This short TED video, narrated by Kristen Bell, explains why it is important to act now to stop climate change.
Using animated images, the video explains how the costs and consequences of waiting to act will affect future generations.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This video provides compelling evidence to support the argument for why it is important to act now to stop climate change.
The video uses animated images and simple wording which makes this resource appropriate for many ages.
Additional Prerequisites
Teachers may want to review the link provided in the "learn more" section to share more information with students before or after viewing the video.
Differentiation
Subtitles are provided and a transcript is available in 33 languages.
Economics classes can evaluate the video's figure of 8 trillion dollars per year to scrub 55 gigatons of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.
Similar resources include this speech by Greta Thunberg, this video introduction describing the significance of 1.5 degrees of global warming, and this video explaining how human activity is impacting the carbon cycle.
Scientist Notes
The video describes the impact of climate change on humans and on the physical environment. Although there is not much science, it accounts for the economic loss attributed to climate change, thus, the resource is suitable for climate activism.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-4 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.
HS-ESS3-1 Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Economics
D2.Eco.1.9-12 Analyze how incentives influence choices that may result in policies with a range of costs and benefits for different groups.
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.
