Why aren't we doing anything about climate change?

Watch this video on some of the challenges in peoples response to climate change and answer the following questions:

Why do you think a "doom and gloom" mentality around climate change fails to motivate people to take action?

What are some other barriers that prevent humanity from acting on climate change?

How can we motivate people to take action?

Emissions, carbon footprints, and COVID-19

According to climate scientists, many greenhouse gas emissions around the world have decreased. Why do you think this is happening?

Questions to consider

1. What do you think are the top three main changes to human behaviors that are reducing global emissions during our current state of affairs?
2. Can you think of any new behaviors that could offset the decrease in emissions? (Think about what may be different with people staying home more.)
3. Many people think that this experience will cause humans to act differently in the future.
4. What do you think humans could take away from this experience in order to curb carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions?

Ready to learn more about how scientists are using this data? Here are a couple articles and a video to consider:

How the Coronavirus Pandemic Is Affecting CO2 Emissions
Coronavirus: Air pollution and CO2 fall rapidly as virus spreads

What China's Pollution Says About Coronavirus and the Economy | WSJ

Questions? Need help? Email Mr. Bledsoe phsphysics@gmail.com or drop a note at PHS during meal pickup.

What actually reduces a carbon footprint?

Questions to consider

1. Would it be better for commuters to catch the bus to work, or to go by car?
2. Is it better to buy locally produced goods or goods imported from overseas?
3. Is it better to go on vacation by boat, train and car or by plane?

Suggested approach

You can make sensible comparisons by working out the mass of carbon needed to complete each activity.

Available Data: Feel free to find more if you need it. 

• 1 gallon of gasoline produces 8.87kg of CO2
• A round trip, economy class, from London to New York produces 760.22kg of CO2 per person
• Efficiency of a car ranges from about 25 miles per gallon to 50 miles per gallon
• An efficient small car produces about 120g per km of CO2
• An efficient large car produces about 140g per km of CO2
• An efficient empty delivery truck produces about 220 g per km of CO2
• Locally produced food travels an average of about 200 miles from farm to shop
• Environmental CO2 output from shipping is twice as much as airlines
• The distance from London to New York is about 2000 miles.
• An empty bus emits seven times more CO2 per km than an empty car
• Short haul air freight emissions are 1580 g CO2 per ton kilometer
• Long haul air freight emissions are 570 g CO2 per ton kilometer
• Freight in a medium truck produces 85 g CO2 per ton kilometer
• Freight in a large transport ship produces 10 g CO2 per ton kilometer.
• An average man weighs about 80 or 90 kg
• Bus journeys can take longer than car journeys
• On average, rail journeys produce 0.0602 kg of CO2 per passenger km
• On average, bus journeys produce 0.0891 kg of CO2 per passenger km
• Journeys in slow moving traffic can dramatically reduce fuel efficiency.
• Buses, taking into account stops, use an average of 39 litres of fuel per 100km

Questions? Need help? Email Mr Bledsoe phsphysics@gmail.com