GLOBAL WARMING - ENVIRONMENT DAY'S ACTIVITIES

Today we celebrate the Environment Day. This reminds us how important our planet is, it is not only our home, but the home of millions of living beings. We are responsible for understanding how our actions contribute to damaging our environment and take the necessary actions to avoid them.

Education is very important, we need to learn about environmental issues. To celebrate this important date we are doing a special activity, follow the steps very carefully.

1. Watch the video.

 

2. Read the article and answer questions on your worksheet.

The Greenhouse Effect

The greenhouse effect is not a new phenomenon.It is a natural process that helps to heat the earth's surface to the temperatures necessary to support life.

Naturally occurring gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and halocarbons and also water vapour in our atmosphere act like a blanket around the Earth. They allow the sun's rays to warm the Earth's surface, and also prevent much of the heat escaping, so that the Earth’s temperature is maintained at reasonable levels.

The gases which trap the heat from the sun are called greenhouse gases.

Certain human activities add to the levels of most of these naturally occurring gases: 

•  When solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), and wood and wood products are burned.

• Rice production, the decomposition of organic wastes in municipal solid waste landfills, and the raising of livestock. Methane also is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil.
• Agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels.

 Our protective blanket is now trapping too much heat and steadily increasing

the Earth’s average or mean temperature. Even a very small rise in the Earth’s mean temperature will have quite dramatic negative impacts on ourenvironment. These impacts are predicted to include melting of polar ice caps, rising sea levels, increasing

intensity and frequency of storms, and changes to weather patterns, including prolonged droughts, that will reduce agricultural productivity as well as our

recreational and tourism activities.

Scientists believe that if the Earth’s mean temperature increases more than 2°C, irreversible damage could occur to ecosystems throughout Australia including possible destruction of Ningaloo Reef and the Great Barrier Reef. Without the protection of the greenhouse effect the Earth’s average temperature would be a rather chilly -18° Celsius and we would find it rather difficult to survive.

The Earth is warming at a faster rate than any time in the last 10,000 years – the 1990s was the warmest decade in the last millennium.  

3. Play some games at:

http://climatekids.nasa.gov/menu/play/