1
00:00:00,166 --> 00:00:02,566
- Welcome to UW Space Place.

2
00:00:02,566 --> 00:00:05,666
Tonight is our monthly 
guest speaker night

3
00:00:05,666 --> 00:00:09,433
and tonight I'm pleased to 
introduce Brenna Holzhauer,

4
00:00:09,433 --> 00:00:14,233
who is with the Aldo Leopold 
Nature Center here in Madison,

5
00:00:14,233 --> 00:00:17,100
not really too far 
away from Space Place,

6
00:00:17,100 --> 00:00:19,300
where she is the director

7
00:00:19,300 --> 00:00:23,300
of exhibits and 
digital curricula.

8
00:00:23,300 --> 00:00:26,866
And Brenna is an alum

9
00:00:26,866 --> 00:00:29,500
of UW-Madison

10
00:00:29,500 --> 00:00:32,066
and works, of course, 
on educational programs

11
00:00:32,066 --> 00:00:35,400
at the Aldo Leopold 
Center, sometimes with us.

12
00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:38,833
We've collaborated with Aldo 
Leopold on a few programs.

13
00:00:38,833 --> 00:00:41,033
But her talk tonight 
is related to some

14
00:00:41,033 --> 00:00:42,666
of the educational 
programs and exhibits

15
00:00:42,666 --> 00:00:45,000
that they have over at 
the Aldo Leopold Center.

16
00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:46,633
So, if you haven't been there,

17
00:00:46,633 --> 00:00:48,833
I think she's got a brochure 
to hand out or something

18
00:00:48,833 --> 00:00:51,033
and I'm sure you can find 
Aldo Leopold Nature Center

19
00:00:51,033 --> 00:00:52,533
on the web.

20
00:00:52,533 --> 00:00:54,333
So, tonight, Brenna 
is going to talk

21
00:00:54,333 --> 00:00:56,533
about climate change 
from global to local.

22
00:00:56,533 --> 00:00:58,500
So, we should welcome her here.

23
00:00:58,500 --> 00:01:01,400
(applause)

24
00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:04,533
- Thank you.

25
00:01:04,533 --> 00:01:06,266
Can you hear me okay?

26
00:01:06,266 --> 00:01:07,866
I'll talk loudly.

27
00:01:07,866 --> 00:01:09,800
So, thank you very 
much for having me.

28
00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,933
I'm really excited to be here 
and talk to you a little bit

29
00:01:12,933 --> 00:01:15,000
about some of the climate 
education programs

30
00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:16,466
that we have at 
the Nature Center

31
00:01:16,466 --> 00:01:19,300
and just some things that 
I've learned along the way

32
00:01:19,300 --> 00:01:21,600
as I've been 
developing curriculum.

33
00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:24,766
So, here's a really 
brief overview

34
00:01:24,766 --> 00:01:27,100
of what we'll be 
talking about tonight.

35
00:01:27,100 --> 00:01:28,933
First, I'll give a quick 
background and bio,

36
00:01:28,933 --> 00:01:31,633
so you know who I 
am and why I'm here.

37
00:01:31,633 --> 00:01:34,333
We'll talk very quickly 
about climate change basics,

38
00:01:34,333 --> 00:01:37,133
which is a challenge to 
cover in just a few minutes,

39
00:01:37,133 --> 00:01:39,066
but I'll do my best.

40
00:01:39,066 --> 00:01:41,166
We'll be talking about 
climate change locally,

41
00:01:41,166 --> 00:01:44,266
some of the impacts and what 
we're seeing in Wisconsin.

42
00:01:44,266 --> 00:01:47,266
And then I'll talk more about 
teaching about climate change

43
00:01:47,266 --> 00:01:48,633
and some things 
that I've learned

44
00:01:48,633 --> 00:01:51,566
and tips and tricks 
I have for teachers

45
00:01:51,566 --> 00:01:54,566
and educators and 
general citizens

46
00:01:54,566 --> 00:01:56,233
who are interested in 
teaching about talking,

47
00:01:56,233 --> 00:01:57,533
sorry, teaching 
about climate change

48
00:01:57,533 --> 00:01:59,733
and talking about 
climate change.

49
00:01:59,733 --> 00:02:03,100
And then we'll just end with 
some things that we can all do

50
00:02:03,100 --> 00:02:05,200
and places we can learn more.

51
00:02:06,333 --> 00:02:09,600
So, who am I and 
how did I get here?

52
00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:10,933
I was born in Milwaukee.

53
00:02:10,933 --> 00:02:13,400
I also grew up 
part-time on a farm

54
00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,900
in Gays Mills, Wisconsin, which 
is in the rural southwestern

55
00:02:16,900 --> 00:02:19,533
driftless area of the state.

56
00:02:19,533 --> 00:02:21,766
And I also went to grad 
school in Washington, DC.

57
00:02:21,766 --> 00:02:25,300
So I've done a little bit of 
bopping around and ended up,

58
00:02:25,300 --> 00:02:27,566
I'm very happy to 
be back in Madison

59
00:02:27,566 --> 00:02:31,200
where I got my undergrad 
degree in anthropology.

60
00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,566
I changed majors several times 
and covered a whole spectrum

61
00:02:34,566 --> 00:02:36,966
of science and social science.

62
00:02:36,966 --> 00:02:38,466
I ended up with anthropology

63
00:02:38,466 --> 00:02:40,233
and then I worked a 
few different museums

64
00:02:40,233 --> 00:02:42,833
and educational 
centers in Milwaukee.

65
00:02:42,833 --> 00:02:44,466
I went to grad school

66
00:02:44,466 --> 00:02:47,233
at the George Washington 
University in D.C.,

67
00:02:47,233 --> 00:02:50,700
where I got my master's 
in museum education,

68
00:02:50,700 --> 00:02:52,233
and then I moved back to,

69
00:02:52,233 --> 00:02:55,133
I worked at the U.S. 
Botanic Garden in D.C.

70
00:02:55,133 --> 00:02:56,500
I also was involved

71
00:02:56,500 --> 00:02:59,100
with the D.C. Environmental 
Education Consortium,

72
00:02:59,100 --> 00:03:02,100
and I managed the education 
department at Earth Day Network.

73
00:03:02,100 --> 00:03:03,533
And then I came back to Madison,

74
00:03:03,533 --> 00:03:05,966
and I've been with the 
Aldo Leopold Nature Center

75
00:03:05,966 --> 00:03:09,666
for going on five years 
where I've been the director

76
00:03:09,666 --> 00:03:11,833
of exhibits and 
digital curriculum.

77
00:03:11,833 --> 00:03:14,433
And I also have been 
coordinating Nature Net,

78
00:03:14,433 --> 00:03:17,233
which is a consortium of 
different environmental

79
00:03:17,233 --> 00:03:21,600
education sites and centers 
in south central Wisconsin.

80
00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,000
And then I've, along the 
way, I've taken an interest

81
00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,633
in environmental issues, 
science, and, in particular,

82
00:03:28,633 --> 00:03:31,000
climate change and 
climate science.

83
00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,700
So I've done a lot of 
education along the way

84
00:03:33,700 --> 00:03:35,500
and then professional 
development.

85
00:03:35,500 --> 00:03:38,933
I took a graduate course through 
the Ohio State University.

86
00:03:38,933 --> 00:03:40,333
I've been very involved 
for several years

87
00:03:40,333 --> 00:03:43,233
in the NOAA Climate 
Stewards Education Project.

88
00:03:43,233 --> 00:03:45,300
I was a regional leader 
for a couple years

89
00:03:45,300 --> 00:03:47,166
in the central region.

90
00:03:47,166 --> 00:03:50,200
And then I was selected 
last year to be trained

91
00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:52,833
by the Climate Reality 
Project where I learned a lot

92
00:03:52,833 --> 00:03:54,800
about communicating 
about climate change,

93
00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,266
and I went to South Africa 
and did a three-day training,

94
00:03:58,266 --> 00:04:00,766
pretty intensive, which 
was a great experience.

95
00:04:00,766 --> 00:04:02,966
I got a lot of 
fresh perspectives

96
00:04:02,966 --> 00:04:04,800
and a good global perspective.

97
00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:06,233
I've been involved with WICCI,

98
00:04:06,233 --> 00:04:08,366
the Wisconsin Initiative 
on Climate Change Impacts,

99
00:04:08,366 --> 00:04:09,766
and I'm currently on a committee

100
00:04:09,766 --> 00:04:13,100
with the Wisconsin Academy 
talking about climate

101
00:04:13,100 --> 00:04:16,466
and energy initiatives 
in Wisconsin.

102
00:04:16,466 --> 00:04:19,166
So, I think, I just wanted to 
mention all of those things

103
00:04:19,166 --> 00:04:22,533
because I think as climate 
change is such a broad topic

104
00:04:22,533 --> 00:04:25,100
and it's constantly evolving 
and there's so much science,

105
00:04:25,100 --> 00:04:28,600
and then when you add different 
educational approaches

106
00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:30,566
and solutions and all 
the different things

107
00:04:30,566 --> 00:04:33,166
that are involved, it's 
really helpful for me

108
00:04:33,166 --> 00:04:35,333
to just keep on learning, 
making new connections

109
00:04:35,333 --> 00:04:39,000
and partnerships and relying 
on a lot of the great experts

110
00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,233
and resources that 
are out there.

111
00:04:42,233 --> 00:04:45,066
So I work right now at the 
Aldo Leopold Nature Center

112
00:04:45,066 --> 00:04:47,500
where we, our mission 
is to teach the student

113
00:04:47,500 --> 00:04:50,066
to see the land, to 
understand what he sees,

114
00:04:50,066 --> 00:04:52,833
and enjoy what he 
understands, which is a quote

115
00:04:52,833 --> 00:04:56,033
from the famed Wisconsin 
conservationist Aldo Leopold.

116
00:04:56,033 --> 00:04:58,900
So we infuse his 
land ethic into all

117
00:04:58,900 --> 00:05:00,933
of our teachings and programs.

118
00:05:00,933 --> 00:05:02,866
We do a lot of hands-on guided,

119
00:05:02,866 --> 00:05:04,633
high-tech, high-touch 
experiences.

120
00:05:04,633 --> 00:05:06,466
Children and adults 
come to discover

121
00:05:06,466 --> 00:05:08,700
and explore the wonders 
of the natural world.

122
00:05:08,700 --> 00:05:10,066
So, for about 20 years,

123
00:05:10,066 --> 00:05:12,433
we've been doing environmental 
education programs,

124
00:05:12,433 --> 00:05:15,666
mostly outdoors and then 
in our classroom spaces,

125
00:05:15,666 --> 00:05:18,333
and about three years ago 
we did a big renovation

126
00:05:18,333 --> 00:05:21,033
and added a whole new wing 
full of indoor exhibits

127
00:05:21,033 --> 00:05:24,200
and technology to teach about 
climate and climate change.

128
00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,733
So that's been my main project 
is developing the curriculum

129
00:05:26,733 --> 00:05:28,800
and all of the 
exhibits over there.

