Re: An Inconvenient Truth discussion questions for middle sc
Posted by Google is Good on 4/09/08

CO2 is a greenhouse gas. How does atmospheric CO2 interact
with: 1) incoming sunlight; 2) reflected infrared radiation?
Describe / explain the “greenhouse effect.”
Describe / explain “global warming.”
In 1958, Roger Ravelle and Charles Keeling started to
systematically measure atmospheric CO2 in Hawaii. Describe
the pattern and trend in atmospheric CO2 levels that they
soon observed.
Why does atmospheric CO2 go up and down each year?
Ravelle and others thought that the rapid increase in
atmospheric CO2 was important. Why?
The global climate system is complex. It is difficult to
accurately “take the planet’s temperature.” One alternative
technique is to track the growth or shrinkage of glaciers.
What has been the result of this technique in the last 100
years?
Where is Mount Kilimanjaro?
What two main kinds of climate information can be obtained
from ice cores?
Using ice core data from the last 1000 years, what has been
the temperature trend for the northern hemisphere?
Using ice core data for the last 650,000 years, what is the
pattern of CO2 levels and global temperature?
How do recent CO2 levels compare with historic CO2 levels in
the last 650,000 years?
At current CO2 emission rates, how will CO2 levels of the
year 2050 compare with historic CO2 levels of the last
650,000 years?
If normal low points in CO2 levels accompanied ice ages in
the northern hemisphere, what might global climate be like
with unprecedented high levels of CO2?
In the years from 1860 to 2005 what year was the hottest?
Has there been a hotter year outside this range?
Ocean temperatures are rising worldwide. How could warming
oceans affect hurricanes?
In 2004, hurricane Catarina hit the South Atlantic coast of
Brazil. What was unusual about this storm?
What year did the USA experience a record-breaking number of
tornados?
Hurricane Katrina was a category 1 hurricane when it crossed
the southern tip of Florida in 2005. Why did it become a
category 5 hurricane just before it slammed into New
Orleans?
What does the insurance industry think about global warming?
Skeptical, like the coal and petroleum industries?
Warming oceans lead to increased evaporation, cloud
formation and rainfall. But if there are more clouds and
more rainstorms worldwide, how could there also be more
widespread drought?
If the atmospheric CO2 levels double, will the USA become
wetter or drier?
What is happening right now to Arctic sea ice?
The number of drowned polar bears is rising. Why?
What is the recent trend for the number of days of frozen
soil in the Arctic?
If sea ice melts, how does this amplify global warming?
If the Greenland icecap melts suddenly and completely, large
amounts of freshwater will pour into the North Atlantic. How
might this influence the operation of the ocean conveyor in
the region?
How will Europe’s climate change as a result?
The example was given about how changes in seasonal timing
can cause previously “in-sync” interactions between species
to go out-of-sync. How did the timing of the caterpillars
and bird hatchlings get out of sync?
Why are pine beetles suddenly and rapidly spreading upward
to higher elevations and northward to Canadian forests?
Recently, Antarctica has lost several large floating ice
shelves. What is the main concern about the aftermath of
these losses?
What has been the recent trend of seasonal ice melt on
Greenland?
If the Greenland icecap melts, or if large Antarctic icecaps
melt, what will happen to densely populated coastal regions
like southern Florida, San Francisco Bay anad Beijing?
Given the projected trends in human population growth, what
are the chances that global warming problems will be solved
on their own?
Why are we waiting? Are we desperately searching for
essential new technologies before we can attack global
warming?
What is preventing society from solving this problem?
What is the Kyoto Protocol?
Did the USA sign it?
Did the USA ratify it?
What percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions come from
the USA?
What are 10 ways you can take action in your personal life
to help slow global warming?

On 4/02/08, hannah wrote:
> Hi all,
> I was wondering if anyone had some discussion questions
> that they have found worked well for the documentary. We
> teach grade 7.
> Thank you.
>

Posts on this thread, including this one

• An Inconvenient Truth discussion questions for middle school, 4/02/08, by hannah.
• Re: An Inconvenient Truth discussion questions for middle sc, 4/09/08, by Google is Good.

 
 
 

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