What is our gas problem?
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Audience
Primary school -
Learning stage
Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3 -
Learning area
Climate change, Geography -
Type
Learning resources
On this page...
Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide are naturally in our atmosphere and we need them to keep the planet at a comfortable temperature for us to survive. Over the last century, however, humans have been releasing too much greenhouse gas and this is causing the planet to heat up. Carbon dioxide is emitted from many different activities including driving cars, burning coal to make electricity, and making concrete for buildings. All of this contributes to climate change.
- Australians release the most carbon dioxide per person of any country in the world.
- If you eat Australian made produce less carbon is released when it is transported from the farm to the shop.
- Cows burp out lots of methane, another greenhouse gas, when they eat grass. Eating less red meat means you will leave a smaller carbon footprint.
- What do greenhouses gases do?
- Can you name two types of greenhouse gas?
- Can you name two types of fossil fuels? What is stored inside them?
- Why have greenhouses gases increased over the past 150 years?
- What happens when there is too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
Watch this short video produced by NASA that explains how greenhouse gases are made and why it is important that we manage how much of them we release into the atmosphere. Answer the guiding questions above to engage with the content. The video can also be used to introduce how people affect the environment.
