This video highlights the importance of maintaining and augmenting natural carbon sinks, developing engineered carbon sinks, and improving society to fight climate change.
Students will hear how preserving existing forests, introducing regenerative agricultural practices, protecting wetlands, and converting degraded farmland into carbon sinks can help reduce climate change.
Downloadable graphics, links to more information, and a related video discussion on climate solutions for adapting to climate change and mitigating climate change are included below the video.
Teaching Tips
Positives
The video introduces the concept of solutions that provide dual benefits such as protecting coastal wetlands because they are both carbon sinks and they act as barriers during storms.
The video does not shy away from the imminent danger of climate change, but it also does a good job of focusing the message on the vast number of solutions available to combat the negative effects of greenhouse gases.
Additional Prerequisites
The video does not explain the chemistry of carbon sinks.
This video is the fourth of six videos in the "Climate Solutions 101" series.
Differentiation
Students could learn more about the carbon cycle using this Carbon Cycle interactive diagram.
Geography classes could identify local carbon sinks and discuss the possible risks they face.
Students in science classes could research the solutions listed in the downloadable graphic titled, "Land-Based Sinks Solutions" and present their findings to the class.
Project Drawdown applies stringent research standards to their products and all of the information presented in this resource is independently verifiable. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS2: Earth's Systems
HS-ESS2-4 Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.
HS-ESS2-6 Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-3 Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
HS-ESS3-6 Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.
ETS1: Engineering Design
HS-ETS1-1 Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 1: Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries
D1.3.6-8. Explain points of agreement experts have about interpretations and applications of disciplinary concepts and ideas associated with a supporting question.
Dimension 4: Taking Informed Action
D4.7.6-8 Assess their individual and collective capacities to take action to address local, regional, and global problems, taking into account a range of possible levers of power, strategies, and potential outcomes.