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7.2 Australia bush fires

There has been a huge amount of media interest in the current situation in Australia. The images are heart breaking and students may well come to lessons with many questions. Although the teaching point is that one event cannot be blamed on climate change, 

there is a huge amount of evidence to  suggest that the consequences of warmer temperatures and droughts due to global greenhouse gas emissions will exacerbate these devastating scenarios.

Teacher Guidance

  1. Read through the following google slides presentation - there are notes to lead discussion. Concentrate on key ideas such as equilibria, tipping points and feedback systems as you go.
  2. Watch the youtube video which is an news interview with Michael Mann, a respected climatoligist.
  3. Students complete  the worksheet 

Student Activities

  1. Read the following articles to understand more about the Australian bushfires

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50980386 - a simple guide to bush fires

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/australian-bushfires-new-south-wales-koalas-sydney-a4322071.html - effects on biodiversity

  1. Watch this video about climate change and Michael Mann[1] – summarise what he thinks about the current situation in Australia
  1. What does Michael Mann think about the Autralian governments efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions?
  1. How does Michael Mann describe tipping points with reference to bush fires?
  1. Suggest two possible messages the artist is trying to communicate with this cartoon
 

[1] Michael Evan Mann  is an American climatologist and geophysicist, currently director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, who has contributed to the scientific understanding of historic climate change based on the temperature record of the past thousand years.

 

Link to answers

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