LESSON

Responding to Climate Change

Guiding Question: How can we respond to climate change?

List ways to reduce greenhouse gases related to the

use and generation of electricity.
Describe some of the ways of reducing greenhouse
gases related to transportation.
Describe other strategies for reducing greenhouse
gases.
Explain how nations are working together to try to
address climate change.

16.4 LESSON PLAN PREVIEW

Inquiry Students research
local electricity generation.
Real World Students explore
ways to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels for transporation.
Differentiated Instruction
Advanced students form a
supported opinion about the
Kyoto Protocol.

16.4 RESOURCES
Lesson 16.4 Worksheets Lesson 16.4
Assessment Chapter 16 Overview
Presentation
GUIDING QUESTION
FOCUS Make a three-column table
on the board. Label the columns
Individuals, Corporations, and
Governments, respectively. Give students several moments to discuss
how these groups might respond to
climate change. Record students responses in the table. Have them add
to the table as they read the lesson.

FIGURE 16 An Adaptation Strategy

A sea wall is being constructed to
protect seaside property from rising
sea levels in Sydney, Australia.
502 Lesson 4

Reading Strategy How can you save electricity in your

home? Write down what you know. Then, as you read the
lesson, write additional ways that you and your family can
conserve electricity.
Vocabulary carbon footprint, carbon tax, carbon offset,
carbon sequestration, Kyoto Protocol

TODAY MOST PEOPLE AGREE that climate change is occurring,

and that we need to do something about it. How do we meet this challenge? There are specific things that people and nations can do to address
global warming.

Use and Production of Electricity

Ways of reducing the production of greenhouse gases include
conserving electricity and finding new ways to produce electricity.
We can respond to climate change in two basic waysadaptation and
mitigation. One approach, adaptation, involves protecting people from
the effects of global warming. For example, residents of the Maldives have
built a sea wall around the nations capital to protect roads and buildings
from storms.

Mitigation consists of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By doing

this, we will lessen the severity of future climate change. Mitigation
includes strategies such as improving energy efficiency and preventing
deforestation. We need to pursue both adaptation and mitigation. However, in the long term, mitigation is more important because it addresses
the causes of global warming. Each of us should be trying to reduce our
carbon footprints. A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide
emissions for which an individual or group is responsible.
A major mitigation strategy addresses how we use and produce
electricity. Electricity generation is the largest source of U.S. greenhouse
gases. Fossil fuel combustion generates about 70 percent of the electricity in the United States. There are ways to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released during the generation of electricity. First, we need
to encourage energy efficiency and conservation. In addition, we need to
switch to energy sources that are cleaner and renewable.

Efficiency and Conservation Efficiency consists of using energy

effectivelythat is, accomplishing a job using as little energy as possible.
Conservation consists of reducing energy use.
New technologies, such as high-efficiency light bulbs
and appliances, provide more effective ways to use electricity. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers technological solutions
through its Energy Star Program. This program rates household appliances,
lights, windows, fans, office equipment, and heating and cooling systems by
their energy efficiency. For instance, ratings indicate that by replacing standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, you can reduce energy use
for lighting by about 75 percent. In addition, certain kinds of appliances,
such as air conditioners and refrigerators, must have an EnergyGuide label
similar to the one shown in Figure 17. EnergyGuide labels give consumers
information about the energy efficiency of these appliances.
Efficiency

In addition, individual people can make lifestyle

choices that reduce the use of electrical appliances and other devices.
Here are just a few things that you and other people can do:
Turn off lights, computers, and televisions when not in use.
Wash only full loads in dishwashers and clothes washers.
Unplug appliances that you seldom use, such as food processors.
Unplug cell-phone chargers once the phone is charged.
Dont keep the refrigerator door open. Remove food quickly.
Use a microwave oven, rather than a conventional oven, to heat food.
Conservation

Reading
Checkpoint

ANSWERS

Reading Checkpoint The generation of electricity

FIGURE 17 EnergyGuide An
EnergyGuide label gives consumers an
estimate of how much it costs to run an
appliance for a year. If the label has the
Energy Star logo, the appliance uses
less energy than typical models of the
appliance.

What is the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gases?

Alternate Sources of Electricity Energy sources that

produce electricity without using fossil fuels are another way
to reduce greenhouse gases. For example, nuclear power comes
from reactions that take place within atoms. Solar power uses
energy from the sun. Wind power depends on wind to make
electricity, and hydroelectric power uses the movement of water.
Geothermal power makes use of heat trapped underground.
These energy sources do not give off greenhouse gases.
Global Climate Change 503

Transportation

Make A
Difference

You and your family
may be needlessly spending $100 a
year if you keep electronic devices,
such as computers and CD players,
plugged in all the time. As long
as theyre plugged in, electronic
devices use a little bit of electricity, even when they havent been
turned on. So unplug that computer or TV!

