil is heated.
• The “Open” cup is exposed to air. The warmer air mixes with the cooler air keeping the temperature of the soil from changing too much.
• The GREENHOUSE EFFECT heats the Earth’s surface!