S E C O N D A R Y 2

Climate Change
and
Natural Disasters

Name:
 The Cambridge dictionary
1. What do you think is your environmental footprint on the planet? defines environmental footprint as:
the effect that a person, company,
__________________________________________________________ activity, etc. has on
the environment, for example the
__________________________________________________________ amount of natural resources that
__________________________________________________________ they use and the amount of harmful
gases that they produce.

2. Are you someone who does a lot of food waste? How are you making a difference?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

3. Do you consider yourself a victim of fast fashion? Explain your answer.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

4. What personal actions do you do everyday to reduce your environmental footprint?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

5. Do you think, one day, the planet will turn against us? Why or why not?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

6. Are you optimist or pessimist when you think about the future? Explain
your answer.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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This document will focus on 2 things : first, what is climate change, how it is
created and what are the solutions. The second part is about natural
disasters and places around the word that are dangerous. We only have one
planet and apparently, it can turn against us…
K W L
What do I already What do I want to What did I learn about
know about these know about these these topics?
topics? topics?

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KNOW YOUR PLANET
7. What is an ecosystem?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
8.

a) What does the term ‘’biodegradable’’ b) Provide some examples of

mean? biodegradable items :

9.

a) What does the term ‘’non- b) Provide some examples of non-

biodegradable’’ mean? biodegradable items :

10. What are the differences between ‘’no waste’’ products and biodegradable items?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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11. Write a list of things that humans are doing now in terms of “sustainability” (no
waste, less pollution) that were not happening 50 or 75 years ago?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

12. Think about where the pile of non-biodegradable garbage goes. What does “throw
away” mean? Is it really going away? What has happened and/or is happening to the
ecosystem where the landfill is?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

13. What should be done about this wastefulness of non-biodegradable items? Form
groups of 2-3 students and brainstorm some ideas. What can the government do? What
can the community do? What can you do?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

14. Do you think Canada is doing great in terms of pollution and/or environmental
solutions?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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 Climate Change 101
What is ‘’Climate’’?
In 2015, Senator Jim Inhofe brought a snowball onto the senate floor to demonstrate
that climate change was a hoax. He argued that the world could not be warming
because it was, at this moment in time, cold outside.

There are two main flaws with Senator Inhofe’s argument: (1) climate is not the same
thing as weather, and (2) longterm trends are not the same as momentary data.

When we check the weather forecast, we want to know what the current temperature
is, rainfall, humidity, wind, etc. This would be considered short term information, as
today’s weather is not the same as tomorrow’s weather.

Climate, however, is the long-term weather for a region. The climate of the tropics is
different from the climate in temperate zones. Climate takes into account, long-term
temperature and precipitation trends. For example, after looking at precipitation data,
lake and reservoir levels, and satellite data, scientists can tell if during a summer, an
area was drier than average. If it continues to be drier than normal over the course of
many summers, than it would likely indicate a change in the climate. The climate of a
region depends on many factors including the amount of sunlight it receives, its height
above sea level, the shape of the land, and how close it is to oceans. Since the equator
receives more sunlight than the poles, climate varies depending on its distance from the
equator.

When we talk about climate change, we are talking about long-term differences in
weather. Instead of comparing January 1, 2018 to January 2, 2018, climate scientists
would be comparing all the weather patterns on each January 1st over the last 100
years. Climate change could refer to a particular location or the planet as a whole.

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Climate change has also been connected with other damaging weather events such as
more frequent and more intense hurricanes, floods, downpours, and winter storms.

In polar regions, the warming global temperatures associated with climate change have
meant ice sheets and glaciers are melting at an accelerated rate from season to season.
This contributes to sea levels rising in different regions of the planet. Together with
expanding ocean waters due to rising temperatures, the resulting rise in sea level has
begun to damage coastlines as a result of increased flooding and erosion.

When occuring naturally, this is a slow process that has taken place over hundreds and
thousands of years. The human influenced climate change that is happening now is
occuring at a much faster rate.

Analysis Questions
1. Summarize the difference between climate and weather.

2. Why was the senator theory wrong?

3. Is the senator right to think that climate change is a hoax? Why or why not?

4. Following #3, give 2 arguments to support your answer; 2 arguments to support

his point of view, OR 2 arguments to confront him on climate change.

