Lesson 1
Our Global Economy’s Impact on the Climate
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING Ofcial Book & Film Study Guide 7 Lesson 1 Our Global Economy’s Impact on the Climate
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Identify the fossil fuels needed to power a T-shirt’s production process from seed to shirt, including transportation to factories overseas.
Discuss what incentives direct people and businesses in their economic decisions in a free market.
ami e t e lo al eco omy cu e t de e de ce o o il uel a d t e t eat this poses for people and the environment.
eco i e t at t e e a e di e e t a d o te o o i ie a out t e cau e o and solutions to global warming.
lai o eo le i Ge ma y o ked to i a out t ei cou t y a id transition to renewable sources of electricity.
lo e e o al idea a out lo ali atio climate c a e a d o ou o ld ill be in the future.
Themes
Capitalism
Globalization
Greenhouse Gases
Incentives
Materials Needed
All materials are available for download at thischangeseverything.org/studyguide.
Handout: e ectio a d a e o t i uide Film clip: e ectio a d a e le t
Clip Summary: At a conference on climate change put on by The Heartland titute eake e ect t e idea o ma made climate c a e e e ide t o the organization says that the science on climate change is selectively reported and misrepresented in order to promote a socialist agenda. Others at the conference omote t e i ci le o ee ma ket ca itali m aomi lei a ati t e cli says that the members of the Heartland Institute recognize that if climate change is taken seriously, it changes everything. One place things are changing is in Germany, where citizens have pressured the government to make the switch to renewables, which now account for 30% of the country’s electricity. These changes have created o i t ei cou t y additio citie a d to a e decided to take ack the electricity grid from private companies and run it themselves. What does this mean for the rest of the world?
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING Ofcial Book & Film Study Guide 8 Lesson 1 Our Global Economy’s Impact on the Climate
Activities
Be o e comi to cla a e tude t e lo e t e to y la et o ey ake a i t http://apps.npr.org/tshirt/
Ask them to determine what types of energy are needed to power each step of a i t oductio die el uel a d oil to u a cotto icke ea y uel oil to power a cargo ship to take the cotton from the U.S. to a yarn-spinning factory in Asia, etc
2. In class, point out how many students are wearing a T-shirt. Let them know that a o imately t o illio i t a e old lo ally eac yea i lay a o ld ma a d t ace t e oductio at o t e i t i t e la et o ey to y t at t ey studied for homework. Begin in Wisconsin where the seeds are engineered, then ollo t e at to i i i i e e t e cotto i o a d a e ted e mate ial for the men’s shirt then go to Indonesia where the cotton is spun into yarn, and to Bangladesh where the yarn is turned into fabric, cut, and sewn into the T-shirt. These steps in the women’s shirt all happen in Colombia. The shirts are then shipped to iami Flo ida e e t ey a e ut o t ai a d t uck to e o k ity e e t ey are printed. They are eventually shipped all over the United States to people who buy the T-shirts online. As you trace the production path, ask students to share their di o at o il uel a e u ed alo t e ay oi t out t at u i o il uel ollute t e la et a d emit ee ou e a e like ca o dio ide
3. Ask students why T-shirts are not manufactured in the U.S. if that is where the cotto o t em i o y i e e yt i a ou d t e o ld lai t e economic logic behind a U.S. company’s decision to use factories in Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Colombia to produce its T-shirts. Discuss incentives that direct eo le a d u i e e i t ei eco omic deci io i a ee ma ket Fo e am le companies have an incentive to outsource certain production needs to specialized m i de elo i cou t ie e e t ey ca ay t ei o ke lo e a e t a i the U.S. These savings in labor costs are greater than the costs of shipping materials to t e e acto ie o e ea ic e e u t e i t i t e la et o ey i t e am le o com a ie ca mi imi e oductio co t a d ma imi e o t oi t out how our current economic system has high energy demands to power all of this production and transportation, the bulk of which currently comes from fossil fuels. o a e t e eco omic acti itie o la e co o atio o eek to ma imi e o t i co ict it e o t to lo e o il uel emi io
S o t e cla a ima e tt climatekid a a o e ie ee ou e e ect a t ee ou e a e t at de c i e o a e like ca o dio ide ca i c ea e t e tem e atu e o t e la et lai t at t e mo e o il uel a e u ed the more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere; the more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere, the more heat is trapped and the temperature of the planet increases. This process is what is referred to as “global warming.” Then, di lay t e a ic Fi t i uma i to y http://whirlwindodyssey.org/wp- co te t u load Fi t i uma i to y a a d e lai t at it o mea u eme t o ca o dio ide co ce t atio i t e atmo e e o e time k tude t to de c i e t e data t e d om to t e e e t lai t at t e e i c ea ed co ce t atio o ca o dio ide lead to lo al a mi a d c a e i t e climate t at cau e d ou t i c ea e i ea le el ood i te i ed eat e a d eat e e t u ica e ty oo to adoe eat a e etc a d ot e ma o problems.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING Ofcial Book & Film Study Guide 9 Lesson 1 Our Global Economy’s Impact on the Climate
Gi e eac tude t a a dout ee o t i uide to com lete ile atc i t e ideo cli e ectio a d a e om t e This Changes Everything documentary. Review the questions before playing to clip to help students focus their viewing.
