SUMMARY OF CURRICULUM
Transportation plays a sizable role in our greenhouse gas emissions with transportation
contributing over 33% of CO2 emissions. Electricity generation is the other major contributor to
CO2 emissions, with over 36%. A person's transportation and day to day electrical
consumption decisions make up a big part of their carbon footprint, due to the burning of fossil
fuels to supply electricity and transportation fuels. In this activity, students will consider their
own choices in transportation and can calculate their overall carbon footprint in order to
consider their personal impacts and make informed changes.

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After this activity, students should be able to:
● Students will be able to explain individual carbon footprints.
● Students will be able to list means for reducing carbon footprints

Since its formation, the climate of the Earth has been in a constant state of change. Many
factors have altered the climate, including the Earth’s orbit and changing proximity to the sun,
as well as the amount of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. Human societies have
evolved during an extended period of favorable climatic conditions. In fact, some researchers
believe that a period of favorable climate was the primary factor that allowed the rise of
civilization. Over the past several decades, scientists have compiled an increasing amount of
data indicating that, for the first time in Earth’s history, the activities of one species—homo
sapiens— are altering the climate. Research shows a significant increase in the concentration
of heat-trapping gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2), in the Earth’s atmosphere since the
beginning of the Industrial Revolution. A rise in global temperatures corresponds to the rise in
carbon dioxide. There are many complex forces, both natural and man-made, at work
governing our climate. Should we be concerned if human activities are changing the climate?
How might a changing climate affect us?
It is estimated that ten thousand years ago there were five million humans on Earth. One
thousand years ago the population had reached 254-245 million, and by 1900 the world’s
population had reached 1.6 billion. Today, there are more than seven billion people on Earth.
Natural climate cycles provided warmer climates and allowed the human population to grow
rapidly. As some climatologists continued to analyze and record temperatures they found a
rising temperature trend, one that was moving faster than they would have anticipated based
on normal Earth cycles. Most scientists believe that the way humans are interacting with the
Earth in their everyday lives is causing a faster than natural climate change.
The use of fossil fuels allows humans to see at night, to stay comfortable in hot weather and
cold, to cook food efficiently, to keep food for longer periods of time, and to travel quickly from
place to place. Fossil fuels allow us to work, move goods and products to market, and to make
technology work. The CO2 concentration in the atmosphere prior to the Industrial Revolution
was about 280 ppm (parts per million). Currently, CO2 concentration is about 410 ppm, more
than a 45 percent increase. Levels of methane, nitrous oxide, and other greenhouse gases
have also increased. Scientists are studying what effects these higher levels of gases are
currently having on our climate and what the future implications may be.
Carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for a long time. The carbon dioxide we emit and
continue to emit will be present in Earth’s systems for some time to come. While emissions can
be slowed, it will take time before efforts that reduce emissions translate into a reduction of
carbon dioxide in the system. With this knowledge, policy-makers must consider ways to adapt
to any future impacts of climate change while planning ways to reduce emissions today.
Throughout history, societies around the world have adapted to changes in their environment
and have taken steps to reduce the impact of those changes on their communities.

A Closer Look at Greenhouse Gases Article.pdf