130
00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,566
So, just a quick overview 
of what we have there

131
00:05:31,566 --> 00:05:34,266
so you know where I'm 
(laughs) coming from

132
00:05:34,266 --> 00:05:35,800
with all this information.

133
00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,366
We do all of our 
programs, no matter what,

134
00:05:38,366 --> 00:05:39,966
even if they use the 
indoor technology,

135
00:05:39,966 --> 00:05:42,600
we always have some 
connection with the outdoors.

136
00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:43,666
We're always getting 
kids involved

137
00:05:43,666 --> 00:05:45,933
in hands-on 
environmental learning.

138
00:05:45,933 --> 00:05:48,766
And then now we have 
the capacity to do a lot

139
00:05:48,766 --> 00:05:52,466
of interactive investigations 
using touchscreens

140
00:05:52,466 --> 00:05:55,466
and lots of hands-on 
indoor technology as well.

141
00:05:55,466 --> 00:05:57,300
We have a science on a sphere,

142
00:05:57,300 --> 00:05:59,566
which is an exhibit 
put together by NOAA,

143
00:05:59,566 --> 00:06:02,333
the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration,

144
00:06:02,333 --> 00:06:05,866
and it's basically a spherical, 
global projection system.

145
00:06:05,866 --> 00:06:07,466
So we have hundreds of data sets

146
00:06:07,466 --> 00:06:09,400
and real time 
satellite information

147
00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:10,900
and visualizations we can use

148
00:06:10,900 --> 00:06:15,600
to talk about all different 
kinds of Earth science and more.

149
00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:17,466
A new project that 
I've been working on,

150
00:06:17,466 --> 00:06:19,433
which will be opening 
in a couple weeks,

151
00:06:19,433 --> 00:06:22,033
I'm really excited about, 
is our immersion theater

152
00:06:22,033 --> 00:06:25,500
where we'll be able to have 
this immersive environment

153
00:06:25,500 --> 00:06:27,600
with a panoramic screen 
where we can show

154
00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:28,933
even more Earth science visuals

155
00:06:28,933 --> 00:06:31,166
and then we're going to 
have a whole new suite

156
00:06:31,166 --> 00:06:34,000
of astronomy software as well, 
so that'll be really exciting.

157
00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,133
I hope all of you can 
come check it out.

158
00:06:36,133 --> 00:06:38,366
And then we just 
have a whole bunch

159
00:06:38,366 --> 00:06:40,633
of different other 
hands-on exhibits

160
00:06:40,633 --> 00:06:44,233
kind of infused 
throughout this area.

161
00:06:44,233 --> 00:06:46,366
So, now I'm going 
to talk a little bit

162
00:06:46,366 --> 00:06:47,933
about climate change basics.

163
00:06:47,933 --> 00:06:50,300
And I sort of use 
that term ironically

164
00:06:50,300 --> 00:06:52,333
because (laughs) it's 
really hard to talk

165
00:06:52,333 --> 00:06:53,900
about the basics 
of climate change.

166
00:06:53,900 --> 00:06:55,900
It's a very complicated topic.

167
00:06:55,900 --> 00:06:58,400
I know you can't 
necessarily read this chart,

168
00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:00,666
but I put it up here 
just so you can see.

169
00:07:00,666 --> 00:07:02,166
This is the framework 
that I developed

170
00:07:02,166 --> 00:07:05,033
when I was starting to put 
together a digital curriculum,

171
00:07:05,033 --> 00:07:06,766
and I soon realized 
that there are

172
00:07:06,766 --> 00:07:09,100
so many interconnecting topics

173
00:07:09,100 --> 00:07:11,400
and different 
things to talk about

174
00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,933
and they're all 
overlapping with each other

175
00:07:13,933 --> 00:07:15,466
in so many different ways.

176
00:07:15,466 --> 00:07:19,033
So the main themes that 
I broke out are climate,

177
00:07:19,033 --> 00:07:23,133
energy, green building, 
weather, renewable energy,

178
00:07:23,133 --> 00:07:25,966
phenology, which is the 
science of appearance,

179
00:07:25,966 --> 00:07:27,466
so observing and 
recording things

180
00:07:27,466 --> 00:07:29,200
that are happening in nature,

181
00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,300
humans and society, 
and then local stories.

182
00:07:32,300 --> 00:07:34,500
So those were kind 
of the main themes

183
00:07:34,500 --> 00:07:38,066
that I wanted our visitors and 
our students to understand.

184
00:07:38,066 --> 00:07:40,233
And as you can see, 
they all sort of weave

185
00:07:40,233 --> 00:07:42,233
in and out of each other.

186
00:07:42,233 --> 00:07:44,200
So, tonight I'm going 
to talk a little bit

187
00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:45,566
about some of the,

188
00:07:45,566 --> 00:07:48,166
I'm pulling some things 
out of our curriculum,

189
00:07:48,166 --> 00:07:50,166
namely focused on 
what is climate,

190
00:07:50,166 --> 00:07:53,000
how does climate work, 
how is it changing?

191
00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,666
Then we'll talk a little bit 
about some local impacts,

192
00:07:55,666 --> 00:07:58,333
and we'll talk a little bit 
about solutions as well.

193
00:07:58,333 --> 00:08:01,300
And if you want to learn about 
all the rest of the topics,

194
00:08:01,300 --> 00:08:03,733
you can come visit us 
at the nature center.

195
00:08:06,033 --> 00:08:11,033
So, as I'm talking, this is 
basically what I've put together

196
00:08:11,033 --> 00:08:13,100
as far as climate change basics.

197
00:08:13,100 --> 00:08:15,766
We mainly teach students.

198
00:08:15,766 --> 00:08:18,800
Our main focus is K-12, but 
we also have a lot of adult

199
00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,733
and upper level content as well.

200
00:08:21,733 --> 00:08:25,000
So, my apologies if I sound 
like I'm talking to kids

201
00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,600
because that's who I'm used 
to talking to most of the day.

202
00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:29,266
But I do think it's a great way

203
00:08:29,266 --> 00:08:30,600
to kind of tie 
everything together

204
00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:31,933
and make sure people have

205
00:08:31,933 --> 00:08:35,333
a basic foundational 
understanding, even adults.

206
00:08:35,333 --> 00:08:36,800
So we've broken down a lot

207
00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:39,433
of these really complicated 
topics into something hopefully

208
00:08:39,433 --> 00:08:41,566
that's a little more 
easy to understand.

209
00:08:41,566 --> 00:08:44,233
So, the way we've 
been defining climate

210
00:08:44,233 --> 00:08:47,066
is climate is made up of 
the weather of an area

211
00:08:47,066 --> 00:08:50,333
averaged out over months 
and seasons to many years.

212
00:08:50,333 --> 00:08:53,033
Many scientists define 
climate as the averages

213
00:08:53,033 --> 00:08:55,600
over a period of 30 years.

214
00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,966
And climate helps us understand 
what to expect in our area.

215
00:08:58,966 --> 00:09:01,300
It's a series of 
patterns and averages.

216
00:09:01,300 --> 00:09:03,533
It's large-scale 
and really complex.

217
00:09:03,533 --> 00:09:06,100
It has to do with the long-term 
condition of all parts

218
00:09:06,100 --> 00:09:08,200
of the Earth's system that 
are exchanging energy.

219
00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:10,833
So that includes 
land, oceans, air,

220
00:09:10,833 --> 00:09:13,333
even things coming 
in from outer space.

221
00:09:13,333 --> 00:09:16,333
Each of Earth's systems affects 
and is affected by the others.

222
00:09:16,333 --> 00:09:17,733
They're constantly changing,

223
00:09:17,733 --> 00:09:19,733
but overall they're 
largely balanced,

224
00:09:19,733 --> 00:09:24,466
and they make up the conditions 
of our planet called Earth.

225
00:09:24,466 --> 00:09:27,133
Another topic that we try to 
make sure people understand

226
00:09:27,133 --> 00:09:28,633
right off the bat 
is the difference

227
00:09:28,633 --> 00:09:33,000
between climate and weather, 
which can be very confusing

228
00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:34,933
because weather is a 
huge part of climate,

229
00:09:34,933 --> 00:09:37,366
but they're not 
necessarily the same thing.

230
00:09:37,366 --> 00:09:39,333
So, weather is what's 
happening in the sky

231
00:09:39,333 --> 00:09:42,466
and the air around us right now, 
and it's constantly changing.

232
00:09:42,466 --> 00:09:45,133
And when you add up all the 
weather that's happening

233
00:09:45,133 --> 00:09:47,600
for a long time across 
Earth, you get climate.

234
00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:49,200
So we say climate 
is what you expect,

235
00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:51,000
weather is what you get.

236
00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,900
And climate, another way that 
I think helps kids understand

237
00:09:53,900 --> 00:09:56,033
is climate helps you 
know what kind of clothes

238
00:09:56,033 --> 00:09:57,433
to have in your closet,

239
00:09:57,433 --> 00:10:00,733
and weather helps you 
decide what to wear today.

240
00:10:00,733 --> 00:10:04,200
Another good analogy is 
climate is like a long book

241
00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:08,200
about the Earth, and weather 
is what you read on one page.

242
00:10:13,666 --> 00:10:17,033
So, talking about how 
climate works, really,

243
00:10:17,033 --> 00:10:19,066
everything comes 
back to the energy

244
00:10:19,066 --> 00:10:21,300
that Earth receives 
from the sun.

245
00:10:21,300 --> 00:10:22,900
Earth receives a 
large amount of energy

246
00:10:22,900 --> 00:10:25,700
from the sun each day, and 
it's not distrusted evenly

247
00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:26,966
across the whole planet.

248
00:10:26,966 --> 00:10:29,333
It hits the equator more 
than it hits the poles.

249
00:10:29,333 --> 00:10:31,333
So Earth's climate system 
is what distributes

250
00:10:31,333 --> 00:10:33,300
and uses the energy 
through a variety

251
00:10:33,300 --> 00:10:35,966
of interacting 
cycles and systems.

252
00:10:35,966 --> 00:10:38,300
So these are some of the 
many cycles and systems

253
00:10:38,300 --> 00:10:40,633
that are involved in 
the climate system.

254
00:10:40,633 --> 00:10:42,866
So we have the atmosphere,

255
00:10:42,866 --> 00:10:45,300
then when you have the 
atmosphere plus solar energy,

256
00:10:45,300 --> 00:10:47,333
you get the greenhouse effect.

257
00:10:47,333 --> 00:10:50,300
I'll talk more about all 
of these in just a minute.

258
00:10:50,300 --> 00:10:52,033
We talk about the carbon cycle.

259
00:10:52,033 --> 00:10:53,900
We talk about the water cycle.

260
00:10:53,900 --> 00:10:57,933
We talk about energy and 
how plants use energy

261
00:10:57,933 --> 00:11:01,433
and chemistry, 
energy from the sun,

262
00:11:01,433 --> 00:11:03,866
to make food for themselves 
which then feeds,

263
00:11:03,866 --> 00:11:07,100
through photosynthesis, 
feeds into the food chains

264
00:11:07,100 --> 00:11:09,066
and relates to ecosystems.

