Lesson Plan: Signs of Climate Change
Session 1
What exactly is climate change?
Climate change is… • “Long term change in the Earth’s overall temperature with massive and permanent consequences”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4H1N_yXBiA
Local climate change: what is it to me ? MORE FLOODS & DROUGHTS Warmer weather and changing precipitation (e.g. rain and snow) patterns will cause more severe RISING SEA LEVEL Estimated increase of sea level in coastal B.C. by 2100 is 80 cm or more. We will lose homes, communities and ecosystems (an estimated total damage $2.1-7.7 billion by 2050). Causes Impacts
Signs of Climate Change 1.2 Discussion 1. What are the main causes of climate change? The main CAUSE of climate change is carbon emissions produced from human activities (e.g. driving cars, building houses), which adds to the greenhouse effect, trapping heat and further warming the Earth's surface.
Signs of Climate Change 1.2 Discussion 2. What are some of the risks associated with climate change in the local, Vancouver context? • sea-level rise • drought • warmer, wetter winters • flooding • less snowcap on local • more heat waves mountains • loss of biodiversity • hotter summers
Examples of climate change effects in Vancouver Average April 1st Snowline Canadian Global Climate Model 2: A2 scenario Data: Environment Canada; Visualization: D. Flanders, CALP
Vancouver c onsequences: Reduced snowpack (primary impact) Reduced water supply Brown lawns Salmon fry survival reduced
Signs of Climate Change 1.2 Discussion 3. What does vulnerability mean in a climate change context? Vulnerability is the susceptibility of an area to damage by either environmental or human-caused threats, such as climate change. For example, many neighbourhoods in Vancouver are vulnerable to sea- level rise, as they are close to the shore.
Signs of Climate Change 1.2 Discussion 4. What habits do we have that emit lots of carbon, and therefore contribute to climate change and our vulnerability to it? • Transportation by cars, trucks and planes • Industrial Farming • Space heating and cooling • Water heating and cooling • Waste disposal
Signs of Climate Change 1.2 Discussion 5. What low carbon features and activities help reduce vulnerability to climate change? • Urban forests • Permeable ground surfaces • Gardens • Renewable energy, such as wind and solar • Carpooling and public transit • Walking and cycling • Light-coloured roofs to not absorb heat
Signs of Climate Change 1.4 Post Detective Quest Discussion 1. Is there a team that would like to share some of their findings, e.g. how many cars they found, how many gardens they found? 2. Categorize the features below as either a cause of /contributor to climate change (ie. features that emit carbon), or as something that will help reduce vulnerability to climate change and explain your classification: 1. Cars (regular cars, EVs, hybrids, car shares) 2. Gardens 3. Solar panels 4. Light-coloured roofs 3. Did you find anything that surprised you? 4. Did you find more features that contribute to vulnerability to climate change, or more that reduce it? 5. Which areas around the school do you think are the most vulnerable to climate change? The least vulnerable? Why?
CC Detective Quest Investigate how climate-proof your street is! Page 15 in the Coolkit
Session 2
MAPPING AND VISIONING What do you want to see improved? Why it is hard to see real life changes COOL SPOTS HIGH CARBON
PART II: MAPPING CLIMATE CHANGE ON YOUR BLOCK • Purpose : quick mapping of local areas vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, to share insights & identify things we could do (adaptation/co-benefits) • How can we do it? (templates/examples) • Block mapping exercise
Vulnerability The extent to which climate change may damage or harm a system, eg. risk of flooding, forest fires… 19
Vulnerability—easily flooded areas Nanjing Forestry University students Group 6, November 2013 SECONDARY MOST POSSIBLE FLOODED AREAS FLOODED AREAS
TOOLKIT EXAMPLE Mayara Benedetti, CALP
BLOCK MAPPING TOOLKIT
BLOCK MAPPING TOOLKIT
BLOCK MAPPING TOOLKIT
Exercise: Block Mapping Surveying climate change in the backyard • Groups of 2-3 people • 2 colour maps of a nearby block (per table) • Instructions on vulnerability indicators (page 18-19 of Coolkit) • Colour pens + brains!
Exercise: Block Mapping • Each table has10 minutes to identify : – High vulnerability features – Low vulnerability features • Map & label 3+ areas or features that may indicate climate change vulnerability • Any features you can count/estimate?
BSC Kelowna workshop: block-mapping example using markers
Vulnerability Mapping Examples Drought Urban heat island effect (UHI) Resilient features Floods
Signs of Climate Change 2.3 Visioning Activity Example
Signs of Climate Change 2.3 Visioning Activity Some possibilities to consider: LOW CARBON FUTURE • More hard surface is converted to green space • A community garden/orchard is developed • Solar panels are installed • More bike lanes are in place OR HIGH CARBON FUTURE • Mature trees are gone (because of climate change • Streets are wider to allow for more cars • More street parking at or near your place • Potential flooding if close to sea-level
+ vegetation Food gardens Bee farms
walk + bike
–fossil fuel cars
2.4 Visioning Activity Find a partner and take turns interpreting each other’s visioning exercise. • What did they add or take away? • Is their imagined future more or less resilient than the present image? Why?
Visioning Examples Before After
Visioning Examples Before After
GREY to GREEN – trees
http://calp.forestry.ubc.ca/
2.5 Wrap Up Group Discussion 1. Show of hands: How many students decided to imagine a future where their block is less vulnerable to climate change? How many students chose to imagine a future where their block is more vulnerable? 2. Is there a volunteer to show the class how you envisioned your block’s future? 3. What features did you add or take away to make the desired changes? How would these actions affect the neighbourhood/schools and residents/students? 4. How do you think you would go about making these changes in reality? 5. What might be some further barriers to implementing changes? 6. What have your main takeaways from these lessons been?
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