General Resources

Students: The resources and experts listed here will help you conduct your Inquiry

• provide you with basic background information on climate change;
• help you pick the focus of your Inquiry and shape your Inquiry question or questions;
• provide the information to answer your Inquiry question or hypothesis.

Your teacher may arrange for an expert or mentor to visit your class. You can prepare a question or questions for an expert, and email them to the expert who will provide you with an answer. It is important to carefully prepare your question, one that is clear and will help you get the information you need (these might be developed in class or you could test your question on other students to see if it is clear before you send it).

Climate Change, General Information

• NASA’s Global Climate Change
  http://climate.nasa.gov/
• Climate Change 101 with Bill Nye
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtW2rrLHs08
• Climate Resilience for Communities: This factsheet addresses two key questions that your City or community — any community — needs to address:  The first: What are the impacts of existing and future climate for our citizens? AND, the second: How can we take steps to build resilience and adapt to a changing climate? (Although it focuses on Calgary, the information beginning on Page 3 applies to any municipality.)
  http://www.tigurl.org/images/tiged/docs/activities/1631.pdf
• Decarbonize, Mobilization of Youth Perspectives on Climate Change: 12 high schools from around the world worked collaboratively to write a youth climate action plan and present it at the United Nations climate change conference in Paris in 2015, known as COP21.  Similar to the work you are doing to present your climate action ideas to the Premier of Ontario.
  http://decarbonize.tigweb.org/
• Al Gore — climate action guru — video on 15 ways individuals can address climate change, right now!
  http://www.ted.com/talks/al_gore_on_averting_climate_crisis
• A tax on carbon: a short introductory video (click on the video):
  http://canada.citizensclimatelobby.org/
• Carbon Fee and Dividend, InfoGraphic and information:
  https://goldagainstthesoul.wordpress.com/2016/02/29/how-to-fund-basic-income-in-the-uk-part-3-carbon-tax-and-dividend/

Climate Change in Ontario

• Climate Change in Ontario: this backgrounder was written for students preparing to dialogue with the Premier. It describes some of the ways climate change will impact us in Ontario; provides a pie chart showing the sources of greenhouse gas emissions; and then describes the issue and possible actions for different sectors (e.g., transportation and buildings).
  http://cool.greenlearning.ca/database/view.html?ItemID=2599
• Ontario's Climate Change Strategy, 2015 — is a comprehensive summary of the impacts and the challenges — by sector (such as transportation, buildings, etc.) — as well as the actions required to reduce Ontario's greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. Actions include adaptations and mitigation measures. This report also addresses the opportunities.
  http://cool.greenlearning.ca/database/view.html?ItemID=2603
• Ontario’s Climate Change Update 2014
  https://dr6j45jk9xcmk.cloudfront.net/documents/3618/climate-change-report-2014.pdf
• Climate Change, Government of Ontario website (rich in things for the students to inquiry about ... carbon footprint, cap and trade, investment fund, green diesel, transportation, emission targets…)
  https://www.ontario.ca/page/climate-change
• Confronting Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region: An excellent report. It is long and detailed but by using the Table of Contents you can easily find lots of great information for conducting your Inquiry.
  https://davidsuzuki.org/science-learning-centre-article/confronting-climate-change-in-the-great-lakes-region-impacts-on-our-communities-and-ecosystems/
• Climate Change, Ontario and You?  This article, published by the Huffington Post in 2015, showcases examples of how climate change is affecting specific individuals in Ontario and highlights the effects of climate change on Ontarians in general.
  http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/11/13/climate-change-ontario_n_8547524.html