265
00:11:09,066 --> 00:11:11,666
So there's all of these 
different, broad things

266
00:11:11,666 --> 00:11:13,333
that are happening 
all over our planet,

267
00:11:13,333 --> 00:11:15,900
but they're all interconnected.

268
00:11:15,900 --> 00:11:17,933
So, when we're talking 
about the atmosphere,

269
00:11:17,933 --> 00:11:19,100
we're talking about the air

270
00:11:19,100 --> 00:11:20,700
that surrounds us 
and the planet,

271
00:11:20,700 --> 00:11:23,733
and it helps to moderate 
solar energy and temperature.

272
00:11:23,733 --> 00:11:25,100
It's where the water cycle

273
00:11:25,100 --> 00:11:28,166
and the energy cycle 
interact to make weather.

274
00:11:28,166 --> 00:11:30,533
The greenhouse effect is a 
naturally occurring layer

275
00:11:30,533 --> 00:11:34,133
of gases around Earth that 
are protective, insulating,

276
00:11:34,133 --> 00:11:36,866
and really help to regulate 
the temperature on our planet.

277
00:11:36,866 --> 00:11:38,200
They allow sunlight to enter,

278
00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:40,066
and they trap heat 
on the way out,

279
00:11:40,066 --> 00:11:42,766
similar to the walls 
of a greenhouse.

280
00:11:42,766 --> 00:11:45,633
The carbon cycle, 
every living thing

281
00:11:45,633 --> 00:11:49,133
and many nonliving things on 
our planet all contain carbon,

282
00:11:49,133 --> 00:11:51,700
and it's, they all 
store energy in carbon

283
00:11:51,700 --> 00:11:55,400
and release as they 
decompose, as they breathe,

284
00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,933
as they are burned, 
or as they're eaten.

285
00:11:58,933 --> 00:12:00,366
One of the basic 
physical properties

286
00:12:00,366 --> 00:12:03,966
of carbon dioxide is 
that it traps heat,

287
00:12:03,966 --> 00:12:07,633
which will come 
up later. (laughs)

288
00:12:07,633 --> 00:12:09,866
Then, when we talk 
about the water cycle,

289
00:12:09,866 --> 00:12:11,000
we always tell kids

290
00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,066
that Earth has a 
limited amount of water,

291
00:12:13,066 --> 00:12:14,800
and it's always moving 
around the whole planet

292
00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:16,333
and changing forms.

293
00:12:16,333 --> 00:12:19,333
It's really important 
in our weather system,

294
00:12:19,333 --> 00:12:21,533
and it's important in all 
of its different states.

295
00:12:21,533 --> 00:12:24,466
So, liquid water obviously is 
a huge freshwater resource.

296
00:12:24,466 --> 00:12:28,700
It's also the oceans, which 
make up 70% of Earth's surface,

297
00:12:28,700 --> 00:12:30,066
play a very important role

298
00:12:30,066 --> 00:12:32,700
in regulating Earth's 
temperature, carbon levels,

299
00:12:32,700 --> 00:12:36,000
energy exchanges, 
weather and climate,

300
00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,566
ice helps regulate 
temperature, and then water

301
00:12:38,566 --> 00:12:41,266
in its gas or vapor form 
is a really key component

302
00:12:41,266 --> 00:12:45,300
of the atmosphere and 
the greenhouse effect.

303
00:12:45,300 --> 00:12:47,466
And then ecosystems, 
Earth is covered

304
00:12:47,466 --> 00:12:50,533
with an infinite number 
of overlapping ecosystems

305
00:12:50,533 --> 00:12:52,400
that connect its 
plants, animals,

306
00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,200
and all the different 
specific ranges of habitat,

307
00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,633
including the land, 
air, and water.

308
00:12:57,633 --> 00:12:59,300
So, when we talk about 
climate change basics,

309
00:12:59,300 --> 00:13:03,400
we're pretty much (laughs) 
talking about everything.

310
00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:05,666
So, just to take a 
closer look at atmosphere

311
00:13:05,666 --> 00:13:08,400
and the greenhouse effect,

312
00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,200
because I think this is 
a key point to understand

313
00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:13,166
if you're going to 
understand what's happening

314
00:13:13,166 --> 00:13:15,666
with climate change and 
with global warming.

315
00:13:15,666 --> 00:13:18,833
So, solar radiation in the 
form of light waves passes

316
00:13:18,833 --> 00:13:21,466
through the atmosphere, 
and light waves are shorter

317
00:13:21,466 --> 00:13:25,500
so they can penetrate 
the atmosphere.

318
00:13:25,500 --> 00:13:28,000
And then they enter 
Earth's system,

319
00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,033
they're absorbed by 
Earth's land and oceans,

320
00:13:31,033 --> 00:13:36,000
and then some of it is 
radiated back into space

321
00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,300
in the form of infrared waves.

322
00:13:38,300 --> 00:13:41,433
Infrared waves are longer 
than the light waves,

323
00:13:41,433 --> 00:13:44,033
and so some of them bounce 
back out into space,

324
00:13:44,033 --> 00:13:45,466
but some of them get trapped

325
00:13:45,466 --> 00:13:47,933
by the atmosphere 
on the way out.

326
00:13:47,933 --> 00:13:49,933
So, some of this 
outgoing radiation

327
00:13:49,933 --> 00:13:52,600
then stays around the Earth 
and starts to warm

328
00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,333
the atmosphere, the 
land, and the oceans.

329
00:13:55,333 --> 00:13:59,266
I put this little tip 
because in my programs

330
00:13:59,266 --> 00:14:01,300
that I've been teaching, 
I started to realize

331
00:14:01,300 --> 00:14:02,933
that some people had no idea

332
00:14:02,933 --> 00:14:05,033
what the greenhouse 
effect was at all,

333
00:14:05,033 --> 00:14:07,666
and some people have heard 
of the greenhouse effect

334
00:14:07,666 --> 00:14:10,800
but they think that it, 
in and of itself, is bad.

335
00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:12,966
And so I think it's 
important to point out

336
00:14:12,966 --> 00:14:15,966
that the greenhouse effect, 
in and of itself, is not bad.

337
00:14:15,966 --> 00:14:18,266
It's a major reason 
we have life on Earth,

338
00:14:18,266 --> 00:14:20,300
but when it's amplified 
is when it starts

339
00:14:20,300 --> 00:14:23,666
to have consequences on the 
other systems of our planet.

340
00:14:23,666 --> 00:14:24,933
So, without the 
greenhouse effect,

341
00:14:24,933 --> 00:14:27,000
Earth would just 
be a huge ice ball

342
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,900
the same temperature 
as outer space.

343
00:14:31,900 --> 00:14:33,900
And because I'm 
speaking on Space Place,

344
00:14:33,900 --> 00:14:37,200
I thought it would be good to 
show (laughs) some planets.

345
00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:38,900
But I think this is 
an interesting way

346
00:14:38,900 --> 00:14:43,433
to talk about how important 
Earth's atmosphere is.

347
00:14:43,433 --> 00:14:45,500
Earth is sometimes called 
the Goldilocks planet

348
00:14:45,500 --> 00:14:47,500
because it's just right.

349
00:14:47,500 --> 00:14:49,433
We have just the right 
amount of atmosphere

350
00:14:49,433 --> 00:14:51,566
and we're just the right 
distance from the sun

351
00:14:51,566 --> 00:14:54,400
that our temperature 
allows us to have life,

352
00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:56,966
and it allows us to 
have the water cycle

353
00:14:56,966 --> 00:14:59,300
and be home to the three 
different states of water

354
00:14:59,300 --> 00:15:02,666
so that we can house water 
in solid form, liquid form,

355
00:15:02,666 --> 00:15:04,833
and gas form, which 
is really important

356
00:15:04,833 --> 00:15:08,500
for sustaining all of the 
other systems on our planet.

357
00:15:08,500 --> 00:15:12,066
So we have, you can 
see here that Earth,

358
00:15:12,066 --> 00:15:14,900
on average, is about 
15 degrees Celsius.

359
00:15:14,900 --> 00:15:16,866
Then our next 
neighbor over, Venus,

360
00:15:16,866 --> 00:15:19,833
is about 457 degrees Celsius.

361
00:15:19,833 --> 00:15:22,966
And you might say that's because 
Venus is closer to the sun,

362
00:15:22,966 --> 00:15:24,700
but if we look at Mercury,

363
00:15:24,700 --> 00:15:27,000
you can see that it's 
not as hot as Venus,

364
00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:28,666
and that's because 
Venus has a really,

365
00:15:28,666 --> 00:15:31,166
really thick atmosphere.

366
00:15:31,166 --> 00:15:36,200
So the greenhouse effect 
on Venus is off the charts.

367
00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,233
And I think an interesting 
fact is that Earth

368
00:15:39,233 --> 00:15:42,533
and Venus have about the same 
amount of carbon dioxide,

369
00:15:42,533 --> 00:15:44,666
but on Earth the 
carbon is buried

370
00:15:44,666 --> 00:15:47,233
and on Venus it's all 
in the atmosphere.

371
00:15:47,233 --> 00:15:52,066
So it's just kind of an 
interesting case study we have.

372
00:15:52,066 --> 00:15:54,666
And that image of Venus, 
I should point out,

373
00:15:54,666 --> 00:15:56,133
was actually taken by radar.

374
00:15:56,133 --> 00:15:57,900
Because the atmosphere 
is so thick,

375
00:15:57,900 --> 00:16:00,433
we can't see the actual planet.

376
00:16:00,433 --> 00:16:04,666
So, just an example of a 
run away greenhouse effect.

377
00:16:04,666 --> 00:16:06,633
And then I threw this picture on

378
00:16:06,633 --> 00:16:11,133
because I think it kind 
of helps to point out

379
00:16:11,133 --> 00:16:14,100
how fragile and thin 
our atmosphere is.

380
00:16:16,066 --> 00:16:19,233
So, I've heard it compared 
to like the varnish

381
00:16:19,233 --> 00:16:22,033
on a globe or the 
skin on an apple,

382
00:16:22,033 --> 00:16:25,333
if you're comparing the 
atmosphere with the Earth.

383
00:16:25,333 --> 00:16:28,300
If you're driving a car at 
highway speeds straight up,

384
00:16:28,300 --> 00:16:31,266
you would reach the top of 
the sky in about five minutes.

385
00:16:31,266 --> 00:16:32,933
So think about all 
the distances on Earth

386
00:16:32,933 --> 00:16:34,300
you could cover in five minutes,

387
00:16:34,300 --> 00:16:36,600
and then driving straight 
up helps you realize

388
00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,466
how vulnerable and 
fragile our atmosphere is.

389
00:16:43,866 --> 00:16:46,066
Okay, so now we're going 
to talk a little bit

390
00:16:46,066 --> 00:16:48,633
about how climate is changing.

391
00:16:48,633 --> 00:16:52,366
And it's good to note 
that changes are happening

392
00:16:52,366 --> 00:16:54,700
in all of Earth's systems.

393
00:16:54,700 --> 00:16:56,433
I'm gonna start out 
by talking about

394
00:16:56,433 --> 00:17:00,733
how kind of our energy 
cycle is changing.

