- An atmospheric scientist working for the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: You have been summoned to brief the
committee on the chemistry of fossil fuels, their combustion to produce greenhouse gases, how
the interaction of greenhouse gases with infrared radiation might lead to global warming, and
the consensus among scientists concerning the validity of current theories on the greenhouse
effect.
- The mayor of a small town in Iowa along the
banks of the Mississippi River: You are afraid that climate changes may lead to increased
flooding of the Mississippi which would make your town uninhabitable. You are also interested
that global climate change may affect agriculture, on which your community depends.
- An offshore oil well worker from southern
Louisiana: You have three children, and reductions in petroleum use may cost you your
job. At the same time, rising sea levels could threaten the small coastal town where you live.
- A representative of the Campaign to Stop Global
Warming: You have been summoned to brief the committee on the possible climatic effects
of global warming, the possible economic impacts of those effects, and the consensus among
scientists concerning the validity of current theories of climate change.
- A scientist who is researching
alternative energy sources: You have been summoned to brief the committee on alternative
energy technologies, their environmental safety, and their feasibility.
- An independent truck driver: You fear
that stricter policies on the use of petroleum-based fuels will increase your operating costs
and make it more difficult for you to earn a living.
- An executive from a major oil company:
You are afraid that restrictions on petroleum use may hurt shareholder's earnings, may force
you to lay off employees, and may otherwise adversely affect the U.S. economy.
- The United States Surgeon General: You have been called to testify on the effects of climate change on human health.
- Research and prepare your position. Some web sites that may be helpful are listed under each
role above. In addition to studying these sites, you are expected to do research in your school
or neighborhood library and on the internet.
- Present and support your position. Listen to the presentation of other positions. Be
prepared to ask about anything you do not understand.
- Discuss all the positions openly. Be prepared to advocate and defend your position and to
evaluate and challenge opposing positions.
- Synthesize a resolution. Take an active role in finding a plan to take into account all the opposing positions and to resolve as many of the conflicts as possible.
- Be critical of ideas, not people. Challenge and refute ideas of other participants, but do
not indicate any personal rejection.
- Encourage everyone to participate and learn as much as possible.
- Listen to everyone's ideas, especially the ones you do not agree with.
- Try to restate what someone else says if it is not clear.
- Bring out all relevant facts that support both sides and then try to put them together in a
way that allows everyone to agree.
- Try to understand all sides of the issue.
- Change your mind when the evidence clearly indicates that you should do so.
- Remember that the end result of the activity is to come up with a common solution, not to ãwinä.
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A Senate Debate WebQuest
To deal with the problem of ozone depletion the nations of the world drafted the Montreal Protocol in 1987. The treaty has been periodically revised so that now it calls for the eventual elimination of chlorofluorocarbons worldwide. This will save the ozone layer, but maybe even more importantly the Montreal Protocol served as a model for future international treaties to deal with global environmental problems.
Another big environmental issue is that of global warming due to the greenhouse effect. CFCs are greenhouse gases, but with their phase-out in progress, attention is now being focused on a more pervasive greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. Fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide when burned, and it is thought that increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may lead to increased average temperatures on planet earth. To limit the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, another international protocol was drafted at a 1997 meeting in Kyoto, Japan. The Kyoto Protocol is a treaty which calls for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. To do this, a nation that ratifies the protocol would have to drastically reduce its use of fossil fuels. This is not necessarily an easy thing to do, and for this reason, the United States has not yet ratified the treaty. To ratify or not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol is a hot topic of debate in the U.S. In this activity, we're going to explore to issues of greenhouse gases, fossil fuels, and global climate change.
The Task
You are going to be involved in a committee hearing the United States Senate. Your class
will be divided into teams. Each team will research one role, and a member of your team will
"testify" at the hearing. You will be part of a team assigned to research one
aspect of the Kyoto Protocol debate. Other students in your class will be assigned different
roles. The roles are listed below. No matter what your role, be sure to familiarize yourself
with the actual terms of the Kyoto Protocol.
Resources
Listed below are some online resources that you may find useful. Next to each one is a list of
the teams that might find that site most useful, but don't limit your research to only those
sites for which your team is listed. In addition, these sites are just starting places. You
may have to search other sites as well as more traditional sources like your chemistry textbook
or an old fashioned library.
The Convention and Kyoto Protocol — from the United Nations. (All teams.)
Fuel Cells 2000 — from Breakthrough Technologies Institute/Fuel Cells 2000. (Especially useful for teams 4, 6, and 7.)
Global Warming: Early Warning Signs — designed by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the World Resources Institute. (Especially useful for Teams 2, 3, and 4.)
Global Warming: Focus on the Future — from the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation. (Especially useful for Teams 2, 3, 4, and 8.)
Global Warming Information Page — from the Cooler Heads Coalition. (Especially useful for Teams 3, 5, 6, and 7.)
Global Warming Skeptics Page — from Skepticism.net. (Especially useful for Teams 3, 6, and 7.)
Is Global Warming Harmful to Health? — from Scientific American. (Especially useful for Team 8.)
New Scientist: Global Warming Report — from New Scientist. (Especially useful for Teams 2, 4, and 5.)
Perspectives on the Kyoto Protocol — from the International Institute for Sustainable Development. (All teams.)
Pew Center on Global Climate Change — funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. (Especially useful for Teams 3, 6, and 7.)
Photovoltaics: Unlimited Electrical Energy From the Sun — reprinted from Physics Today, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Research Laboratory. (Especially useful for Teams 4 6, and 7.)
What's Up With the Weather? — from PBS and WGBH Boston. (Especially useful for Teams 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8.)
The Process
Rules of Behavior for the Senate Hearing
Conclusion
Your teacher will tell you how much time you have to do research. On the day of the Senate
hearing each team will present its position and supporting research. Your teacher will also
tell you how much time each team will be allotted. Following the hearing there will be a time
for discussion and consensus. The final agreement for the class will be written and assembled by
the Senate staff.
Evaluation
Your teacher will observe the behavior listed above. Your grade for this activity will depend in
part on how well you meet the Rules of Behavior in addition to how
well you do your research and make your presentation.
At the Edge: Monitoring Glaciers to Watch Global Change — from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (Especially useful for Teams 1 and 4.)
The structured mini-discussion format was adapted from that originally developed by Dr. Deborah
Exton, University of Oregon.