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How Students Can Be Green (January 23, 2004, Two)

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Program Summary

Manhattan is an island. So are Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Detroit, and thousands of other major cities in the United States and around the world. They are heat islands, a phenomenon in which a city’s core, with its miles of pavement and minimal green space, is up to 10 degrees warmer than its surrounding suburbs. This factor, combined with an expected rise in temperature due to global warming, will make for some pretty nasty summers 50 years from now. According to scientific models, higher temperatures, even the projected increase of 3 to 7 degrees Fahrenheitcould cause more heat-related deaths, and heavier air pollution would increase the incidence of respiratory ailments.

Global warming poses another threat to New York and other cities that lay at or near sea level—flooding. A rising ocean and increased storm intensity could lead to the swamping of below-ground underpinnings of the city, including subways and sewers. Venice, Italy, could come close to disappearing.

Green building, a movement stressing environmentally-conscious construction, has been around for a while on a small scale. Homeowners have been incorporating solar power, recycled materials, and xeriscaping (desert-like gardening) for decades. Now, green building is moving into the big-time with the construction of a high-rise residential tower in New York that incorporates all sorts of water- and energy-saving techniques. Two skyscrapers are on the drawing board that will use novel materials and features, such as waterless urinals, to optimize water and energy usage and reduce waste.

Guests

Rick Cook, partner at Cook and Fox Architects in New York City

Cynthia Rosenzweig, adjunct senior research scientist in the Center for Climate Systems Research at Columbia University; research scientist at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City

Patrick Kinney, associate professor of clinical public health in the department of environmental health sciences, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City

Joyce Rosenthal, adjunct assistant professor of urban planning in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University; senior staff associate in the department of environmental health sciences, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City

Related Links and Resources

Metropolitan East Coast Assessment
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Northeast Regional Laboratory Green Building Design
U.S. Global Change Research Project: Climate Change Impacts on the USA Region: Metro East Coast
U.S. Green Building Council

Kids’ Connection Archive Search: Global Warming
October 18, 2002, Hour 1: Kilimanjaro Ice Cores
January 10, 2003, Hour Two: Effects of Global Warming on Plants and Animals Worldwide
January 31, 2003, Hour One: J. Craig Venter, part one
June 27, 2003, Hour Two: Urban Ecology
December 5, 2003, Hour One: It’s Getting Hot in Here! A Discussion of Global Warming
January 9, 2004, Hour One: Climate Change and Biodiversity

For Discussion:

• How is global warming threatening sea level cities such as New York? How can it endanger our health?
• Why are cities more vulnerable than rural areas to climate changes?
• What kinds of changes might occur if the levels of the oceans rise by a few inches?
• What might a typical day in New York be like in 2050?
• What is a heat island? Why do heat islands occur?
• What is “green building”?
• What is a green roof? How can green roofs benefit cities?
• What are some of the green features of the Solaire residence tower? Could you use any of them in your own house?
• What kinds of things can we do on a local level to protect ourselves?

Activities

Step on the gas. How can we minimize global warming? Reduce the production of greenhouse gases. EEK! (Environmental Education for Kids) from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources features several interesting activities. Likewise, Save Energy and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions has numerous suggestions for reducing greenhouse gases. Ranging from cutting back on the use of home appliances to planting trees, these easy-to-do tips are empowering for kids. The Trees and Air Quality activity asks students to observe and gather data from the leaves and trees found locally, then leads them through the analysis process of linking physical evidence to the quality of air around them.

Kid power. Too many activities give students a feeling of doom when it comes to pollution and ecology. Empower them with things they can do now to make a positive difference. The Global Warming Kids’ site from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called We Can Make a Difference has a list of student activities to make a difference in the environment, as well as explanations of global warming, the greenhouse effect, and the climate system. Hangman, crossword, and Q&A games reinforce global warming concepts.

It is easy being green. Students are asked to observe, gather data, and investigate their school environment for pollutants at Green Squad from the National Resource Defense Council. There are progress report worksheets and tips for how to make school a greener place to be.

Something’s in the air. Students become investigators and then presenters at a faux summit meeting in Clearing the Air from The New York Times Learning Network. After choosing and researching an emission that contributes to global warming then brainstorming ways in which individuals and institutions can improve air quality, students then present their findings in a mock hearing. Clever interdisciplinary connections ask students to connect health and the greenhouse effect.

How’s the weather? In Weathering the Weather from The New York Times Learning Network, students are given the task of researching recent weather patterns and acting as city planners tasked with creating strategies to prepare their cities to combat the effects of global warming. Interesting extension activities include learning about the Ice Age, speaking with a meteorologist, creating a diagram of the greenhouse effect, and researching weather phenomena.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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