National Geographic: Six Degrees Could Change the World (2007)

 

SixDegreeDVDCover

Starring: Alec Baldwin Director: Ron Bowman Rating

Product Description
In a special broadcast event National Geographic explores the startling theory that Earths average temperature could rise six degrees Celsius by the year 2100. In this amazing and insightful documentary National Geographic illustrates one poignant degree at a time the consequences of rising temperatures on Earth. Also learn how existing technologies and remedies can help in the battle to dial back the global thermometer

U-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_pb1G2wIoA (1 Hr 36 Min)

 

Preview One Degree (2:08 minutes) on Nat Geo Channel:

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/videos/degree-one/

 

Climate Change Assignment:

 

1.    Read Contextual Chemistry (Global Climate Change) pages 23-24-25 See Table 1.4 Point/Counter Points). Note the Think & Discuss questions on page 25. Read Chapter 16 Section 16.7.

2.    View the Film: National Geographic: Six Degrees Could Change the World (2007) or any other PBS/Nat Geo/Science Channel film on Climate Change (Global Warning)

3.     Take and Record Notes (Stop & Start Film) on Film (see document: “6 Degree Notes”). If you use a different film set up the Notes page like 6 Degree Notes.

4.     Write and Post a Review on Amazon.com (see “6 Degree Reviews”)

5.     Transform the Review into a paper

 

  1.  Write a paper on Climate Change or Global Warming. Take a pro or con stand on the issue. You should use references or scenarios from the film (or other equivalent films) and use additional references from the Internet. This paper should be at least three to five pages Double Spaced. This paper is due the week of the final exam. Cite your references. Piece together as many quotes from your research, but label them and attach a bibliography.
  2. Research NOAA using the links below and explain what they do. See Figure 16.26 and 16.27 in Section 16.7 pages 526-527. Our text is copyright is 2014. Update theses graphs by cutting and pasting from NOA in your paper. Please show the current graphs of CO2 levels of the atmosphere and the graphs of the last 50 years or more.

http://www.noaa.gov/

The film states that the current CO2 level is 382 ppm (in 2006), look at the graph to update the film:
 https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide

At what level may we be at the point of no return?

 

  1. Read the following articles:

      How much will Earth warm if carbon dioxide doubles pre-industrial levels? (2014)

      2013 State of the Climate: Carbon dioxide tops 400 ppm (2014)

       Increasing ocean acidification threatens Alaska’s valuable commercial and subsistence fisheries (2014)

      2014 State of the Climate: Carbon Dioxide  (2015)

      Where, oh where, has Alaska’s winter gone?

  1.  Show the current global average temperatures:

 

  1.  In the last 18 months, which months set records for highest recorded monthly temperatures. What do you concluded from the data presented.

 

 

  1. Explain the Greenhouse effect and chemistry behind this effect. Section 16.7 pages 526-527)

 

  1. Explain what has happened to the Ice Caps of Greenland and Antarctica over the last 15 years. What happed with Larsen A and Larsen B? What is happening to most of the major glaciers over the last 50 years. What is the global impact?

 

 

  1. How can we stabilize Green House Gases?

 

  1. Explain the concepts of  the Carbon Tax and Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) (also known as Cap & Trade)

 

  1. Describe Plant Barry of Alabama Power which has a solution but is not used. Why?

 

This paper/project is due the last week of the term. If you use images, then your paper will exceed five pages. Images blown up for a page will not count. 3-5 pages not including large images.

 

Purchase the film on amazon.com  (new $14.49 Used from $1.99) :

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_6?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=6+degrees+could+change+the+world&sprefix=6+degr%2Caps%2C183

 

Alternate Films:

The Global Warming War

The Global Warming War (Weather Channel)

Luke Dillard (Director, Producer) Format: DVD

The climate change debate hits a blistering zenith in this award-winning documentary. “The Global Warming War” proposes that the scientific opinion on climate change is influenced more by politics than actual climate-science, and questions whether scientific consensus on global warming even exists. Featuring interviews from climatologists, meteorologists, physicists, authors, and political strategists. Including the founders of The Weather Channel, the co-founder of The World Rainforest Movement, and physicist, Dr. Henrik Svensmark, the documentary introduces his Cosmic Ray Theory, which he maintains plays an important role in our planet's climate, and could be a factor that has been unaccounted for.

 

Planet in Peril (CNN)

Planet in Peril (CNN)

CNN takes viewers around the world in a comprehensive 3-hour documentary that examines our changing planet. This worldwide investigation, shot in high definition, looks at four key issues: climate change, vanishing habitats, disappearing species and human population growth. To tell this story, Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin traveled to some of the most remote and remarkable places on Earth. From exposing illegal wildlife trading undercover in Southeast Asia to seeing first–hand the devastating effects of deforestation in Brazil, they have gathered evidence on the unsettling changes taking place all around us.

 

There are also other films you may use.