KidsGCCI

A great list of sites to use and examples to see for digital storytelling, ideal for ESL

"Imagine these scenarios: The rice bowl of Vietnam cracking. Popular diving spots in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia lying idle with no tourists. Nearly half of Bangkok inundated with water. Well, they could become a reality in 20 to 30 years-no thanks to the adverse effects of climate change in Southeast Asia exacerbated by forest fires particularly in Indonesia which recently blanketed the region with deadly smoky haze. Scientists warn in a new World Bank report of major impacts on the region if the temperature rises by up to 2 degrees Celsius-warming which they say may be reached in two to three decades-fueled by the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. The warming climate will push up the sea level in the region and cause an increase in heat extremes, a higher intensity of tropical cyclones, and ocean acidification stemming from excess carbon dioxide in the air, according to the latest edition of the bank's "Turn Down the Heat" report."

"Climate change will continue to be taught in geography across key stages 1-3 in England, after education secretary Michael Gove scrapped plans to take it off the national curriculum. The move represents a victory for a number of campaigners, teachers, environmentalists and scientists, as well as energy secretary Ed Davey, who had lobbied his fellow MP to reconsider his decision to remove the topic from the geography syllabus. In a letter to Gove in May, Davey wrote, "As you'll be aware, there has been a significant number of responses, both from academic experts and the public, calling for climate change to feature explicitly in the geography curriculum. I am writing to express my strong support for such a change." In the draft guidelines of the national curriculum, published in March, it appeared that climate change had been omitted from geography altogether, and instead, would be taught as an aspect of chemistry. Many said this move was reducing the threat of climate change among under-15s. Within days, thousands of people had signed a petition on Change.org, set up by 15-year-old West London student Esha Marwaha, which called for Gove to reconsider his position. To date, the petition has attracted over 31,000 names."

"5) Nonetheless, if I had to choose one of two bumper stickers for our car - CLIMATE CRISIS or ENERGY QUEST - I'd choose the latter. "

Why Study Boreal Forests? * Coverage - Boreal forests cover approximately 14.5% of the earth's land surface. Learn More » * Carbon Storage - The great expanse and large quantity of carbon contained in vegetation and soils (particularly peat) make the boreal biome the world's largest terrestrial carbon reservoir. Learn More » * Changing Climate - At high latitudes in North America, substantial warming and drying has occurred, and this trend is predicted to continue. Increased temperatures in the boreal region release large quantities of carbon previously immobilized in the cold and frozen soils. The large quantity of carbon contained in the cold and frozen soils of the boreal biome is susceptible to mobilization under a changing climate system. Learn More » * Fire and Regrowth - Warming and drying associated with climate change increase the frequency and intensity of the boreal fire regime, and lead to changes in vegetation composition and the carbon cycle. Learn More »

Why Study Boreal Forests? * Coverage - Boreal forests cover approximately 14.5% of the earth's land surface. Learn More » * Carbon Storage - The great expanse and large quantity of carbon contained in vegetation and soils (particularly peat) make the boreal biome the world's largest terrestrial carbon reservoir. Learn More » * Changing Climate - At high latitudes in North America, substantial warming and drying has occurred, and this trend is predicted to continue. Increased temperatures in the boreal region release large quantities of carbon previously immobilized in the cold and frozen soils. The large quantity of carbon contained in the cold and frozen soils of the boreal biome is susceptible to mobilization under a changing climate system. Learn More » * Fire and Regrowth - Warming and drying associated with climate change increase the frequency and intensity of the boreal fire regime, and lead to changes in vegetation composition and the carbon cycle. Learn More »

Great 'sponges'/icebreakers and activities that can be use more than once in a classroom

GLAND, SWITZERLAND -- (Marketwire) -- 09/02/09 -- The new report, Arctic Climate Feedbacks: Global Implications, outlines dire global consequences of a warming Arctic that are far worse than previous projections. Peer-reviewed by the world's top climate scientists, this report reinforces that there's no time to waste in tackling climate change, because this meltdown will have major implications for people around the world - not just in the Arctic.

From Colorado to Washington state, an unprecedented, years-long epidemic of mountain pine beetle has killed 2.6 million hectares (6.5 million acres) of forest. The insect has struck even more devastatingly to the north, in British Columbia, where clouds of beetles have laid waste to 14 million hectares (35 million acres) - twice the area of Ireland. It is expected to kill 80 percent of the Canadian province's lodgepole pines before it's finished. Farther north, in the Yukon, the pine beetle isn't endemic - yet. Here it's the spruce bark beetle that has eaten its way through 400,000 hectares (1 million acres) of woodland, and even more in neighboring Alaska, in a 15-year-old epidemic unmatched in its longevity and extent.

Climate Change - ADB Programs: Strengthening Mitigation and Adaptation in Asia and the Pacific