Snippets from Session 6 – UNLESS
🌏🌏The theme for our Session 6 was “Global Warming & Climate Change” and we started the day with our mighty future climate warriors to discuss the issues around global warming & climate change to gain an understanding of the current scientific knowledge in this regard.
The session began with a short discussion around Diwali and how our participants celebrated it. A few enjoyed it by bursting crackers while a few did not burst any crackers. So we thought of experimenting a bit and used a transparent glass jar with a burning paper to show how anything burning releases smoke. This was to be used later as we delved on the concept of greenhouse effect and global warming.🧨🎇
The participants saw how a transparent glass container turned smoky and opaque once we burnt a small piece of paper inside it and hence could reflect on the probable challenges related to pollution emanating from bursting of crackers as well.
This took us to discussion around global warming and if participants have ever heard their parents or elders talk about climate/weather getting hotter. This then led to a discussion on how we actually know that the Earth is getting hotter at a quicker pace than at any other point in the Earth’s history. We discussed how scientist use data from as far back as 56 million years ago (yes, correct) to identify long-term changes to climate and how global warming might be causing it.
We then talked about a few causes of global warming and discussed how gases like carbon-di-oxide, methane or Nitrous Oxide might contribute to greenhouse effect and global warming. To demonstrate how greenhouse effect works, we used our infrared thermometer to check temperature of a piece of metal kept outside and a similar piece of metal kept inside the car. The data clearly showed a difference of about 20 degrees Fahrenheit, with the metal piece inside car showing much higher temperature.
Ok, so we understood greenhouse effect, but how do we know if the global warming is actually happening. To clear that doubt we chose an activity wherein participants were given some pairs of photographs of different glaciers. The photographs showed the glacier as it appeared in 1900s and how it appears now in 2000s. In their groups, the participants arranged the pair of glacier photos and saw how the ice has melted from the glaciers now and how some vegetation ( a sign of warmer climates) has also started growing nearby!!
We then moved to how global warming is making the climate change and how that is contributing to hotter temperatures, more heatwaves, extreme weather events, stronger storms, more and deadly wildfires, increasing droughts, among other issues. We looked at the examples of countries that are facing severe torrential rains and flooding including India, Poland, Hungary and most recently Spain.
We looked at two examples of how climate change is impacting economies and countries. The South Pacific Island Nations of Vanuatu, Fiji, Soloman Islands, Marshall Islands, and others are facing a threat of inundation due to rising sea levels. This is posing a threat to entire countries, lives and property of people, their livelihood, culture and way of life. Participants further discussed on whose fault is it!
Amongst other things we looked at an example of ski resorts that are closing down in European countries like Italy and Switzerland due to lack of enough snow during skiing months. This is leading them to either shut down or take drastic measures like snow-farming, use snow making machines or to even cover the glaciers using insulating sheets!
We looked at few more instances of how the extreme weather events (even in Vadodara) are rising and how the number of days with higher temperatures are on a rise.
The session ended with a reflecting group activity on whether global warming is happening for real and how they know it, and how could they contribute to stopping global warming. Many ideas from participants ranged from using lesser vehicles, walking or bicycling more, using lesser ACs and lesser electricity, to even using eco-friendly products.
It will be great if participants and their parents could think of ways in which they could contribute positively to this challenge.
Overall it was a session filled with fun, excitement and knowledge that our participants can apply in their lives. Do keep sharing your feedback.