395
00:17:00,733 --> 00:17:03,733
And that has to do with,

396
00:17:03,733 --> 00:17:06,266
(clears throat) excuse 
me, fossil fuels.

397
00:17:06,266 --> 00:17:08,533
And so fossil fuels, many 
of you probably know,

398
00:17:08,533 --> 00:17:10,200
but they're the remains 
of plants and animals

399
00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,133
that have been trapped 
and pressurized

400
00:17:12,133 --> 00:17:13,633
for millions of years.

401
00:17:13,633 --> 00:17:16,000
And so the carbon has 
been kind of locked away

402
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:17,900
from the carbon cycle 
for all that time.

403
00:17:17,900 --> 00:17:19,200
But humans have figured out how

404
00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,466
to convert this 
concentrated stored energy

405
00:17:21,466 --> 00:17:23,433
into heat and electricity,

406
00:17:23,433 --> 00:17:25,400
and now it's starting 
to be released

407
00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:28,833
through combustion 
into the atmosphere.

408
00:17:28,833 --> 00:17:31,166
So you can see, since 1850

409
00:17:31,166 --> 00:17:34,066
when the Industrial 
Revolution really took off,

410
00:17:34,066 --> 00:17:35,666
the global carbon emissions

411
00:17:35,666 --> 00:17:39,866
from fossil fuels 
have really increased.

412
00:17:39,866 --> 00:17:42,500
And you can see 
I have this graph

413
00:17:42,500 --> 00:17:47,433
which shows carbon dioxide 
concentration and temperature

414
00:17:47,433 --> 00:17:49,666
over a couple hundred 
thousand years,

415
00:17:49,666 --> 00:17:51,866
and you can see they've ebbed 
and flowed over the years.

416
00:17:51,866 --> 00:17:53,700
There are these natural cycles.

417
00:17:53,700 --> 00:17:55,533
You can also see the 
red line is temperature,

418
00:17:55,533 --> 00:17:57,233
the blue line is CO2,

419
00:17:57,233 --> 00:18:00,100
and you can see the very close 
relationship between the two.

420
00:18:00,100 --> 00:18:01,933
And then, it's a 
little hard to see,

421
00:18:01,933 --> 00:18:04,533
but if you look at today way 
over in the right-hand corner,

422
00:18:04,533 --> 00:18:06,933
you can see the blue 
line is off the chart,

423
00:18:06,933 --> 00:18:09,833
and that's carbon 
dioxide concentrations.

424
00:18:11,866 --> 00:18:14,466
This, I know it's tiny, but 
I just wanted to mention

425
00:18:14,466 --> 00:18:16,133
that we talk a lot 
about carbon dioxide,

426
00:18:16,133 --> 00:18:18,866
but there are other greenhouse 
gases that are released

427
00:18:18,866 --> 00:18:22,433
through our industry 
and technology as well,

428
00:18:22,433 --> 00:18:24,400
including methane 
and nitrous oxide,

429
00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:28,266
and those are all sharply 
increasing at the same time.

430
00:18:28,266 --> 00:18:31,366
And so, this figure, again I 
know these things are tiny,

431
00:18:31,366 --> 00:18:33,666
but I'm just gonna 
kind of move quickly.

432
00:18:33,666 --> 00:18:36,166
We can always go back 
if you have questions.

433
00:18:36,166 --> 00:18:38,766
This figure shows the 
amount of warming influence,

434
00:18:38,766 --> 00:18:40,200
which is all the red bars,

435
00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,100
or the cooling influence, 
which is the blue bars.

436
00:18:43,100 --> 00:18:46,100
And then it shows 
human influences,

437
00:18:46,100 --> 00:18:48,333
which is the top 
part of the chart,

438
00:18:48,333 --> 00:18:49,766
and then there's 
that tiny little bar

439
00:18:49,766 --> 00:18:53,366
that shows natural influences, 
which is mostly solar,

440
00:18:53,366 --> 00:18:57,633
and then you can see the very 
last bar is the total net.

441
00:18:57,633 --> 00:19:00,433
And so you can see 
that when you add

442
00:19:00,433 --> 00:19:02,900
all of those things together, 
the warming and the cooling

443
00:19:02,900 --> 00:19:04,766
and the human and the natural,

444
00:19:04,766 --> 00:19:07,233
that red bar at the bottom 
shows the warming influences

445
00:19:07,233 --> 00:19:09,633
that humans are having.

446
00:19:09,633 --> 00:19:12,533
And this is another way of 
looking at the information

447
00:19:12,533 --> 00:19:14,733
that you can read 
a little better.

448
00:19:14,733 --> 00:19:16,900
This is change in annual 
global temperature

449
00:19:16,900 --> 00:19:19,733
from 1880 to 2010.

450
00:19:19,733 --> 00:19:23,766
So you can see every year 
fluctuates a little bit.

451
00:19:23,766 --> 00:19:25,566
And we're talking average 
global temperature.

452
00:19:25,566 --> 00:19:27,066
So this is all the 
local temperatures

453
00:19:27,066 --> 00:19:30,533
of all the different 
regions added together.

454
00:19:30,533 --> 00:19:32,866
And some years are warmer, 
some years are colder,

455
00:19:32,866 --> 00:19:36,700
but in general you can 
definitely see a trend.

456
00:19:36,700 --> 00:19:40,100
And I think it's important, 
this is a good example

457
00:19:40,100 --> 00:19:43,333
of why it's important to 
look at long-term averages

458
00:19:43,333 --> 00:19:45,233
in order to paint 
a clear picture.

459
00:19:45,233 --> 00:19:48,933
If you just took a small 
chunk, like a decade or so,

460
00:19:48,933 --> 00:19:50,366
it would tell a different story

461
00:19:50,366 --> 00:19:53,000
than when you average out 
the entire time period.

462
00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:59,833
So, we're gonna talk about how 
these changes are affecting

463
00:19:59,833 --> 00:20:02,766
all of the other 
systems on Earth.

464
00:20:02,766 --> 00:20:04,566
So I mentioned we 
have natural warming

465
00:20:04,566 --> 00:20:06,500
from the greenhouse 
effect, and then now,

466
00:20:06,500 --> 00:20:09,900
because of carbon emissions 
and other greenhouse gases

467
00:20:09,900 --> 00:20:11,300
that we're adding 
to the atmosphere,

468
00:20:11,300 --> 00:20:12,966
we have amplified warming,

469
00:20:12,966 --> 00:20:15,700
which means the 
greenhouse effect,

470
00:20:15,700 --> 00:20:17,433
the atmosphere is 
doing a better job

471
00:20:17,433 --> 00:20:20,100
at keeping our planet warm.

472
00:20:20,100 --> 00:20:22,000
And so then this 
has consequences

473
00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:23,766
for all of Earth's systems.

474
00:20:23,766 --> 00:20:28,033
So we have consequences 
for the water cycle.

475
00:20:28,033 --> 00:20:31,700
So, first of all, as 
the atmosphere warms,

476
00:20:31,700 --> 00:20:34,133
then the oceans 
are also warming.

477
00:20:34,133 --> 00:20:35,800
They're helping 
to balance it out.

478
00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:37,233
They're sucking a lot of heat.

479
00:20:37,233 --> 00:20:39,166
As water warms, it expands.

480
00:20:39,166 --> 00:20:42,733
So this is causing 
sea level rises

481
00:20:42,733 --> 00:20:44,733
and also causing 
glaciers to melt,

482
00:20:44,733 --> 00:20:48,366
which then adds 
to sea level rise.

483
00:20:48,366 --> 00:20:50,566
There's also more energy 
in the water cycle

484
00:20:50,566 --> 00:20:53,133
because of all this 
extra heat and energy,

485
00:20:53,133 --> 00:20:55,766
which is flowing 
around and contributing

486
00:20:55,766 --> 00:20:57,733
to more extreme weather.

487
00:20:57,733 --> 00:21:01,533
And with each additional 
degree Celsius of temperature,

488
00:21:01,533 --> 00:21:02,833
the atmosphere's capacity

489
00:21:02,833 --> 00:21:06,100
to hold water vapor 
increases by 7%,

490
00:21:06,100 --> 00:21:08,500
which is why we're 
seeing a lot more

491
00:21:08,500 --> 00:21:12,133
extreme precipitation 
events and extreme weather.

492
00:21:15,500 --> 00:21:18,866
The oceans, in addition 
to helping to absorb heat,

493
00:21:18,866 --> 00:21:21,433
they're also helping to 
absorb all the extra carbon

494
00:21:21,433 --> 00:21:23,633
that's in the 
atmosphere right now,

495
00:21:23,633 --> 00:21:26,200
which is having 
consequences on marine life,

496
00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:28,800
and all the carbon in 
the oceans is starting

497
00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:33,166
to acidify the 
oceans and having,

498
00:21:33,166 --> 00:21:34,400
it's starting to eat away

499
00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:38,466
at hard-bodied marine 
life such as corals.

500
00:21:38,466 --> 00:21:41,033
So there's having a lot of 
impact on marine ecosystems

501
00:21:41,033 --> 00:21:43,500
and then also 
ecosystems on land.

502
00:21:43,500 --> 00:21:45,566
You can see these 
different colors represent

503
00:21:45,566 --> 00:21:47,500
different forest types,

504
00:21:47,500 --> 00:21:49,633
and you can see how they're 
shifting northwards.

505
00:21:49,633 --> 00:21:53,633
So, in the recent past, 
from 1960 to 1990,

506
00:21:53,633 --> 00:21:55,600
Wisconsin and some of 
the northern states

507
00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:57,933
and the southern states 
had very different

508
00:21:57,933 --> 00:22:01,033
forest composition 
than they will

509
00:22:01,033 --> 00:22:03,600
by the end of the 21st century.

510
00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:05,866
And so with those 
forests changing,

511
00:22:05,866 --> 00:22:08,166
you can imagine all the 
other plants and animals

512
00:22:08,166 --> 00:22:10,766
that live in those ecosystems 
are going to have to

513
00:22:10,766 --> 00:22:14,766
either migrate or 
adapt or die off.

514
00:22:16,066 --> 00:22:19,866
Arctic ecosystems are 
especially sensitive

515
00:22:19,866 --> 00:22:21,966
because they rely on the cold,

516
00:22:21,966 --> 00:22:23,966
and all of those 
animals have adapted

517
00:22:23,966 --> 00:22:25,733
to their habitats being cold

518
00:22:25,733 --> 00:22:28,266
and they can't go 
any further north,

519
00:22:28,266 --> 00:22:30,666
or south of they're 
on the South Pole.

520
00:22:30,666 --> 00:22:33,700
And so those ecosystems 
are especially vulnerable.

521
00:22:35,433 --> 00:22:38,300
And then, of course, this is 
just a few of the changes,

522
00:22:38,300 --> 00:22:41,866
but all of these impacts 
are effecting humans

523
00:22:41,866 --> 00:22:43,766
and society as well.