By choosing more efficient cars, driving less, and using public

transportation, people can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Transportation is the second largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The average American family makes 10 trips by car each day.
Unfortunately, the typical automobile is not very efficient. More than
85 percent of the fuel does something other than move the car down
the road, as shown in Figure 18. Automobiles powered by gasoline may
always remain somewhat inefficient. However, there are steps we can take
to reduce the release of greenhouse gases produced by transportation.

Vehicle Technology The technology exists to make cars and trucks

more fuel-efficient than they are now. Vehicles in the United States are
generally not as fuel-efficient as they are in many other nations. It will
probably take both government regulation and consumer demand to
improve fuel efficiency in the United States. As gasoline prices rise, people
will demand more fuel-efficient cars.
There are now alternatives to cars that burn only gasoline. For
example, hybrid vehicles combine electric motors and gasoline-powered
engines. Researchers are investigating alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas. In addition, scientists are working on developing
motor vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells that use oxygen and hydrogen.
These fuel cells produce only water as a waste product.

Driving Less and Using Public Transportation People can reduce

their dependence on cars. For example, some people are choosing to live
closer to their workplaces or to work from home. In addition, students
can bike or walk to school or to complete their everyday activities.
Still other people use mass transportation, such as buses and subways.
According to one study, increasing our use of public transportation may
be the most effective strategy for saving energy and reducing pollution.
Public transportation in the United States already reduces gasoline use.
If people use public transportation more, the United States could significantly reduce its contribution to climate change. Unfortunately, many
communities lack good public transportation.

Gas

FIGURE 18 Energy Loss in a Car

Most cars are inefficient. Notice that, in a

typical car, only 14 percent of the energy
from fuel is used to move the car.

504 Lesson 4

14%
Moving
car

100%

62%
Engine heat
loss, friction,
inefficiencies

17%
Idling

5%
2%
Drive train
Running
friction and accessories:
inefficiencies water pump,
stereo, etc.

Other Approaches to Reducing

Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse gas emissions can also be reduced through
improved agriculture and forestry, cap-and-trade policies, carbon
taxes, carbon offsets, and carbon sequestration.
In addressing global climate change, it is important to improve efficiency
and conservation in generating electricity and using motor vehicles.
But governments, industries, scientists, and individual citizens are also
exploring other strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Agriculture and Forestry Soil and forests absorb carbon dioxide.

Careful farming practices, such as the prevention of erosion, help preserve soils ability to hold carbon. In addition, agricultural scientists have
developed techniques to reduce the greenhouse gases that come from
sources such as rice cultivation, livestock, and manure. In forestry, new
trees planted to replace those that have been cut down (Figure 19) take in
carbon dioxide and help prevent soil erosion.

Cap-and-Trade Some industries are better than others in reduc-

ANSWERS

ing greenhouse gas emissions. In a cap-and-trade program, a governReading Checkpoint Soil absorbs
carbon dioxide. Preventing erosion,
ment puts a limit (cap) on the amount of greenhouse gases that can be
therefore, limits greenhouse gas
released by specific industries and power plants. Industries that release
emissions.
less greenhouse gas than they are allowed can sell their leftover allowances to industries that are less efficient. Suppose,
for example, a factory is allowed to release 100
FIGURE 19 Replacing Lost Trees
units of carbon dioxide. However, it only releases
Trees take in carbon dioxide, so
75 units. The factory can sell the leftover 25 units
replacing lost trees prevents some
carbon dioxide from entering the
to a factory that is having difficulty reducing its
atmosphere.
emissions as much as is required. Cap-and-trade
programs work well only if the caps are progressively lowered.

Carbon Tax Many scientists and policymakers

think that cap-and-trade programs are ineffective.

A carbon tax is an alternative. A carbon tax is a
fee that a government charges polluters for each
unit of greenhouse gases they emit. This gives
polluters a financial incentive to reduce their
emissions. Several European nations have
established carbon taxes. However, the
downside of a carbon tax is that most polluters simply pass the cost along to consumers by charging higher prices for the
goods and services they sell.
Reading
Checkpoint

 ow does preventing eroH

sion help limit greenhouse
gas emissions?

Global Climate Change 505

FIGURE 20 Carbon Offsets Airplane

passengers can sometimes buy carbon
offsets to compensate for their share of
the greenhouse gases released by the
airplane.

