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| Bangladesh, with its low elevation and severe tropical storms, is among the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, though it has contributed little to the emissions that are driving it. A woman stood where her house was before Cyclone Aila destroyed it in 2009. Scientists expect rising sea levels to submerge 17 percent of Bangladesh's land and displace 18 million people in the next 40 years. The video below shows the land Bandladesh will lose as the sea rises by 13 feet over the next century. Credit Kadir van Lohuizen for The New York Times. |
Chasing Ice Trailer
The US stands out in the world as a place where, in 2012, candidates for President and Congress denied that the earth is warming as a consequence of human actions. Material leaked from the Chicago-based Heartland Institute shows that the organization planned to create a curriculum for public schools to cast doubt on scientific evidence of human-induced climate change by arguing that the science is controversial. The media had fostered this doubt by presenting the issue as if it had two sides (warming is human caused, it isn't human caused, it is happening, it isn't). Consequently, some people
doubt the science. As with evolution, teachers feel pressured to avoid the subject or treat it as a controversy. In response, the National Center for Science Education has recently created a curriculum to portray the issue accurately.
Option 1: Listen to this segment (Climate Changes, People Don't) of This American Life. Erin, a middle school kid does not accept the science of climate change. (transcript)
1. How would you convince Erin? What does one say to people like her? Do you think she needs to hear facts or is there a better way to talk to her? What was useful in the response of the representative of the National Earth Science Teachers Association?
2. Refer to the links above on education in your post in terms of the difficulty of presenting climate change in the US K-12 educational environment and creative ways to teach this subject.
3. Many people think that change happens when those who don't know something (e.g. climate change is happening) are educated about subjects. Usually this doesn't mean formal education (going to school) but instead means presenting someone with facts. Instead of presenting facts (education), what other mechanisms exist to bring about change? (think broadly)
4. Today climate activists are trained to have conversations with skeptics that don't rely on educating them because research has shown that providing facts is often not the best way to influence people. Presenting facts can come across as "get with the program you idiot!" even if you don't mean to. In the case of climate change, people who are less likely to accept that global warming is happening, is a problem and needs action tend to be politically conservative. How would you talk to someone about climate change using politically conservative ideals so that you take the discussion to their own ideological turf?
OR
Option 2: Listen to this podcast. While politicians continue to deny or ignore climate change, college students are actively involved in climate action.
2. This generation of students has been critiqued by Ralph Nader for not even having "embers" in its belly let alone fire -- why and do you agree?
3. Look at 350.org and discuss something you found there.
4. Today climate activists are trained to have conversations with skeptics that don't rely on educating them because research has shown that providing facts is often not the best way to influence people. Presenting facts can come across as "get with the program you idiot!" even if you don't mean to. In the case of climate change, people who are less likely to accept that global warming is happening, is a problem and needs action tend to be politically conservative. How would you talk to someone about climate change using politically conservative ideals so that you take the discussion to their own ideological turf?
1. How would you convince Erin? What does one say to people like her? Do you think she needs to hear facts or is there a better way to talk to her? What was useful in the response of the representative of the National Earth Science Teachers Association?
2. Refer to the links above on education in your post in terms of the difficulty of presenting climate change in the US K-12 educational environment and creative ways to teach this subject.
3. Many people think that change happens when those who don't know something (e.g. climate change is happening) are educated about subjects. Usually this doesn't mean formal education (going to school) but instead means presenting someone with facts. Instead of presenting facts (education), what other mechanisms exist to bring about change? (think broadly)
4. Today climate activists are trained to have conversations with skeptics that don't rely on educating them because research has shown that providing facts is often not the best way to influence people. Presenting facts can come across as "get with the program you idiot!" even if you don't mean to. In the case of climate change, people who are less likely to accept that global warming is happening, is a problem and needs action tend to be politically conservative. How would you talk to someone about climate change using politically conservative ideals so that you take the discussion to their own ideological turf?
OR
Option 2: Listen to this podcast. While politicians continue to deny or ignore climate change, college students are actively involved in climate action.
2. This generation of students has been critiqued by Ralph Nader for not even having "embers" in its belly let alone fire -- why and do you agree?
3. Look at 350.org and discuss something you found there.
4. Today climate activists are trained to have conversations with skeptics that don't rely on educating them because research has shown that providing facts is often not the best way to influence people. Presenting facts can come across as "get with the program you idiot!" even if you don't mean to. In the case of climate change, people who are less likely to accept that global warming is happening, is a problem and needs action tend to be politically conservative. How would you talk to someone about climate change using politically conservative ideals so that you take the discussion to their own ideological turf?
Optional: New York Times article about the most recent IPCC report Panel's Warning on Climate Risk Worse is Yet to Come to be released next month. |
When it comes to individuals like Erin I can understand the reasoning they have to deny the concept of climate change because it is very large on its scale, very slow in it's effects and quite terrifying to imagine. Simply listing facts won't help with this issue at all instead I feel that a combination of facts as well as an explanation of the rising issues for many especially in the third world but even here in America where terrifying weather has increased from hurricanes to arctic vortexes. One of the representatives says that ice caps are melting and sea levels are rising and with information like that I can see a valid argument being made and a convincing being made not through fear but through fact. The link brings about ways that offer more accurate descriptions of climate change and validated facts about the effects that climate change has on the world. Instead, of suggesting a new ice age, flooding of low lying places is a more possible situation that is likely to occur. With all the facts up to date and more specific people can take the issue more seriously. Change can occur via education but action is the most important means for change if people start changing their lifestyles and governments step in to help as well things will change and others will follow suit. Even in terms of religion could this issue be brought up that god has given us only one planet and if we destroy it its almost like we failed god. Family is a traditional view of conservatives as well and by bringing up that your descendants and even your children will suffer can bring many others into the cause. It's not a matter of if Climate change will occur but when and the clock has already begun ticking so I think it's time we stopped playing around began to do something about it otherwise, many will perish when they could have been saved.
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