524
00:22:44,766 --> 00:22:47,833
So now we're going to talk a 
little bit about climate change

525
00:22:47,833 --> 00:22:50,566
in Wisconsin and how 
some of these changes

526
00:22:50,566 --> 00:22:53,033
are happening close to home.

527
00:22:53,033 --> 00:22:54,800
So, this maps shows changes

528
00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:58,733
in average temperature 
from 1950 to 2006.

529
00:22:58,733 --> 00:23:00,400
And here's the 
temperature scale.

530
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,866
So you can see not 
every part of the state

531
00:23:02,866 --> 00:23:04,466
is being affected equally.

532
00:23:04,466 --> 00:23:07,900
The northwestern 
parts are warming up,

533
00:23:07,900 --> 00:23:10,733
or have been warming up 
a little more quickly.

534
00:23:10,733 --> 00:23:15,666
But you can see that the 
Madison area has increased

535
00:23:15,666 --> 00:23:20,633
by about one degree over 
the past 50 or so years.

536
00:23:20,633 --> 00:23:22,333
Then this second 
map shows how much

537
00:23:22,333 --> 00:23:24,366
the average temperature 
is predicted

538
00:23:24,366 --> 00:23:28,533
to increase from 1980 to 2055.

539
00:23:29,933 --> 00:23:32,566
And then, again, talking 
about those ecosystem shifts

540
00:23:32,566 --> 00:23:34,100
and the different forest types,

541
00:23:34,100 --> 00:23:37,333
this is a snapshot of kind of 
the Midwest and the northeast,

542
00:23:37,333 --> 00:23:40,133
and you can see how those 
have been changing already

543
00:23:40,133 --> 00:23:42,666
and are predicted to change.

544
00:23:42,666 --> 00:23:47,566
And so, if you extrapolate 
those forest changes

545
00:23:47,566 --> 00:23:50,466
to other types of plants, if 
you're a gardener or a farmer,

546
00:23:50,466 --> 00:23:53,566
you know that if the 
plant zones are projected

547
00:23:53,566 --> 00:23:57,633
to shift one half to one 
full zone every 30 years,

548
00:23:57,633 --> 00:23:59,733
then we're going to have 
to change the plants

549
00:23:59,733 --> 00:24:00,966
that we're planting.

550
00:24:00,966 --> 00:24:03,100
It'll change crop yields.

551
00:24:03,100 --> 00:24:06,366
It'll change the hardiness 
of different species.

552
00:24:06,366 --> 00:24:08,866
This is another local example.

553
00:24:08,866 --> 00:24:11,333
We're fortunate here at the 
University of Wisconsin.

554
00:24:11,333 --> 00:24:13,133
We have one of the 
longest running

555
00:24:13,133 --> 00:24:15,266
ice covered data 
sets in the world.

556
00:24:15,266 --> 00:24:18,166
And so, scientists at 
the university have

557
00:24:18,166 --> 00:24:21,000
been keeping track 
of ice-on and ice-off

558
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:25,633
dates each winter 
since the late 1850s.

559
00:24:25,633 --> 00:24:28,566
And so, over the course 
of those records,

560
00:24:28,566 --> 00:24:31,533
we now have about a 
month fewer days of ice

561
00:24:31,533 --> 00:24:34,233
in the winter on Lake Mendota.

562
00:24:34,233 --> 00:24:36,133
And, actually, I think 
Lake Monona is even more.

563
00:24:36,133 --> 00:24:39,033
I think it's about 
36 or 38 days.

564
00:24:39,033 --> 00:24:40,866
So that's just a good example

565
00:24:40,866 --> 00:24:43,033
of a very gradual 
shift that's happening.

566
00:24:43,033 --> 00:24:46,300
Some of you who are older 
might remember the days

567
00:24:46,300 --> 00:24:49,266
when there was more ice or 
you could do more ice fishing.

568
00:24:49,266 --> 00:24:51,433
And I always hear of 
these things anecdotally,

569
00:24:51,433 --> 00:24:54,700
but it's nice to see some 
actual graphical information

570
00:24:54,700 --> 00:24:57,333
that shows this.

571
00:24:57,333 --> 00:24:58,766
And I want to point out,

572
00:24:58,766 --> 00:25:01,000
because this is another 
question that I get a lot,

573
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:05,600
so we're talking about one 
degree or six degrees of change,

574
00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:07,766
and that doesn't seem 
like a lot to some people.

575
00:25:07,766 --> 00:25:10,533
I bet the temperature changed 
six degrees outside today

576
00:25:10,533 --> 00:25:13,133
(laughs) just with our weather,

577
00:25:13,133 --> 00:25:16,066
but it's just good to reiterate 
that we're talking

578
00:25:16,066 --> 00:25:19,133
about averages over 
long periods of time.

579
00:25:19,133 --> 00:25:22,166
And so those little, 
those small increments

580
00:25:22,166 --> 00:25:24,266
can really add up and 
make a big difference.

581
00:25:24,266 --> 00:25:26,433
So the length of time that 
Lake Mendota is covered

582
00:25:26,433 --> 00:25:28,266
by ice each year has decreased

583
00:25:28,266 --> 00:25:31,966
by six days per 
decade since 1956.

584
00:25:31,966 --> 00:25:33,333
The average temperature 
during this time

585
00:25:33,333 --> 00:25:35,800
has increased less 
than two degrees.

586
00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,866
So that two-degree 
difference is having

587
00:25:38,866 --> 00:25:41,766
that bigger difference 
on the ice cover

588
00:25:41,766 --> 00:25:43,900
and all the other systems.

589
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,700
So, just a couple more changes 
I'm going to run through

590
00:25:52,700 --> 00:25:55,100
that are happening 
here in Wisconsin.

591
00:25:57,100 --> 00:25:59,500
So we talked a little bit 
about temperature changes.

592
00:25:59,500 --> 00:26:02,300
So our hotter summers 
that we can expect

593
00:26:02,300 --> 00:26:05,666
will make the Midwest 
feel more like the South.

594
00:26:05,666 --> 00:26:08,333
So, averaging 15 
different climate models

595
00:26:08,333 --> 00:26:12,166
with a middle of the road carbon 
dioxide emission scenario,

596
00:26:12,166 --> 00:26:15,133
WICCI, the Wisconsin Initiative 
on Climate Change Impacts,

597
00:26:15,133 --> 00:26:17,933
has predicted that by around 
the middle of the century,

598
00:26:17,933 --> 00:26:19,333
Madison's climate 
will be similar

599
00:26:19,333 --> 00:26:22,433
to that of present 
day central Illinois.

600
00:26:22,433 --> 00:26:24,133
And then because changes 
are even more extreme

601
00:26:24,133 --> 00:26:25,866
in the northern 
part of the state,

602
00:26:25,866 --> 00:26:27,833
using the same modeling 
tool and parameters,

603
00:26:27,833 --> 00:26:30,966
a location near Minocqua, 
which is northern Wisconsin,

604
00:26:30,966 --> 00:26:32,466
is predicted to have 
a climate similar

605
00:26:32,466 --> 00:26:34,333
to that of 
Whitewater, Wisconsin,

606
00:26:34,333 --> 00:26:36,900
which is far southern Wisconsin.

607
00:26:38,666 --> 00:26:41,766
So that will have impacts 
on all the ecosystems

608
00:26:41,766 --> 00:26:43,566
we talked about, all 
the different species.

609
00:26:43,566 --> 00:26:47,066
It'll also have impacts on 
the drought that we're seeing

610
00:26:47,066 --> 00:26:49,533
and all the different 
temperature scales.

611
00:26:49,533 --> 00:26:51,266
These are just a quick example

612
00:26:51,266 --> 00:26:52,666
of some of the different species

613
00:26:52,666 --> 00:26:56,666
that are especially 
vulnerable to climate changes.

614
00:26:56,666 --> 00:26:59,933
Some species, like the deer 
tick, are actually thriving

615
00:26:59,933 --> 00:27:01,800
because of some of 
these climate changes.

616
00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:04,800
So they have different 
impacts on different species.

617
00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:06,566
And they're leading to an issue

618
00:27:06,566 --> 00:27:09,500
that we are calling 
ecosystem mismatch,

619
00:27:09,500 --> 00:27:11,333
where some species are 
reacting differently

620
00:27:11,333 --> 00:27:13,966
to the climate changes, some 
species are able to migrate

621
00:27:13,966 --> 00:27:16,266
and some aren't, and so 
we're starting to find

622
00:27:16,266 --> 00:27:20,266
that some species are 
blooming earlier in the spring

623
00:27:20,266 --> 00:27:23,600
but the birds that eat 
them haven't migrated yet,

624
00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,233
and so there's all these 
different mismatches

625
00:27:26,233 --> 00:27:29,166
that are happening that 
are having myriad impacts

626
00:27:29,166 --> 00:27:33,033
on different ecosystems.

627
00:27:33,033 --> 00:27:36,000
So, we talked a little 
bit about hotter summers,

628
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,900
but winters are 
actually going to be,

629
00:27:38,900 --> 00:27:41,566
the changes we're going to 
see are even more drastic.

630
00:27:41,566 --> 00:27:43,866
So, you can see the 
predicted change

631
00:27:43,866 --> 00:27:48,266
in winter average temperature 
from 1980 to 2055 is anywhere

632
00:27:48,266 --> 00:27:52,566
from about six to nine degrees.

633
00:27:52,566 --> 00:27:58,100
One change we've been noticing 
is decline in our lake levels.

634
00:27:58,100 --> 00:28:01,400
So this is a graph 
from Lake Michigan,

635
00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,033
which also feeds 
into Lake Huron,

636
00:28:03,033 --> 00:28:05,666
so they average it all together.

637
00:28:05,666 --> 00:28:08,700
And the annual 
average lake level,

638
00:28:08,700 --> 00:28:11,866
you can see in recent 
decades, is much lower,

639
00:28:11,866 --> 00:28:14,000
and that's because there's 
a lot less ice cover

640
00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:17,866
on the lakes, and warmer 
water evaporates faster.

641
00:28:17,866 --> 00:28:20,033
And, on average, as 
temperatures are increasing,

642
00:28:20,033 --> 00:28:22,666
it has less time 
to replenish itself

643
00:28:22,666 --> 00:28:26,033
and spends more 
time evaporating.

644
00:28:26,033 --> 00:28:28,200
And so we can think 
about how these changes

645
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:31,033
are going to impact our 
culture around Wisconsin,

646
00:28:31,033 --> 00:28:35,166
our lifestyles, our 
livelihoods, and our economics.

647
00:28:35,166 --> 00:28:39,366
Just some other examples 
I don't have up there,

648
00:28:39,366 --> 00:28:44,566
besides recreation, we can 
talk about fishing and hunting,

649
00:28:44,566 --> 00:28:49,933
we can talk about maple 
syruping, maple sugaring.

650
00:28:49,933 --> 00:28:51,766
Maple trees are 
especially susceptible

651
00:28:51,766 --> 00:28:54,566
to changes in weather 
and changes in climate.

