Climate Change & Teacher Resources

Climate Change

Rising Sea Levels

Global sea-level rise is the most prominent manifestation of climate change currently affecting California. California has 1100 miles of open coastline which could be affected by flooding, inundation, and coastal retreat. With the current average global rate of sea-level rise at 1.3 inches/decade, California and its coastal communities must be prepared for change. For more information on the rising sea levels in California, please look at this Sea level report.

Greenhouse Gases

The total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2017 was 6,457 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. These gases are responsible for trapping heat in the atmosphere and are released by the burning of fossil fuels. Methane is also produced from livestock and other agricultural practices.

Transportation is the sector that generates the largest portion of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2017, it represented 28.9% of the total amount of emissions produced in the U.S.

Individual Emissions Calculator: This calculator estimates your household’s carbon footprint and also suggests easy ways your family can reduce its impact on the environment.

Teacher Resources

The Contra Costa Clean Water Program has a website with downloadable school programs and links to other useful resources for teachers.

Recycle Rex is part of CalRecycle, and this friendly dinosaur helps teach kids the importance of recycling. Activities and other resources for teachers can be found at the website.

The Watershed Project and the Contra Costa Clean Water Program sponsor workshops for educators to assist them and their students in studying watersheds across the curriculum, participating in hands-on science, and investigating local environmental issues.

There are several workshops for different age groups;

• Explore Your Watershed (Grades 4-5),
• From Me to the Sea (Grades K-12),
• Kids in Creeks (Grades 2-4),
• Kids in Marshes (Grades 2-4),
• Rains to Roots (912),
• Wild Oysters (9-12).

Teacher Action Grants (TAG) are available to provide money to help teachers develop classroom-based environmental studies and restoration projects. The Pinole Clean Water Program encourages teachers in Pinole schools to participate. Pinole schools are encouraged to offer their schools as host sites for these workshops.

Kids for the Bay and the Contra Costa Clean Water Program have a new Watershed Action Program for elementary schools in Contra Costa County. Students take part in a 2-day class workshop, a field trip to a local creek, bay or delta habitat, and an environmental action project.

Activities include

• raising and releasing native Pacific Chorus Frogs,
• organizing a creek or bay clean-up,
• interviewing a local politician about environemental justice issues
• and growing and planting creekside plants and much more.

Visit www.kidsforthebay.org, or call them at (510) 734-3835.

The EPA, Office of Water has an EPA water protection website for teachers and students to work online or download some of the information on drinking water education for classroom use featuring “Thirstin” . This site also contains a kid’s section for you to tell your class about.

More information for grants is available at the NEA Foundation.