Weekly Chat
Climate Chaos is the topic of the Weekly Chat for Module 04 during the weeks 10,11 and 12
Background: Carbon dioxide levels rise. Mercury climbs. Oceans warm. Coral reefs bleach. Glaciers melt. Sea levels rise. Sea ice thins. Permafrost thaws. Migration times vary. Lakes shrink. Snowpacks decline. Ice shelves collapse. Wildfires increase. Droughts linger. Winter gets soft. Mountain streams run dry. Flowers get bigger. Trees turn green sooner. Exotic species invade. Cloud forests dry. Spring comes earlier. Fall leaves later.
Global warming or climate change? The National Academies explains that "the phrase climate change is growing in preferred use to global warming because it helps convey that there are changes in addition to rising temperatures." On the other hand, many prefer to continue using the term "global warming," to convey a state of urgency. When GoNorth! team member Mille Porsild was asked to become a Climate Witness for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the United Kingdom, Matthew Davis the climate change campaign director, explained that politicians and the people on the street in the UK are not relating to the term climate change, that they are not considering it a problem of their own! The name later chosen for the WWF campaign was Climate Chaos. This term acknowledges that we indeed know the continuation of increased carbon dioxide levels at current rates will lead to dramatic environmental and climatic change on a global scale-and recognizes that we do not know exactly what this will mean, beyond that it will leave the global environmental balance in a state of chaos.
WWF's Climate Chaos campaign has been very successful so far, in large part instrumental in the significant push from Prime Minister Tony Blair to call for global action at the G8 meetings and in national government actions. As Blair has said, "I want to concentrate on what I believe to be the world's greatest environmental challenge: climate change."
Transcripts
Check here for weekly chat transcripts to read or watch!
Climate Chaos
April 26, 2007
w/Katie Scheidt
Transcript >>
Watch It >>
Climate Chaos
May 02, 2007
w/Katie Scheidt
Transcript >>
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Climate Chaos
May 11, 2007
w/Dan Dix
Transcript >>
Watch It >>
Some questions to possibly open the chat with or discuss prior to the LIVE chat!
List at least three suggestions that might help reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses?
Do you believe climate change is a serious environmental problem? Why, or why not?
What are the world's nations doing to prevent or reduce climate change? Is enough being done?