652
00:28:54,566 --> 00:28:56,466
There's a crucial 
period in early spring

653
00:28:56,466 --> 00:28:57,966
where they have 
to freeze at night

654
00:28:57,966 --> 00:29:00,566
and thaw during the day 
to get the sap running,

655
00:29:00,566 --> 00:29:02,533
and a lot of times 
in recent years

656
00:29:02,533 --> 00:29:05,266
it sort of skipped right 
from winter into spring.

657
00:29:05,266 --> 00:29:07,233
Spring is coming earlier,

658
00:29:07,233 --> 00:29:12,000
and so that's changing 
our maple sugaring season.

659
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,800
Lake levels are impacting 
fishing and shipping.

660
00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:17,033
So there's a lot of impacts,

661
00:29:17,033 --> 00:29:18,866
and I'm happy to 
talk more about that,

662
00:29:18,866 --> 00:29:20,800
if you have 
questions at the end.

663
00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,866
So, now I'm just going to talk 
a little bit about teaching

664
00:29:23,866 --> 00:29:26,066
about climate change, and some 
of the things I've learned

665
00:29:26,066 --> 00:29:29,000
with different ages and 
audiences that I've worked with.

666
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:33,933
So here are just a couple 
things I wanted to point out.

667
00:29:36,966 --> 00:29:38,233
And this is a common theme

668
00:29:38,233 --> 00:29:41,266
when you are learning 
about climate change.

669
00:29:41,266 --> 00:29:45,033
A lot of times you'll 
see really scary graphics

670
00:29:45,033 --> 00:29:48,600
and extreme things 
that are happening.

671
00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:51,500
And there are a lot of 
really terrifying statistics

672
00:29:51,500 --> 00:29:52,933
when it comes to climate change.

673
00:29:52,933 --> 00:29:55,566
There are a lot of scary 
things that are happening.

674
00:29:55,566 --> 00:29:58,400
I think one of my 
favorite scary statistics

675
00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,400
is from James Hansen, 
the former director

676
00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:04,933
of the NASA Goddard 
Space Institute,

677
00:30:04,933 --> 00:30:06,633
and he said that 
the energy trapped

678
00:30:06,633 --> 00:30:09,700
by manmade global warming 
pollution is now equivalent

679
00:30:09,700 --> 00:30:14,700
to exploding 400,000 Hiroshima 
atomic bombs per day.

680
00:30:14,700 --> 00:30:17,866
So, there's tons of 
statistics like that,

681
00:30:17,866 --> 00:30:19,500
and sometimes they're 
really impactful

682
00:30:19,500 --> 00:30:20,966
depending on your audience.

683
00:30:20,966 --> 00:30:22,900
They can give a sense of urgency

684
00:30:22,900 --> 00:30:26,533
and encourage people 
to act quickly,

685
00:30:26,533 --> 00:30:28,733
but it also depends 
on your audience.

686
00:30:28,733 --> 00:30:32,000
And my audience tends 
to be kids a lot,

687
00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,766
and so this stuff 
doesn't work as well.

688
00:30:34,766 --> 00:30:39,066
It's tempting to lay all the 
harsh realities on the table.

689
00:30:39,066 --> 00:30:41,666
Talking about extinction 
and extreme weather

690
00:30:41,666 --> 00:30:44,666
and all these ways that people

691
00:30:44,666 --> 00:30:47,333
and animals are 
going to be impacted,

692
00:30:47,333 --> 00:30:49,300
but you have to take a 
slightly different approach

693
00:30:49,300 --> 00:30:51,666
with younger people.

694
00:30:51,666 --> 00:30:53,933
And I think it's also 
important to factor,

695
00:30:53,933 --> 00:30:55,233
this is something I learned

696
00:30:55,233 --> 00:30:57,166
from the Climate 
Reality Project,

697
00:30:57,166 --> 00:31:00,433
we talked a lot about factoring 
our audiences' various budgets.

698
00:31:00,433 --> 00:31:02,833
And some audiences have 
different time budgets.

699
00:31:02,833 --> 00:31:04,766
You might only have 
five minutes with them,

700
00:31:04,766 --> 00:31:06,666
so you're going to talk 
about different things

701
00:31:06,666 --> 00:31:08,400
than if you have a full hour.

702
00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:10,900
Some audiences have 
different complexity budgets

703
00:31:10,900 --> 00:31:14,666
where they understand science 
and more complicated issues.

704
00:31:14,666 --> 00:31:17,400
And then some audiences have 
a different hope budget,

705
00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:19,000
which I think is something 
that's really important.

706
00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:21,733
And kids' hope budget 
is completely different

707
00:31:21,733 --> 00:31:26,633
than different 
audiences of adults.

708
00:31:28,566 --> 00:31:32,866
So, when I'm teaching about 
climate change with young kids,

709
00:31:32,866 --> 00:31:35,366
these are some of the things 
I try to keep in mind.

710
00:31:35,366 --> 00:31:37,733
I think it's really important 
to cover the basics.

711
00:31:37,733 --> 00:31:39,366
There's so many 
technical details

712
00:31:39,366 --> 00:31:42,100
and it's good to remind myself

713
00:31:42,100 --> 00:31:43,700
that I'm not going 
to cover everything

714
00:31:43,700 --> 00:31:47,200
in the one-hour program that I 
have with some first graders.

715
00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:49,500
So I just pick a 
couple basic concepts

716
00:31:49,500 --> 00:31:51,733
that I really want to hit home,

717
00:31:51,733 --> 00:31:55,166
try to keep things 
multidisciplinary,

718
00:31:55,166 --> 00:31:57,933
keep them interesting 
and fun and engaging.

719
00:31:57,933 --> 00:32:00,933
It's also helpful to keep 
things standards based.

720
00:32:00,933 --> 00:32:02,400
So whether you're 
a classroom teacher

721
00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:04,000
and you have 
curricular standards

722
00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:05,333
to follow in your classroom,

723
00:32:05,333 --> 00:32:08,400
or you can find other 
frameworks that exist,

724
00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:10,833
I used the climate 
literacy frameworks a lot,

725
00:32:10,833 --> 00:32:12,766
which was put 
together by a bunch

726
00:32:12,766 --> 00:32:14,333
of different federal agencies,

727
00:32:14,333 --> 00:32:18,200
and it's the essential 
principles of climate science

728
00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:21,433
that they recommend can 
be used for individuals

729
00:32:21,433 --> 00:32:23,866
and communities of all 
different ages and backgrounds.

730
00:32:23,866 --> 00:32:25,966
So it's just nice to 
have kind of a framework

731
00:32:25,966 --> 00:32:27,300
with benchmarks so you know

732
00:32:27,300 --> 00:32:29,833
what your learning 
objectives are.

733
00:32:29,833 --> 00:32:32,533
It's great to use visuals, 
metaphors, and models.

734
00:32:32,533 --> 00:32:35,266
A lot of this stuff is 
either invisible or happening

735
00:32:35,266 --> 00:32:36,966
at such a scale that 
it's really hard

736
00:32:36,966 --> 00:32:39,500
to show concrete examples.

737
00:32:39,500 --> 00:32:42,366
And as environmental 
educators, we're very used to,

738
00:32:42,366 --> 00:32:43,866
when we're talking 
about aquatic insects,

739
00:32:43,866 --> 00:32:46,100
we just go to the 
pond and scoop some up

740
00:32:46,100 --> 00:32:48,666
and have concrete 
examples right there.

741
00:32:48,666 --> 00:32:51,200
But that doesn't work as well 
with a lot of these topics.

742
00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,000
So it's important that 
we have technology

743
00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,666
where we can show a 
lot of visuals, models.

744
00:32:57,666 --> 00:32:59,433
This is our ecosphere exhibit

745
00:32:59,433 --> 00:33:01,366
that we have at 
the nature center.

746
00:33:01,366 --> 00:33:04,600
And it's completely sealed 
off, self-contained ecosystem.

747
00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:07,500
And there are shrimp, and 
there's algae in there.

748
00:33:07,500 --> 00:33:10,800
And so everything balances 
and there's great examples

749
00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:15,233
of food chains, photosynthesis, 
carbon and oxygen balance,

750
00:33:15,233 --> 00:33:19,033
water cycle, and so we can 
kind of scale things down.

751
00:33:19,033 --> 00:33:20,666
Kids really get 
this when they know

752
00:33:20,666 --> 00:33:23,000
we don't have air holes in it.

753
00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:24,966
They really start thinking 
about how life works

754
00:33:24,966 --> 00:33:27,033
and how everything 
is working together,

755
00:33:27,033 --> 00:33:28,666
and then we can scale it out

756
00:33:28,666 --> 00:33:30,833
and compare it to 
how our planet works.

757
00:33:30,833 --> 00:33:32,033
The only thing coming in

758
00:33:32,033 --> 00:33:34,166
from the outside is 
energy from the sun,

759
00:33:34,166 --> 00:33:36,066
much like planet Earth.

760
00:33:36,066 --> 00:33:38,366
So it's a great model.

761
00:33:38,366 --> 00:33:41,100
We also use just 
very basic stories.

762
00:33:41,100 --> 00:33:42,666
Sometimes we'll talk about,

763
00:33:42,666 --> 00:33:44,366
especially with really, 
really young kids,

764
00:33:44,366 --> 00:33:46,200
we'll talk about 
Earth being sick

765
00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:48,433
or Earth having a fever 
and the different symptoms

766
00:33:48,433 --> 00:33:53,133
and what we can do to 
make Earth feel better.

767
00:33:53,133 --> 00:33:55,133
We use real data.

768
00:33:55,133 --> 00:33:57,500
I just pulled up our 
Science on a Sphere

769
00:33:57,500 --> 00:33:59,700
where we can show 
real satellite data,

770
00:33:59,700 --> 00:34:01,466
which is really impactful.

771
00:34:01,466 --> 00:34:03,433
We can pull up current 
events and things

772
00:34:03,433 --> 00:34:04,900
that are happening with weather.

773
00:34:04,900 --> 00:34:06,400
So if it's something current,

774
00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:08,266
kids are more likely 
(laughs) to remember it

775
00:34:08,266 --> 00:34:10,466
and know what we're 
talking about,

776
00:34:10,466 --> 00:34:12,733
so we can draw 
those connections.

777
00:34:12,733 --> 00:34:14,966
And then, again, 
being experiential,

778
00:34:14,966 --> 00:34:16,500
having active learning,

779
00:34:16,500 --> 00:34:19,100
getting kids outside measuring 
the weather that's happening,

780
00:34:19,100 --> 00:34:21,000
measuring wind speed, 
and then comparing that

781
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,633
to other records over time.

782
00:34:23,633 --> 00:34:26,000
And just keeping 
things age appropriate

783
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:29,300
with content and vocabulary 
that we're using.

784
00:34:29,300 --> 00:34:31,166
And then, I mentioned before,

785
00:34:31,166 --> 00:34:34,200
avoiding kind of the 
doom and gloom scenario

786
00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:35,600
and being too overwhelming

787
00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:37,466
because I think kids 
just get really depressed

788
00:34:37,466 --> 00:34:39,933
and shut down. (laughs)

789
00:34:42,533 --> 00:34:43,933
And so some more types.

