Week 12: Before the Flood/Climate Change

Week 12: Before the Flood/Climate Change 

1. What did you do in the lab today? 

CLIMATE CHANGE: 

What are the primary points in the video?

  • Climate change is happening faster than most people realize, and it effects every part of the planet.
  • Our economy is based on fossil fuels. 
  • Other countries are doing way more with solar energy than the United States. 

What are the major issues?

  • We are ruining our planet based on the food we eat and habits that we have. 
  • Not everybody wants climate change to be slowed down. 
  • It affects the lives of plants and animals, not just humans. 

What questions do you want us to teach you?

  • Renewable energy versus fossil fuels. 
  • Air quality but USA looks good. 
  • Sea levels rising. 

2. What was the big question?

  • Has rainfall changed in Iowa globally and nationally over the past 100 years? 
  • What is climate change?

3. What did you learn in Thursday's discussion? 

  • We learned more about the goldfinch bird and why it is in danger. 
    • By the time they are hatching the food sources have already come and gone. 
  • Iowa climate change: 
    • It is predicted that large areas of earth's surface will experience a greater frequency of extreme precipitation that could damage essential infrastructure or potential lead to flooding.
    • There has been an increase in the portion of the US that experiences extreme, single-day precipitation events. 
    • The state of Iowa has seen an upward trend in the number of days that experiences more than 1.25 inches of rainfall.  
    • They found rare earth minerals in Iowa. 

4. Read the online textbook chapter 12: 

    • What did you learn?
      • Weather is the short-term atmospheric conditions. 
        • What is happening now.
      • Climate is the usual weather activity that can be expected for an area of time. 
        • You can not call something climate change unless a trend indicating a change in temperature can be measured over a 30-year period. 
        • What USUALLY happens. 
      • What factors determine whether an area has a hot or cold climate?
        • Latitude
          • Places near the Equator have warmer temperatures.
          • Places near the poles have colder temperatures. 
        • Ocean currents 
          • The temperature of an ocean current affects the temperature of the air that passes over it. 
        • Wind and air masses
          • When wind moves air masses to a new area, they bring the climatic conditions with them. 
        • Elevation 
          • Higher altitudes are cooler because there is less pressure so the air expands. 
        • Relief 
          • When an air mass rises to pass over a mountain it expands and cools, causes precipitation on that side of the mountain. 
        • Near water
          • Water acts as an air conditioner during summer to keep the air temperatures cool. in the winter it acts like a heater to keep the temperatures from getting too cool. 
      • Climate change in Iowa
        • More precipitation and drought
        • Hotter temperatures 
        • Impact on agriculture 
        • Habitat changes
      • What can you do about climate change?
        • Educate yourself about current climate issues. 
    • What was most helpful? 
      • Understanding the difference between weather and climate, especially the 30-year standard for identifying climate change.
      • What do you need more information on?
        • How habitat changes affect local wildlife in Iowa.
        • What practical steps I can take beyond education to reduce climate change effects.
         5. What questions, concerns, and/or comments do you have? 

        I don't have any questions or concerns.  

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