Global Climate Change & Children’s HealthSusan L. Coultas, Ph.D. StudentWalden UniversityPUBH-8165-1, Spring 2011Robert Marino, Ph.D., Instructor

After we finish our class today, you should be able to describe: What global climate change is What causes the Earth’s temperature to change What happens to the Earth because of the

temperature change What can happen to kids due to changes in

climate due to the rise in the Earth’s temperature What kids can do to help fight the problem of

global warming

What is Global Climate Change?

Global Warming

Image created by Robert A. Rohde / Global Warming Art(Hansen et al., 2001)

What Causes the Temperature to Rise?

(EPA, 2011a); (EPA, 2011b)

Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen

Photosynthesis

Oxygen

Respiration

Carbon Dioxide

(NOAA, 2011a)

Industrial Pollution Is a Problem

(EPA, 2006)

Transportation

(EPA, 2006)

Cutting Down Forests

(EPA, 2006)

What Happens Because of This?

The Greenhouse Effect

(NOAA, 2011b); (The Weather Channel, 2011a)

Earth as a Greenhouse

(NOAA, 2011b); (The Weather Channel, 2011b)

Earth Feels Sick

Not Enough Water

(EPA, 2011c)

Too Much Water

(EPA, 2011c)

Too Much Heat

(EPA, 2011c)

Too Much Cold

(EPA, 2011c)

Earthquakes

(EPA, 2011c)

Volcano Eruption

(EPA, 2011c)

Hurricanes

(EPA, 2011c)

What Happens to Kids?

Sunburn

(KidsHealth, 2011b)

Use Sunscreen

(KidsHealth, 2011b)

Wear Sunglasses

(KidsHealth, 2011b)

Heat Illness

(KidsHealth, 2011a)

Stay Cool

(KidsHealth, 2011a)

Asthma

(Bunyavanich, Landrigan, McMichael, & Epstein, 2003; CDC, 2009; CDC, 2010)

Air Quality

(EPA, 2011a)

Weather Forecast

What Can Kids Do?

Choose to Walk

(USPS, 2011)

Ride Your Bicycle

(USPS, 2011)

Plant a Tree

(USPS, 2011)

Plant a Garden

(USPS, 2011)

Turn Off Lights

(USPS, 2011)

Use Energy Efficient Lights

(USPS, 2011)

Adjust Your Thermostat

(USPS, 2011)

Learn as Much as You Can

Teach Others What You Know

ReferencesBunyavanich, S., Landrigan, C. P., McMichael, A. J., & Epstein, P. R. (2003). The impact of climate change on child health. Ambulatory

Pediatrics, 3(1), 44-52. doi:10.1367/1539-4409(2003)003<0044:TIOCCO>2.0.CO;2CDC. (2009, April 24). Asthma surveillance data. Asthma. Retrieved December 24, 2010, from

http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/asthmadata.htmCDC. (2010, December 14). Important asthma triggers. Asthma. Retrieved December 24, 2010, from

http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/triggers.htmlEPA. (2006, October 19). Carbon dioxide. Climate Change - Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Retrieved May 4, 2011, from

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/co2.htmlEPA. (2011a). Air Quality Index (AQI) - Air Quality Index for kids. AIRNow. Retrieved April 25, 2011, from

http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=aqikids.indexEPA. (2011b). Air Quality Index (AQI) - A guide to air quality and your health. AIRNow. Retrieved April 25, 2011, from

http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=aqibasics.aqiEPA. (2011c, April 22). Climate change. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved May 4, 2011, from

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/Hansen, J., Ruedy, R., Sato, M., Imhoff, M., Lawrence, W., Easterling, D., Peterson, T., et al. (2001). A closer look at United States and

global surface temperature change. Journal of Geophysical Research, 106(D20), PP. 23,947-23,963. doi:200110.1029/2001JD000354

KidsHealth. (2011a). Heat illness. KidsHealth from Nemours. Retrieved April 25, 2011, from http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/heat.html

KidsHealth. (2011b). Sun safety. KidsHealth from Nemours. Retrieved April 25, 2011, from http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/sun_safety.html#cat152

NOAA. (2011a). Integrating research and technology themes: Weather-climate connection. Earth System Research Laboratory. Retrieved April 25, 2011, from http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/research/themes/climateweather/

NOAA. (2011b). Integrating research and technology theme: Carbon cycle science. Earth System Research Laboratory. Retrieved April 25, 2011, from http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/research/themes/carbon/

The Weather Channel. (2011a). Kids 5-9, Greenhouse guide. The Weather Channel Kids! Retrieved May 2, 2011, from http://www.theweatherchannelkids.com/climate-code/climate-close-up/greenhouse-guide-for-ages-5-9/

The Weather Channel. (2011b). Kids 10-13, Greenhouse guide. The Weather Channel Kids! Retrieved May 2, 2011, from http://www.theweatherchannelkids.com/climate-code/climate-close-up/greenhouse-guide-for-ages-10-13/

USPS. (2011). Go Green stamps. United State Postal Service. Retrieved May 4, 2011, from http://www.usps.com/green/gogreenstamps.htm

Further ReadingCherry, L., & Braasch, G. (2010). How we know what we know about our changing climate: Scientists and kids

explore global warming. Dawn Publications (CA).Gore, A. (2007). An inconvenient truth: The crisis of global warming. Viking Juvenile.Hall, J. (2007). A hot planet needs cool kids: Understanding climate change and what you can do about it (1st

ed.). Green Goat Books.Kaplan, M. (2008). Planet Earth Gets Well. BookSurge Publishing.O’Ryan, E. (2009). Easy to be green: Simple activities you can do to save the Earth (Original.). Simon Scribbles.Okimoto, J. D. (2007). Winston of Churchill: One bear’s battle against global warming. Sasquatch Books.The Weather Channel. (2011a). Kids 10-13, Greenhouse guide. The Weather Channel Kids! Retrieved May 2,

2011, from http://www.theweatherchannelkids.com/climate-code/climate-close-up/greenhouse-guide-for-ages-10-13/

The Weather Channel. (2011b). Kids 5-9, Greenhouse guide. The Weather Channel Kids! Retrieved May 2, 2011, from http://www.theweatherchannelkids.com/climate-code/climate-close-up/greenhouse-guide-for-ages-5-9/

Thornhill, J. (2007). This is my planet: The kids’ guide to global warming. Maple Tree Press.USPS. (2011). Go Green stamps. United State Postal Service. Retrieved May 4, 2011, from

http://www.usps.com/green/gogreenstamps.htm