Argument 1 :

Argument 2 :

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 Effects
So, what’s the big deal? Why is everybody freaking out
about a few degrees? The effects of climate change are
numerous and extensive, but we will touch on a few.

1. Sea levels are rising as glaciers melt.

Approximately 10% of the world’s population lives
in coastal areas and 2/3 of the world’s cities are at
risk - especially as more people move to cities.
Climate change threatens coastal areas, which are
already stressed by human activity, pollution,
invasive species, and storms.
2. Extreme weather is becoming more frequent
and more devastating. There have been changes
in some types of extreme weather events in the
United States over the last several decades,
including more intense and frequent heat waves,
less frequent and intense cold waves, and regional changes in floods and wildfires.
3. Human health is affected as climate change increases water demand while shrinking
water supplies. In some areas, water shortages will be less of a problem than increases
in flooding, or sea level rise, reducing the quality of water. As warmer weather spreads,
so do the ranges for many disease-carrying mosquitoes, ticks and other parasites. The
appearance of mosquito species that carry malaria, Zika and other diseases have
recently been seen in the United States and are expected to spread further as climate
warms.

Analysis Questions
1. Why does the sea level rising a few inches pose such a problem?

2. According to the picture, how has the increase in natural disasters due to climate
change affected the United States?

3. How is human health expected to be affected?

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Solutions
There is no point in looking at the future and throwing our hands up in despair. This is
not helpful in any sense, but taking action is. While scientists, engineers, businesses and
governments continuously propose several solutions, we will focus on a few.
1. Focusing on renewable energy would shift the emphasis away from coal and oil. It
includes investing more into solar power, wind power, bio-fuels, and geothermal energy
at the industrial, consumer, and personal levels. Renewable energy sources do not add
more carbon into the air and take advantage of existing resources like sunlight and
wind. Benefits include: reduced air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and lower
consumer energy bills. On the other hand, non-renewable energy sources have a larger
impact on the planet because they are, as their name says, non-renewable.
2. A focus on building sustainable cities and buildings upgrades would reduce
emissions. Buildings worldwide contribute around one third of all greenhouse gas
emissions (43 percent in the U.S. alone). The use of electricities from big cities and the
pollution from cars are not sustainable and definitely not good for the environment. The
focus on developing places should be on creating sustainable cities, which are designed
with consideration of environmental impact. They would be dedicated to the
minimization of required inputs of energy, water and food, as well as waste output of
heat, CO2, methane, and water pollution.

3. A carbon tax puts a price on carbon emissions, meaning governments would charge
companies that produce too much carbon dioxide more money to do so. This would
encourage people, businesses, and governments to produce less of them. If it was put in
place, this will allow them to invest in clean energy and climate adaptation. In other
words, people who pollute more will pay more for their environmental footprint, and
their money would be use to lower their impact.

Analysis questions
1. What is the difference between renewable energy and non-renewable energy?

2. What type of infrastructure upgrades would help reduce carbone missions?

3. How would a carbon tax help carbone missions?

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 PART 2 : UNEXPLAINED MYSTERY
BERMUDA TRIANGLE
The Bermuda Triangle is a body of water that is
located in the Atlantic Ocean where ships and
aircrafts, along with their passengers,
mysteriously disappear. The Bermuda Triangle
has been a mystery since the mid-19th century.
The three corners that make up the triangular
shape of the Bermuda Triangle are the countries
of Bermuda and Puerto Rico, and the city of
Miami (in Florida). It is also one of the most
travelled areas in the ocean.
THEORIES
There are several theories about the Bermuda Triangle, from human error to piracy
to hurricanes. Incidentally, the number of disappearances that occur within the
Bermuda Triangle is fairly similar to other ocean areas of similar size,
further debunking the myth that mysterious forces are at work in these Caribbean
waters.
One of the more popular is the rogue wave theory. A rogue wave is a large wave that
can reach up to 100 feet high. These waves can be found at this location and are strong
enough to completely demolish a ship or plane, leaving no trace behind.
Another popular theory states that pilots may have forgotten about the agonic line. The
agonic line is an imaginary line that passes through the Bermuda Triangle and causes
compass malfunctions due to magnetic interference. Some theorists believe that pilots
travelling through the Bermuda Triangle veered off course due to the agonic line and
never returned.