6. As a class, discuss student responses from the handout. Then, close the activity by having students write a personal response to the ideas in this activity about economic growth and climate change.
Ask them to consider the following questions as they write:
What did you learn about the global production of goods that you didn’t know before?
o co ce ed a e you a out ee ou e a emi io a d t ei e ect o t e climate?
How do you imagine our world in 20 years?
Will our air, land, and water be in better or worse shape than today? What about our societies? Why do you believe things will be better or worse?
What role do you see for yourself in shaping the future?
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING Ofcial Book & Film Study Guide 10 Lesson 1 Our Global Economy’s Impact on the Climate
Go Further
lo e di e e t e ecti e a out climate c a e a e tude t e ea c a d collect tateme t y a iou cie ti t a d olitical leade o a e e lai ed climate c a e it oot cau e a d likely co e ue ce a d o a e e e ed views about how to respond. Aim for variety in political parties and perspectives. Fo e am le om o e F a ci to Flood all St eet to e Bu k tude t to then choose one of these individuals and write a persuasive essay evaluating the strength of his or her arguments and their real-world implications. What are the sources of this person’s information, ideas, or assertions? How credible are his or her statements, and what makes you think that? Help students distinguish between facts and opinions. How does this person’s perspective on climate c a e e ect o i ue ce u lic o i io a d o e me t actio o climate c a e o e ecti ely ould i o e e e ed cou e o actio add e t e causes and consequences of climate change?
Play a game that simulates the tension between capitalism and the climate. The Rethinking Schools publication, A People’s Curriculum for the Earth (2014) ee t e e ou ce ectio o o t i uide http://www.rethinkingschools.org/ proddetails.asp?ID=9780942961577 i clude a ectio called e i ama o Game’ in which small groups of students represent competing manufacturers o t i ama o o mu t ala ce t e ue t o o t it ee ou e a output.
Introduce students to the concepts of “per capita emissions” and “emissions outsourcing,” two terms used to analyze a country’s responsibility for climate c a e a e t em e ea c t e de itio o eac o t ey a e dete mi ed a d t ei i i ca ce Fo e am le i a emit t e i e t le el o ca o dio ide eac yea o a y cou t y ut o a e ca ita a i it doe ot e e a k i t e to l o data om t e Glo al a o o ect http://www. lo alca o o ect o ca o ud et i de tm i dicate t at o i a emi io i came om ma u actu i ood t at e e e o ted to ot e cou t ie lai to tude t t at t e e a e ee e e i e e timate o China’s “outsourced emissions”: one study found that in the period 2002-08, 48% o t e cou t y emi io e e elated to e o ted ood o i uc data useful in discussing climate change and how various countries should respond? Practice forming questions, answering them with data from the Global Carbon o ect e o t a d t e c eati i o a ic to di lay tude t di
o duct a i de t e lo atio o t e domi a t y tem o oduci a d co umi ometime de c i ed a t e mate ial eco omy e Sto y o Stu o ide a e ie o te ee le o la tt to yo tu o e ou ce i school-curriculum-buy-use-toss/ t at add e t actio oductio i t i utio Consumption, and Disposal.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING Ofcial Book & Film Study Guide 11 Lesson 1 Our Global Economy’s Impact on the Climate
Handout Lesson 1
Rejection and Change
t uctio atc t e ideo e ectio a d a e om t e docume ta y This Changes Everything. Then respond to the questions below.
1. What opinion do attendees of the Heartland Institute Conference on Climate Change have about global warming? How does this view compare to Naomi Klein’s, who is shown attending the conference and narrates the video?
2. What worldview is illustrated by one man’s statement about the value of trees and elephants? What is your reac- tion to his comment?
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING Ofcial Book & Film Study Guide 12 Lesson 1 Our Global Economy’s Impact on the Climate
3. Joe Bast, President of the Heartland Institute, said, “If human activity is causing climate change, then almost any- t i could e u ti ed i te m o a o e me t e o e o ould you e tate at e i ayi i you o o d at ould you u ti y i te m o a o e me t e o e to climate c a e
4. The German government has invested billions in the development of renewable energy systems, which now ac- cou t o o t e cou t y elect icity cco di to t e ideo at a e ee t e e e t o t i t a itio
5. What strategies did Germans use to bring about their country’s rapid energy transition?
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING Ofcial Book & Film Study Guide 13