Carbon Offsets A carbon offset is a voluntary payment made when one

ANSWERS

Lesson 4 Assessment
1. Answers will vary, but should be
well supported.
2. Sample answer: High gasoline
prices; technology that makes
smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles less
expensive than larger vehicles
3. Sample answer: Our family might
use a carbon offset to compensate
for the greenhouse gas emissions released when we travel by
airplane.
4. Sample answer: A major limitation
of the Kyoto Protocol is that developing nations are not required to
reduce emissions.
5. Accept all reasonable answers.
Some students may propose a
treaty that limits allowable greenhouse gas emissions, rewards the
development of technologies that
limit greenhouse gas emissions,
and contains penalties, such as
fines, for noncompliance. Students
may oppose any provision that
weakens the treaty.
506 Lesson 4

industry or person, instead of reducing its own greenhouse gas emissions,

pays another group or person to do so. Suppose, for example, a person
is taking an airplane trip. The airplane passenger finds out how much
greenhouse gas the plane will release during the trip and determines one
passengers share of the total emissions. The passenger might pay a carbonoffset organization to plant trees that will take in enough carbon dioxide to
compensate for those emissions.
Carbon offsets may seem like a great idea, but in practice it is often
difficult to establish effective systems of exchange. At present, there are
more potential buyers of carbon offsets than there are sellers. In addition,
the offset may not accomplish what it is intended to do. Efforts are being
made to create a reliable offset process. If these efforts succeed, then carbon offsets could become an important way to deal with climate change.

Carbon Sequestration Scientists are investigating ways to remove

carbon dioxide from power plant emissions. Carbon sequestration, or

storage, consists of ways of storing this captured carbon. For example, the
carbon might be stored underground. However, there is no guarantee that
the carbon will not leak out. And some experts doubt that we will ever be
able to capture and store enough carbon to make much difference in overall release of carbon dioxide.

Cooperation Among Nations

The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement among many nations to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In 1992, many nations signed the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This framework was a voluntary plan
for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By the late 1990s, however, it was
clear that a voluntary approach was not likely to succeed. After watching
the seas rise, developing nations, including the Maldives, helped begin an
effort to create an international treaty to address the problem. This effort
led to the Kyoto Protocol.

The Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol is an

international agreement that seeks to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike the UNFCCC, the
Kyoto Protocol is binding, not voluntary. Nations
that signed the treaty committed to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases to levels below those of
1990. The treaty took effect in 2005 after Russia
became the 127th nation to ratify it.
The United States did not sign the Kyoto Protocol. Some U.S. leaders called the treaty unfair
because the Kyoto Protocol required developed
nations to reduce emissions but did not require
the same of developing nations, such as China and India. Supporters of
the Kyoto Protocol said the different requirements were justified because
industrialized nations created the current greenhouse gas problem. Therefore, developed nations, including the United States, should take the lead
in solving it.
Looking Ahead Nations are now looking ahead to plan what will follow the Kyoto treaty. In December 2009, delegates from 192 nations met
in Copenhagen, Denmark, to try to develop an international agreement
to address climate change. However, no agreement had been reached by
the last day of the conference. Then, leaders of several nations, including the United States, put together a last-minute agreement, called the
Copenhagen Accord, that fell far short of most nations hopes. In the
Copenhagen Accord, developed nations offered to pay billions of dollars
to developing nations to help fund mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Developed nations also agreed to set specific targets for emission reduction by 2020.
The Copenhagen Accord was nonbinding. However, nations agreed
to meet in the future to develop a binding agreement. More and more
scientists and policymakers are saying that immediate action on climate
change is necessary. Reducing greenhouse gases is one of the foremost
challenges for the world.

FIGURE 21 Underwater Meeting

On October 17, 2009, government
officials in the Maldives held an
underwater meeting. Infer The
meeting took place shortly before the
Copenhagen conference began. What
message were the Maldives officials
sending to the conference delegates?
ANSWERS

Figure 21 The likelihood that the

Maldives will be underwater unless greenhouse gas emissions are
reduced

4
1. Form an Opinion Which is more important in
addressing global climate change: conserving electricity or finding new ways of producing it? Explain
your answer.
2. Infer What factors are likely to make consumers in
the United States prefer small, fuel-efficient cars to
large vehicles?
3. Explain Describe an example of how you or your
family might use a carbon offset.
4. Form an Opinion What is a major limitation of
the Kyoto Protocol?

5. Explore the BIGQUESTION You have been

appointed as the United States representative to
an international conference that will replace the
Kyoto Protocol. All nations recognize that the
Kyoto Protocol was not fully effective, and most are
committed to creating a stronger agreement. What
type of agreement will you try to shape? Describe
at least three components you would support and
at least one you would oppose.

Global Climate Change 507