Emission Impossible

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Brief to the President

The president of the United States has requested a briefing on the effects of global warming and an outlook for the future. Your team has been named as a special consultant to the secretary of the interior and has been called on to prepare this brief and present it to the president. For your presentation, you must address the following:

1. Background facts behind global warming and the effect of greenhouse gases and the current conditions on Earth. Your background should include:

• The natural atmospheric warming that occurs (find this as a group)
• Definition of the problem (find this as a group)
• Past and current position of administrations on the problem (find this as a group)
• Background about the sources, uses, and atmospheric affects of one of the greenhouse gases (find as an individual)

You will cover the first three points as a group. The fourth point, each member of your team will research one of the greenhouse gases: CH4 (methane), CO2 (carbon dioxide), N2O (nitrous oxide), or CFC's (chlorofluorocarbons), for the background section of the report. Each of you must have at least 5 sources for your background, listed by section in the bibliography. Only one of these may be an encyclopedia. Be sure to properly cite internet sources.

2. Projections for conditions on the Earth for several different scenarios of continued or reduced usage of greenhouse gases by industry and the public. The projections will be done by every member of the group.

Use the computer climate simulation to fill out data sheets to be converted into MS Excel spreadsheets. Using the data, write a brief summary of your findings and predict future outcomes for our Earth under various conditions. Using the data create MS Excel graphs to show the overall increase or decrease in gas levels, temperature, and sea level.

3. Proposal for Action, a recommendation for the president, done by the group.

Taking into account the degradation of the environment versus the dependence of our society on petroleum products, CFCs, and other materials contributing to the greenhouse effect, propose a plan of action for the president.

What your group must produce

Contract - Each member of the group agrees to their part of the project and to specific dates. The contract is to be typed and signed by all members of the group. The contract will include times for computer usage, paper due dates for individual papers so the group can write background info etc. The more specific you are in the contract, the more likely your group will be successful.

Background research - Your group background research should answer all of the following questions and more:

• What is global warming and what might be the projected consequences?
• What is the greenhouse effect?
• What is the current United States's position on global warming?
• Describe current and past international past international agreements dealing with the atmosphere.

Proposal for Action - Your group should develop recommendations to give to the president describing ways to remediate global warming. There should be a recommendation for each gas and an overall recommendation. Each group member should come up with 3 or 4 good credible recommendations to contribute for the group.

Oral presentation - Your group will present its findings to your wonderful teacher, classmates, and possibly a "president." All information gathered should be presented to those individuals.

What your final project should contain

I. As a group - a written brief that includes:

1. Background information
   1. background section that contains the general background information of greenhouse effects and global warming(1-2 pages)
   2. information about the current position held by the president and previous treaties, acts, laws, research (1-2 pages)
   3. individual gas papers, each with bibliography (2-3 pages without a bibliography)
2. Climate simulation findings
   1. typed summary of your findings (1-2 pages)
   2. MS Excel graphs showing your findings
   3. MS Excel spreadsheets of your findings
3. Proposal for action
   1. a summary of the problem (1-2 pages)
   2. specific solutions to the problem that address all of the gases (1-2 pages)

This written document must be typed, double spaced, 12-point professional, 1-inch margins, and have a cover page including the group member's names and the gas they researched. Page numbers and a table of contents are also recommended.

II. As a group - an oral MS PowerPoint presentation in which your group will present its findings to the "president".

In this presentation, your group will make no more than 18 slides including the following:

• Title slide including the title, names, gases (1 slide)
• General background of greenhouse effect and global warming (1 or 2)
• General background of past actions and current position (1 or 2)
• 1 to 2 slides per individual gas (total of 4 to 8 slides)
• climate simulation slide summarizing group findings or supportive individual findings (1 or 2)
• proposal for action slide including actions for each gas (1 or 2)
• closing slide (1 slide)

III. As an individual - a paper (2-3 pages) dealing with your greenhouse gas

The paper will be about the greenhouse gas you have chosen. This paper must include sources of the gas, uses of the gas, and the methods by which it enters the atmosphere. The focus of your paper should be how your gas contributes to the problem of global warming. Your paper must include a bibliography of a minimum of 5 sources, only one of which can be an encyclopedia. Your paper must follow the technical guidelines for the group paper as state above. Most of the research and writing of your paper will be done for homework.

Your paper should have an introduction, a thesis, a body, and a conclusion. Your bibliography will follow the format used by Magnet English.

Grading will be as follows

1. individual daily grades on expected completed items
2. an individual grade on your rough draft of your gas paper
3. an individual grade on your graphs and spreadsheets
4. a group grade on your group's written brief, spreadsheets, and graphs
5. a group grade on your MS PowerPoint presentation in development and in final phase
6. an individual grade for your oral presentation
7. an individual grade based on peer evaluation of our cooperation and work

Each of these components will add up to be roughly 60% of your 2nd 6 weeks grade. In addition, you will receive daily grades for your work ethic, participation, behavior, and goal accomplishment.

Calendar (due dates)

• 9/24-9/25 -project assigned
• 9/24,9/25 -contracts signed
• 9/28 -simulations and graphs complete (end of period)
• 10/3, 10/4 -rough draft of contract work due/ in class edit
• -"slide basics" done by end of period
• 10/9,10/10 -final group briefs due at the beginning of the class period (all papers, simulations, etc.) presentations begin

Sample bibliography

Works Cited

Atchley, John A. and Susan, Heeger. When Will We Laugh Again? New York: Norton, 1990

Brumberg, John Jacobs. "The Origins of Anorexia Nervosa." Harper's Magazine, August 1993: 31-32

Goldman, Nechama. "Fatal Obsession." Reprint from JERUSALEM POST 19 Mar. 1993. 64. SIRS: Medical Science, 1993. Ed.

Webb, Adrienne. "The Starvation of Demons." McLeans 2 May 1994: 50.