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Lesson 9 Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change

  The Need to Investigate Climate Change

Why do scientists investigate climate change?


D9.15 Marine biologist studying a coral reef
The many potential impacts of climate change, both the seemingly small and the significant ones, means scientists have a responsibility to continue to researching it. Scientists need to gain a better understanding of how climate works, how climate change works, and how climate change will impact Earth and the species living on Earth. Scientists also need to have a better understanding of how humans and human activities are affecting climate and climate change. Even though the consensus is climate change is occurring and human activities are the cause, there is still some debate around it because the scientific knowledge of it is incomplete.

Scientists also need to work toward finding solutions to climate change and how to reduce the human impact on climate without reducing our quality of life.  Can climate change be reversed?  

  What Can Be Done?

What are we doing or what can be done to help stop climate change?


D9.16 Stop climate changes
There are many things individuals can do to help reduce the human impact on climate. The biggest difference can be made by reducing the amount of energy you use. Some examples of how this can be done include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Unplug devices when not in use. This includes charge chords, TVs, laptops, computers, etc. Turning off your TV only reduces its energy consumption; it will still use energy.
  • Only leave charging devices plugged in while they are charging; unplug them when they are fully charged.
  • Turn your furnace or air conditioning unit down when you are not home or when you are sleeping.
  • Turn off lights when not in the room.
  • Reduce the amount of hot water used by doing laundry in cold water or taking shorter showers.
  • Walk, bike, carpool, or take public transit.
  • Close the fridge or freezer door when you are not taking something out or putting it back.
  • Buy locally to reduce transportation.

Can you think of other ways to reduce the amount of energy you use?

    There are also many things society can do to help reduce the human impact on climate:


    • Use energy sources, such as solar or wind that minimize environmental change. 
    • Use less fossil fuel power, and more efficient fuel systems. For example, converting power plants to a waste heat recovery system. 
    • Use the waste products of an industry in another way, such as heating the buildings of the industry. 
    • Financial incentives to reduce activities that release greenhouse gases..
    • Regulate energy use to prevent wasteful use of energy.
    • Protect carbon sinks, such as forests, parks, and oceans.
    • Design houses that use the placement of windows and natural factors to heat up or cool down houses. 
    • Use more efficient appliances.
    • Drive more fuel efficient vehicles, or use alternate forms of transportation. 

    Can you think of other ways society can reduce the human impact on climate and the environment?

      Read This

    Please read pages 424 and 425 under “Stabilizing Greenhouse Gas Levels” and pages 429 and 430 in your Science 10 textbook. Make sure you take notes on your readings to study from later. You should focus on technologies that are being developed to reduce greenhouse gases and what Canada is doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Remember, if you have any questions or you do not understand something, ask your teacher!

      Practice Questions

    Complete the following practice questions to check your understanding of the concept you just learned. Make sure you write complete answers to the practice questions in your notes. After you have checked your answers, make corrections to your responses (where necessary) to study from.

    1. Give two examples of things you do in your day-to-day life that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

      Your answer should be a variation of the following. I make sure to turn off the lights when I leave room and have my furnace set to a lower temperature for the times I am not at home or am asleep.

    2. Can you think of ways your house is built to reduce the need for a furnace or air conditioner?

      Your answer should be a variation of the following. My house is built with lots of windows facing south, as these will be the windows letting in the most amount of sunlight. This will help to heat up my house without the use of the furnace. My house also has plenty of windows opening on the east and west sides. This is because the prevailing winds in Alberta are westerlies, blowing from the west to the east. Opening those windows provides a cross breeze that helps to cool down my house in the summer.