790
00:34:43,933 --> 00:34:46,266
Just lay good foundation 
and get kids familiar

791
00:34:46,266 --> 00:34:48,366
with concepts and 
with vocabulary

792
00:34:48,366 --> 00:34:50,700
that you can build on later.

793
00:34:50,700 --> 00:34:53,100
Connecting with kids and things 
that they're interested in

794
00:34:53,100 --> 00:34:55,366
and that are affecting them.

795
00:34:55,366 --> 00:34:57,233
Kids, especially like 
upper elementary,

796
00:34:57,233 --> 00:34:59,766
really start to understand 
fairness and empathy.

797
00:34:59,766 --> 00:35:02,766
So you can talk about kind 
of environmental justice

798
00:35:02,766 --> 00:35:06,233
and working together,

799
00:35:06,233 --> 00:35:08,100
integrating across 
subject areas.

800
00:35:08,100 --> 00:35:10,200
It doesn't always have 
to be a science lesson.

801
00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,333
You can bring up all 
these different topics

802
00:35:12,333 --> 00:35:16,033
in other curricular areas.

803
00:35:16,033 --> 00:35:17,300
If you're not sure 
about something,

804
00:35:17,300 --> 00:35:20,566
if you're a teacher and 
you don't feel qualified

805
00:35:20,566 --> 00:35:22,066
to talk about climate science,

806
00:35:22,066 --> 00:35:24,566
there are tons of outside 
resources and experts,

807
00:35:24,566 --> 00:35:26,066
or you can go on field trips,

808
00:35:26,066 --> 00:35:28,033
like to the Aldo 
Leopold Nature Center

809
00:35:28,033 --> 00:35:31,466
where we're happy to talk 
about it for you. (laughs)

810
00:35:31,466 --> 00:35:32,633
You can also use controversy

811
00:35:32,633 --> 00:35:34,733
and questions as 
teachable moments.

812
00:35:34,733 --> 00:35:37,766
Build open communication, 
encourage inquiry.

813
00:35:37,766 --> 00:35:41,566
These are just some other tips 
that I've kind of come across.

814
00:35:41,566 --> 00:35:43,766
It's important to explain how 
averages and probability work.

815
00:35:43,766 --> 00:35:45,333
That's a concept that's 
sometimes difficult

816
00:35:45,333 --> 00:35:47,400
for young kids.

817
00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:51,733
So, flipping coins and 
talking about things like,

818
00:35:51,733 --> 00:35:54,233
one metaphor that I came 
across that I liked is

819
00:35:54,233 --> 00:35:56,933
if a baseball player is on 
steroids, we can't be sure

820
00:35:56,933 --> 00:35:59,633
that every single home run 
he hits is due to this,

821
00:35:59,633 --> 00:36:01,400
but we can say that the steroids

822
00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:04,366
definitely increase the 
likelihood of big hits.

823
00:36:04,366 --> 00:36:08,000
The same can be said for extreme 
weather events and climate.

824
00:36:09,500 --> 00:36:11,833
Climate science is 
very non-intuitive.

825
00:36:11,833 --> 00:36:15,733
We're talking about large 
scales and complex interactions.

826
00:36:15,733 --> 00:36:18,433
Lots of cycles and 
nonlinear processes,

827
00:36:18,433 --> 00:36:20,700
which is difficult 
to grasp for kids.

828
00:36:20,700 --> 00:36:23,166
It's abstract and it also 
extends beyond their lifespan.

829
00:36:23,166 --> 00:36:24,833
So if we're talking about things

830
00:36:24,833 --> 00:36:26,800
that happened a 
couple decades ago,

831
00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:30,366
they can't really comprehend 
what that even means.

832
00:36:30,366 --> 00:36:33,766
So, spend extra time discussing 
this and making comparisons.

833
00:36:33,766 --> 00:36:35,766
And then, again, hands-on 
learning really sticks.

834
00:36:35,766 --> 00:36:37,400
So get them outside 
collecting data

835
00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:39,466
or talking with older folks

836
00:36:39,466 --> 00:36:41,933
and hearing anecdotes 
and stories.

837
00:36:44,300 --> 00:36:47,300
I also think it's important 
to listen to your audience

838
00:36:47,300 --> 00:36:50,933
and learn what they already know 
or what they think they know

839
00:36:50,933 --> 00:36:54,233
so you have a good starting 
point of what you need to teach

840
00:36:54,233 --> 00:36:55,433
and any misconceptions

841
00:36:55,433 --> 00:36:59,100
that need to clear 
up right off the bat.

842
00:36:59,100 --> 00:37:02,066
And always allow for open 
discussion and communication,

843
00:37:02,066 --> 00:37:03,900
get various perspectives,

844
00:37:03,900 --> 00:37:06,600
appreciate people's different 
values and assumptions,

845
00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:09,666
don't get bogged down 
presenting both sides.

846
00:37:09,666 --> 00:37:11,200
I have that little 
graphic showing

847
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,866
that 97 out of 100 
climate experts think

848
00:37:13,866 --> 00:37:15,866
that humans are 
causing global warming,

849
00:37:15,866 --> 00:37:19,500
so I think it's safe 
for us to consider that

850
00:37:19,500 --> 00:37:22,866
when we're (laughs) 
talking about the science.

851
00:37:22,866 --> 00:37:26,466
Use reputable sources and sound 
science, stick with facts,

852
00:37:26,466 --> 00:37:28,700
and let students draw 
their own conclusions.

853
00:37:28,700 --> 00:37:30,166
It's also important 
to acknowledge all

854
00:37:30,166 --> 00:37:31,566
the natural cycles.

855
00:37:31,566 --> 00:37:33,533
There are tons of 
things going on

856
00:37:33,533 --> 00:37:35,200
that are outside 
of human control,

857
00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:37,200
but there are some 
human factors,

858
00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:39,833
and those are the ones 
that we need to focus on

859
00:37:39,833 --> 00:37:42,100
because that's what we 
do have control over.

860
00:37:42,100 --> 00:37:44,633
And then focusing 
on the big picture.

861
00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:49,366
So, these are just a couple 
quick examples I threw in

862
00:37:49,366 --> 00:37:53,566
that we use in our 
digital curriculum.

863
00:37:53,566 --> 00:37:56,300
So, we talk a lot 
with younger kids

864
00:37:56,300 --> 00:37:58,866
about systems and cycles.

865
00:37:58,866 --> 00:38:01,433
Again, clearing up 
that basic foundation

866
00:38:01,433 --> 00:38:03,500
of the difference between 
weather and climate.

867
00:38:03,500 --> 00:38:05,866
We talk a lot about 
the nature of science

868
00:38:05,866 --> 00:38:08,333
and how scientists use 
tools and technology

869
00:38:08,333 --> 00:38:11,566
and models and observing 
and recording what they see.

870
00:38:11,566 --> 00:38:12,966
We talk about the relationship

871
00:38:12,966 --> 00:38:16,066
between Earth and humans, 
which goes both ways.

872
00:38:16,066 --> 00:38:18,500
We talk a lot about 
what we can do.

873
00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:21,400
We're very solutions 
and choices focused.

874
00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:24,333
We talk about adaptation 
versus mitigation,

875
00:38:24,333 --> 00:38:28,166
and also just innovation 
and technology.

876
00:38:28,166 --> 00:38:30,266
And then we integrate 
games and quizzes

877
00:38:30,266 --> 00:38:33,600
to kind of reinforce 
a lot of the content.

878
00:38:37,666 --> 00:38:39,966
So when we're talking 
about climate change,

879
00:38:39,966 --> 00:38:41,433
so I've mostly been 
talking right now

880
00:38:41,433 --> 00:38:43,766
about talking to 
kids and students,

881
00:38:43,766 --> 00:38:46,533
but I think it's really 
important just for adults

882
00:38:46,533 --> 00:38:48,633
and general population 
to be talking

883
00:38:48,633 --> 00:38:51,900
about climate change too.

884
00:38:51,900 --> 00:38:55,533
Oh, it looks like this 
graphic didn't show up.

885
00:38:55,533 --> 00:38:57,533
I had a graphic that shows

886
00:38:57,533 --> 00:38:59,600
that there was a 
recent study done

887
00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:03,433
by the Yale Project on 
Climate Change Communication,

888
00:39:03,433 --> 00:39:06,566
and they showed that 67%

889
00:39:06,566 --> 00:39:09,766
of Americans strongly or 
somewhat trust their family

890
00:39:09,766 --> 00:39:11,400
and friends when it 
comes to climate change

891
00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:12,766
and global warming,

892
00:39:12,766 --> 00:39:16,266
and that was second 
under climate scientists.

893
00:39:16,266 --> 00:39:20,666
There was a whole list of 
other weather reporters,

894
00:39:20,666 --> 00:39:24,466
the president, like all 
different celebrities

895
00:39:24,466 --> 00:39:26,133
and media personalities

896
00:39:26,133 --> 00:39:29,200
and other kinds of 
scientists, family doctors.

897
00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:31,366
But, basically, 
family and friends

898
00:39:31,366 --> 00:39:35,466
was their second most trusted 
source above all those people.

899
00:39:35,466 --> 00:39:39,666
So, more Americans trust you 
than nearly any other source

900
00:39:39,666 --> 00:39:42,600
for information 
about global warming.

901
00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:44,866
But the other graphic 
that didn't show up

902
00:39:44,866 --> 00:39:49,666
showed that 61% hear 
people they know talking

903
00:39:49,666 --> 00:39:53,366
about global warming one 
time per year or less.

904
00:39:53,366 --> 00:39:56,733
So even though it's a very 
trusted source of information,

905
00:39:56,733 --> 00:39:59,333
they're just not 
really hearing it.

906
00:39:59,333 --> 00:40:02,500
So, hopefully these 
(laughs) show up now.

907
00:40:02,500 --> 00:40:05,466
But the point of all 
that was to just show

908
00:40:05,466 --> 00:40:08,400
that I think this should just 
be an ongoing conversation

909
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:11,033
that is really prevalent 
in our daily lives,

910
00:40:11,033 --> 00:40:14,133
and you can bring it 
up anytime, anywhere.

911
00:40:14,133 --> 00:40:15,433
And specifically 
when we're talking

912
00:40:15,433 --> 00:40:17,466
about our families and friends,

913
00:40:17,466 --> 00:40:20,033
I think it's important 
to just get kids outside

914
00:40:20,033 --> 00:40:23,800
and connected with the 
environment using anecdotes

915
00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:25,300
and personal stories,

916
00:40:25,300 --> 00:40:28,766
things that might just come up 
organically in conversation,

917
00:40:28,766 --> 00:40:31,766
and using that as a starting 
point for your discussion,

918
00:40:31,766 --> 00:40:35,766
asking questions and 
learning together.

919
00:40:35,766 --> 00:40:38,133
If there's something 
you don't know,

920
00:40:38,133 --> 00:40:40,000
you can look it up together.

921
00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:42,833
You can do research, you 
can explore the topic.

922
00:40:42,833 --> 00:40:44,966
I don't think many people know

923
00:40:44,966 --> 00:40:46,533
every single thing 
there is to know

924
00:40:46,533 --> 00:40:48,666
about climate or climate change.