Climate Change, By Topic

• Agriculture in a Changing Climate:  How is Ontario’s agriculture going to be affected by climate change? What does this mean for Ontario’s livestock and crops? Read this factsheet published by the Climate Ontario to find out more. http://www.climateontario.ca/doc/factsheets/Agriculture-final.pdf
• A short statement from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture on how climate change is and will affect agriculture in Ontario: http://www.ofa.on.ca/issues/overview/climate-change#additional-information
• Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Climate Change Backgrounder Document:
  http://www.ofa.on.ca/issues/additional-information/climate-change-background-document
• Bill Gates Explains How to Make Climate Progress in a World Eating Meat and Guzzling Gas
  http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/25/bill-gates-explains-how-to-make-climate-progress-in-a-world-eating-meat-and-guzzling-gas/
• A short video on how climate change is affecting maple syrup production — it’s about Wisconsin but very applicable for the maple syrup regions of Ontario:
  https://vimeo.com/17604920
• Maple syrup, moose, and the local impacts of climate change:
  http://www.caryinstitute.org/newsroom/maple-syrup-moose-and-local-impacts-climate-change
• The Future of the Forest: Maple Syrup and Climate Change:
  http://serc.carleton.edu/eslabs/weather/7b.html
• Ecosystems in a Changing Climate:  Various ecosystems and the plants and animals that live in them are affected by climate change. For Ontario’s plants and animals, this means adapting to a whole new way of living, and fast! Find out more by reading this factsheet published by Climate Ontario.
  http://www.climateontario.ca/doc/factsheets/Ecosystems%20Factsheet-FINAL.pdf
• Human Health in a Changing Climate:  Have you noticed that summers are getting hotter and winters are getting even colder? Has your community been struck by a severe ice storm or heat wave? Ever wonder what impact this might have on your health, and the health of those around you? Read this factsheet published by Climate Ontario to determine what climate change might mean for human health.
  http://www.climateontario.ca/doc/factsheets/Health%20Factsheet-FINAL.pdf
• Forests and Forestry in a Changing Climate:  In this factsheet published by the Ontario Climate, the impacts of climate change on Ontario’s forests and the forestry industry are outlined. This factsheet will give you a deeper understanding of what climate change means for Ontario’s various tree species and how forestry management practices can help Ontario’s forest adapt to these changes.
  http://www.climateontario.ca/doc/factsheets/Forestry%20Factsheet3.pdf
• Mining in a Changing Climate:  Mining is a large part of Ontario’s economy, and it will be greatly affected by climate change. What are these effects and has this sector taken the steps needed to adapt to these changes? Read this factsheet by Climate Ontario to find out more:
  http://www.climateontario.ca/doc/factsheets/Forestry%20Factsheet3.pdf
• Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations for Urban Regions: Do you live in a downtown core? Call Toronto or Hamilton home? You might be more affected by climate change than people who live in more rural areas. Read this factsheet from Ontario Climate to find out more: 
  http://www.climateontario.ca/doc/factsheets/UrbanImpactsFactSheet.pdf
• Invasive Species in a Changing Climate:  Ever heard of an invasive species? Simply put, its any plants or animals that are not originally found in specific area. Climate Change is making Ontario’s environment welcoming to invasive species, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. Invasive species often take over ecosystems, kicking out native plants and animals. Read these two factsheets from Climate Ontario to find out how climate change making more and more invasive species call Ontario home.
  http://www.climateontario.ca/doc/factsheets/TERRESTRIAL_INVASIVE_FACTSHEET-Final.pdf
  http://www.climateontario.ca/doc/factsheets/AQUATIC_INVASIVE_FACTSHEET-FINAL.pdf
• Tourism and Recreation in a Changing Climate (summer and winter):
  http://www.climateontario.ca/doc/factsheets/TourismFactsheet-final.pdf
• Tourism and Recreation in a Changing Climate:  Ski season getting shorter and shorter? Skating on Ottawa’s Canal becoming less and less possible throughout the winter? A lot of Ontario’s most loved outdoor recreational activities are affected by climate change. As is Ontario’s tourism industry which depends on these activities to drive people to visit Ontario. In Ontario Climate’s factsheet on tourism and recreation, you will learn how climate change is affecting the outdoor activities we know and love and what this means for Ontario’s tourism industry.
  http://www.climateontario.ca/doc/factsheets/TourismFactsheet-final.pdf
• Tourism and Recreation in a Changing Climate (Ontario)
  http://www.climateontario.ca/doc/factsheets/TourismFactsheet-final.pdf
• How Climate Change Affects Birds
  http://www.tigurl.org/images/tiged/docs/activities/599.pdf