Other theorists believe that many ships and aircraft have disappeared due to poor
weather conditions that were misreported as clear weather. Remnants of some of these
missing ships have been found and experts have discovered the causes of these
disappearances.
Over time, the Bermuda Triangle has tickled the imagination of armchair travelers and
conspiracy theorists, securing itself a place in popular culture. But suspicions of
paranormal activity playing a role in the disappearances have been, for the most part,
dispelled. For example, the U.S. Navy does not believe in the existence, or unusual
attributes, of the triangle.

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FAMOUS DISAPPEARANCES
In 1918, the USS Cyclops (a Navy cargo ship) disappeared while traveling in the Bermuda
Triangle. Over 300 men and 10,000 tons of manganese (a mineral) were on board when
the ship disappeared. It is unknown why the ship never sent out a distress signal. It was
one of the first ships connected to the Bermuda Triangle mysteries.

Find and highlight the words below in the text. Then, write the definitions IN YOUR
OWN WORDS:

a) debunking:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
b) demolish:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
c) compass:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
d) interference:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
e) veered (to veer):
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

f) remnants:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

g) dispelled (to dispel):

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

h) distress:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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Questions
1. What is the Bermuda Triangle?

2. Where is the Bermuda Triangle located?

3. Explain the rogue wave theory associated with the Bermuda Triangle:

4. Explain the Agonic Line theory:

5. Why do you think some organizations don’t believe in the Bermuda Triangle?

6. Would you still take a plane if you know that it is going through the Bermuda
Triangle? Explain your answer.

7. What is your theory about the Bermuda Triangle? Do you think people go missing?
Where do they go? Do you think waves and electromagnetic fields are to blame? Do
you think the dissapearances are human errors?

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DEADLY FOG OF 1952

London may be known for its rainy

weather, but in 1952 the city’s fog
turned deadly, and no one knew
exactly why — until now. For five
days in December 1952, a fog that
contained pollutants enveloped all
of London. By the time the dense
fog cover lifted, more than 150,000
people had been hospitalized and at
least 4,000 people had died.
Researchers now estimate that the
total death count was likely more
than 12,000 people, as well as thousands of animals. Despite its deadly nature, the exact
cause and nature of the killer fog has largely remained a mystery. Recently, a team of
researchers has determined the reasons for its formation.

Researchers have for a long time connected the burning coal with the killer fog, but the
specific chemical processes that led to the deadly mix of pollution and fog were not fully
understood. To determine what turned the fog into a killer, an international team of
scientists from China, the U.S. and the U.K. recreated the fog in a lab using results from
laboratory experiments. Sulfuric acid particles, which formed from the burning of coal,
were a component of the fog. Combined with the air pollution and bad weather, a thick
and opaque fog surrounded London, which made it impossible to see throughout the
city. You can understand that people were breathing acids through the fog, which led to
hospitalizations and deaths, but also many accidents were caused because of the
density of the fog.

It lasted from Friday 5 December to Tuesday 9 December 1952, then dispersed quickly
when the weather changed.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why was the fog deadly? What was it composed of?

2. If a dense fog surrounded your town, would you still do your daily routine? Explain.
3. A lot of political issues came from that problem. Can you guess why politics were
involved?
4. Do you think this event can happen again? Why or why not?
5. Should we test air quality annually to calculate pollution?
6. Do you think the population is to blame when it comes to weather? If so, in what
circumstances?

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DANGEROUS BEACHES AROUND THE WORLD

Beaches are paradise getaways under the sun, with sand and surf aplenty. But some
beaches are home to a number of hidden dangers and hazards that can ruin any
vacation—or even potentially kill you.

Hanakapiai Beach, Hawaii - Powerful Rip Currents

Nestled in the Napali Coast of Kauai and only accessible by the Kalalau Trail, Hanakapiai
Beach is one of the most dangerous places in the world to go swimming due to powerful
rip currents and waves that are known to sweep people out to sea. In the event that a
swimmer gets caught in a rip current, the closest safe shore area is about six miles away.
Due to these hazardous conditions, The Telegraph reports that at least 83 people have
drowned there over the years.

Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai - Pollution

Mumbai’s Chowpatty Beach is one of the world’s most polluted in the world, making the
sea here unfit for swimming, according to The Telegraph. The sands on this beach are
full of debris and scraps from salvaged ships, and the waters are full of dumped waste
and disposal from city of Mumbai. The beach’s waters have only gotten more polluted
since 2011 when the MV Rak sank and spilled 60,000 metric tons of coal. According to
the US Environmental Protection Agency, swimming in polluted water may result in
illnesses, such as diarrhea or sore throats, or even more serious illnesses in children, the
elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

Black Sand Beaches of Kilauea, Hawaii - Erupting Volcano

Located in Volcanoes National Park, the

black sand beaches of Kilauea may be
beautiful, but they are also dangerous.
The beaches sit next to one of the
world’s most active volcanoes, Mount
Kilauea, which has been continuously
erupting since 1983 and spewing hot
lava into the ocean. The temperatures
of the water here reach about 110
degrees, according to the Huffington
Post.

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Beaches of the Northern Territory, Australia - Venomous Jellyfish

Box jellyfish are the most dangerous and venomous jellyfish in the world, growing up to
11 inches wide with 60 tentacles that can stretch up to 6 feet long. These jellyfish, which
are transparent in the water, can be found in large swarms along the coast of the
Northern Territory of Australia. Their sting is so painful that some victims suffer cardiac
arrest before the reach the shore. Trying to remove the tentacles from a sting can cause
more venom to be discharged, and death can occur within five minutes. According to
the Telegraph, these jellyfish have been responsible for at least 70 deaths since 1883.

Congo and Rwanda’s lake

A number of "killer lakes" have been found in Africa, but it is not the water that is the
worry. Lake Nyos in Cameroon and Lake Kivu, on the border of the Democratic Republic of
Congo and Rwanda, both harbour an invisible danger. These lakes sit on areas of volcanic
activity where carbon dioxide leaks from beneath the ground. During a "limnic eruption",
the carbon dioxide bursts out from the bottom of the lake to form a cloud. Because the
gas is heavier than air, it descends, pushing oxygen away and suffocating any life in the
area. After two eruptions in the 1980s killed over 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock in
Cameroon, experts devised methods to safely and regularly de-gas the lakes, using pipes
and siphons.

Where can you find… Name of the beach

One of the world’s most active

volcanoes, Mount Kilauea

Jellyfishs that can cause you a heart

attack

Suffocating air

Lava into the ocean

The most powerful waves

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 Project Choice: 1 class research, 1 class written production

Choice #1: Do a research and explain what Canada is doing for the environment.
Choice #2: Do a research about a deadly natural phenomenon.

In both choices, you will have to write a news article for the school newspaper about
your topic.

I evaluate if: you take in consideration your audience, if you provide enough information
and details about your topic, if you cite your sources and if you structure your text
properly.

How to structure your text:

o you should have a title that intrigues the reader

o you should do an introduction to present your topic, without going into details
o you explain greatly your topic, as if you were an expert in that subject
o you conclude your text with a ‘’wrap-up’’ of all the information you provided

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Discussion questions

1. Does the environment belong principally to the human race?

2. Do you think that developers should be permitted to build big hotels and tourist
complexes in the most beautiful places in your country?

3. Should cars be banned from city, town and village centres?

4. Would the world be a better place without humans?

5. Who do you think is more responsible for pollution, individual people or the
government? Explain.

6. Can climate change be reversed? If so, how?

7. Should plastic products have a ‘’plastic tax’’ because of the waste they cause?

8. Are social media / influencers responsible for glorifying fast fashion?

9. How has the world changed since you were a child?

10. How would you explain global warming to someone?

11. If you were the Minister of Environment, what would be the first things you would
change? What causes do you think can wait? Why?

12. Can you name other forms of renewable/alternate energy?

13. Compare Canada to any other country. Is Canada doing better things for the
environment than the other country? Which one is better and why?

14. Who should be more responsible of the environment: teenagers or adults?

15. What are some local environmental problems you have noticed?

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