Climate and CO<sub>2</sub>: Analyzing their relationship

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In this lesson, students speculate about the future of world climate if the greenhouse effect increases.

Students will:

be familiar with carbon dioxide (CO₂) and theories about its role in the greenhouse effect;
read about the global conference that was held in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997 to set international limits on CO₂ emissions;
know the leading producers of CO₂ emissions;
understand the reasons for patterns of CO₂ production;
understand the implications of the greenhouse effect; and
understand the processes of possible change in world climates.

Goal 5: The learner will develop an understanding of the ecological relationships among organisms.
- Objective 5.03: Assess human population and its impact on local ecosystems and global environments:
  - Historic and potential changes in population.
  - Factors associated with those changes.
  - Climate change.
  - Resource use.
  - Sustainable practices/stewardship.

Goal 1: The learner will develop abilities necessary to do and understand scientific inquiry in the earth and environmental sciences.
- Objective 1.06: Identify and evaluate a range of possible solutions to earth and environmental issues at the local, national, and global level including considerations of:
  - Interdependent human and natural systems.
  - Diverse perspectives.
  - Short and long range impacts.
  - Economic development, environmental quality and sustainability.
  - Opportunities for and consequences of personal decisions.
  - Risks and benefits of technological advances.
Goal 5: The learner will build an understanding of the dynamics and composition of the atmosphere and its local and global processes influencing climate and air quality.
- Objective 5.03: Analyze global atmospheric changes including changes in CO2, CH4, and stratospheric O3 and the consequences of these changes:
  - Climate change.
  - Changes in weather patterns.
  - Increasing ultraviolet radiation.
  - Sea level changes.