925
00:40:48,666 --> 00:40:51,200
So, it's okay to learn together.

926
00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:56,966
So, moving on to what we can do.

927
00:40:58,766 --> 00:41:00,066
I threw this graphic in here.

928
00:41:00,066 --> 00:41:02,600
This is the Blue Marble,

929
00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:06,500
which is the most recent 
human-taken space photo.

930
00:41:06,500 --> 00:41:11,200
It was from December 7, 1972, 
by the crew of Apollo 17,

931
00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:14,200
and it's called the Blue 
Marble photo by NASA.

932
00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:16,500
And this photo was 
really important

933
00:41:16,500 --> 00:41:19,566
for kind of showing 
all of us Earthlings

934
00:41:19,566 --> 00:41:22,566
how our planet looked 
from outer space

935
00:41:22,566 --> 00:41:25,766
just floating in 
the big black void,

936
00:41:25,766 --> 00:41:28,733
and kind of showing how precious 
and fragile our planet is

937
00:41:28,733 --> 00:41:32,300
and how important it is 
that we take care of it.

938
00:41:32,300 --> 00:41:35,666
So, when we're talking 
about solutions

939
00:41:35,666 --> 00:41:40,033
and things we can do, 
it's really important,

940
00:41:40,033 --> 00:41:43,266
especially for kids, 
that they take action

941
00:41:43,266 --> 00:41:45,833
so they can feel in control.

942
00:41:45,833 --> 00:41:49,133
And so these are just some 
examples we use with the kids.

943
00:41:49,133 --> 00:41:51,066
And it's really important 
to focus on things

944
00:41:51,066 --> 00:41:54,266
that families can do together, 
like changing light bulbs,

945
00:41:54,266 --> 00:41:56,166
turning off lights 
when you leave a room,

946
00:41:56,166 --> 00:41:58,266
planting a garden, composting.

947
00:41:58,266 --> 00:41:59,533
Maybe you could do research

948
00:41:59,533 --> 00:42:01,966
into installing solar 
panels on your house.

949
00:42:01,966 --> 00:42:04,600
You can get kids 
involved in school.

950
00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:07,033
They could join or start 
environmental clubs

951
00:42:07,033 --> 00:42:09,300
or make small changes 
in their cafeteria.

952
00:42:09,300 --> 00:42:11,700
So, getting kids very 
active in the solutions

953
00:42:11,700 --> 00:42:15,566
helps them feel like they have 
some input in what's happening.

954
00:42:15,566 --> 00:42:17,566
And the most important 
thing is to talk about

955
00:42:17,566 --> 00:42:19,033
why you're doing 
all these things.

956
00:42:19,033 --> 00:42:21,600
You can show by example and 
you can instill good habits

957
00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:24,066
in your kids, but it's 
important to explain to them

958
00:42:24,066 --> 00:42:26,266
why they're doing 
what they're doing.

959
00:42:26,266 --> 00:42:27,933
So, thinking about 
all of our actions

960
00:42:27,933 --> 00:42:29,566
is part of a bigger picture.

961
00:42:29,566 --> 00:42:32,000
Where do things come from? 
Where do they go?

962
00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:34,166
What is the life 
cycle of a product

963
00:42:34,166 --> 00:42:37,100
that you're using 
from cradle to grave?

964
00:42:37,100 --> 00:42:38,800
And talking about 
the pros and cons

965
00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:41,900
of upfront costs versus 
long-term tradeoffs.

966
00:42:41,900 --> 00:42:46,300
It's also helpful to involve 
technology in the process, and,

967
00:42:46,300 --> 00:42:48,966
in addition to getting kids 
outside in the natural world,

968
00:42:48,966 --> 00:42:52,000
you can also use a lot 
of tools and resources,

969
00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:55,500
citizen science 
projects, and mobile apps

970
00:42:55,500 --> 00:42:57,333
and iPads and cell phones.

971
00:42:57,333 --> 00:42:58,700
You can look up species.

972
00:42:58,700 --> 00:43:01,400
You can record and analyze 
data really easily.

973
00:43:01,400 --> 00:43:03,800
So it's a great way to 
have conversations together

974
00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:06,100
and just have an 
ongoing conversation

975
00:43:06,100 --> 00:43:09,066
where your actions 
and behavior changes

976
00:43:09,066 --> 00:43:11,300
and conversations 
are always evolving.

977
00:43:11,300 --> 00:43:12,500
Talk about what you know

978
00:43:12,500 --> 00:43:16,100
and learn more about 
what you don't know.

979
00:43:16,100 --> 00:43:17,633
And then I'm going to,

980
00:43:17,633 --> 00:43:19,600
I think there's just 
another minute or two left,

981
00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:21,733
so I'll go through 
these really quickly.

982
00:43:21,733 --> 00:43:24,433
But there are so many 
great resources out there,

983
00:43:24,433 --> 00:43:25,766
if you want to learn more.

984
00:43:25,766 --> 00:43:27,866
I know I covered 
things really quickly,

985
00:43:27,866 --> 00:43:29,733
and I'm happy to keep in touch.

986
00:43:29,733 --> 00:43:31,766
My information's in the back,

987
00:43:31,766 --> 00:43:33,666
if you'd like more 
information on any of this.

988
00:43:33,666 --> 00:43:37,700
But there's also tons of 
other resources you can find.

989
00:43:37,700 --> 00:43:39,866
This is a booklet 
by the Wisconsin DNR

990
00:43:39,866 --> 00:43:42,733
that has great lesson plans 
and hands-on activities

991
00:43:42,733 --> 00:43:45,766
for teaching a lot of the 
concepts I talked about today.

992
00:43:45,766 --> 00:43:50,300
Paradise Lost is a 
program that infuses art

993
00:43:50,300 --> 00:43:53,400
in teaching about climate change 
in the Great Lakes region.

994
00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:55,666
There's the Wisconsin Initiative 
on Climate Change Impacts,

995
00:43:55,666 --> 00:43:57,766
which I've mentioned 
a couple times,

996
00:43:57,766 --> 00:44:00,066
they put together a huge report

997
00:44:00,066 --> 00:44:01,966
on how climate 
change is impacting

998
00:44:01,966 --> 00:44:06,233
all these different 
sectors of Wisconsin,

999
00:44:06,233 --> 00:44:08,233
different lifestyle categories

1000
00:44:08,233 --> 00:44:10,166
and all the different 
environmental sectors

1001
00:44:10,166 --> 00:44:11,733
and municipal sectors,

1002
00:44:11,733 --> 00:44:14,900
and suggestions for 
adaptations to those changes.

1003
00:44:14,900 --> 00:44:17,333
So they have really 
great resources online.

1004
00:44:17,333 --> 00:44:19,066
Of course, Aldo 
Leopold Nature Center,

1005
00:44:19,066 --> 00:44:21,166
we have our exhibit 
area and we have tons

1006
00:44:21,166 --> 00:44:24,733
of great family programs and 
information on climate change

1007
00:44:24,733 --> 00:44:29,433
and also just kind of 
environmental and nature issues.

1008
00:44:29,433 --> 00:44:32,466
The Will Steger Foundation, 
they're based in Minnesota

1009
00:44:32,466 --> 00:44:34,566
but a lot of the 
information is the same,

1010
00:44:34,566 --> 00:44:36,766
and they talk a lot 
about the same habitats

1011
00:44:36,766 --> 00:44:38,233
and species that we have,

1012
00:44:38,233 --> 00:44:40,100
and they have really 
great curriculum.

1013
00:44:40,100 --> 00:44:44,100
There's the Wisconsin K-12 
Energy Education Program.

1014
00:44:44,100 --> 00:44:46,866
The US Energy Information 
Administration

1015
00:44:46,866 --> 00:44:49,766
has a great kids page on energy.

1016
00:44:49,766 --> 00:44:54,000
The NASA Global Climate 
Change Climate Kids web page,

1017
00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:57,233
the Northern Great 
Lakes Visitor Center

1018
00:44:57,233 --> 00:44:59,333
in northern Wisconsin 
put together

1019
00:44:59,333 --> 00:45:04,366
a really great curriculum 
called G-WOW, which stands for,

1020
00:45:04,366 --> 00:45:07,766
I'm going to botch this, 
but it's an Ojibwe phrase

1021
00:45:07,766 --> 00:45:09,933
"Gikinoo'wizhiwe Onji Waaban"

1022
00:45:09,933 --> 00:45:11,466
which means guiding 
for tomorrow,

1023
00:45:11,466 --> 00:45:14,400
and they talk about 
climate change is impacting

1024
00:45:14,400 --> 00:45:17,633
all these different 
native lifeways

1025
00:45:17,633 --> 00:45:20,833
and different species 
and cultural traditions.

1026
00:45:20,833 --> 00:45:22,966
Then there's the US Global 
Change Research Program,

1027
00:45:22,966 --> 00:45:26,700
which has really great global 
and regional information.

1028
00:45:26,700 --> 00:45:29,666
The EPA has a student's guide 
to global climate change,

1029
00:45:29,666 --> 00:45:33,366
which is good for all 
different ages of students.

1030
00:45:33,366 --> 00:45:36,866
ClimateWisconsin.org 
is a great website.

1031
00:45:36,866 --> 00:45:38,333
They worked with WICCI,

1032
00:45:38,333 --> 00:45:40,833
the Wisconsin Initiative 
on Climate Change Impacts,

1033
00:45:40,833 --> 00:45:43,700
and the ECB, the Educational 
Communications Board,

1034
00:45:43,700 --> 00:45:46,166
and they put together this 
really great online resource

1035
00:45:46,166 --> 00:45:48,333
where they kind of pulled 
out different stories

1036
00:45:48,333 --> 00:45:50,700
that were in the WICCI report,

1037
00:45:50,700 --> 00:45:52,000
and they interviewed 
different people

1038
00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:53,933
from all walks of 
life around Wisconsin,

1039
00:45:53,933 --> 00:45:55,900
and it talked about 
some of these impacts

1040
00:45:55,900 --> 00:45:57,300
that are happening.

1041
00:45:57,300 --> 00:46:01,166
And then CLEAN and 
the NOAA education.

1042
00:46:01,166 --> 00:46:02,500
CLEAN  stands for

1043
00:46:02,500 --> 00:46:05,433
the Climate Literacy and Energy 
Awareness Network,

1044
00:46:05,433 --> 00:46:07,966
and that has a whole 
plethora of information

1045
00:46:07,966 --> 00:46:12,000
all divided by age level 
and curriculum and topic.

1046
00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:15,133
So those are some great 
resources that I recommend,

1047
00:46:15,133 --> 00:46:19,033
and I'm happy to share more 
information on any of those.

1048
00:46:19,033 --> 00:46:21,633
And, at this point, I'd like 
to say thank you very much

1049
00:46:21,633 --> 00:46:22,966
for having me.

1050
00:46:22,966 --> 00:46:24,633
It's been great talking to you,

1051
00:46:24,633 --> 00:46:27,333
and I look forward to 
answering your questions.

1052
00:46:27,333 --> 00:46:29,733
(applause)