Describe how human activity contributes to climate change. How can humans alter their impact on the environment and slow the rate of global climate change? In your answer, demonstrate you understand the human-made causes of climate change and outline your suggestions, using support from the text, for slowing climate change and/or limiting its causes.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Students should address that with industrialization and increased wealth came a heavier climate footprint. As nations developed, they used more energy and put out more emissions, specifically greenhouse gases. A discussion of how energy production creates emissions would be appropriate. Students can also discuss how environmental degradation and phenomenon (such as melting ice) increase emissions, but should connect back to human activity as the cause. Students should illustrate their understanding of the current environmental regime and may discuss local, global, and/or international efforts to slow climate change, specifically by limiting emissions (growing renewables, “off the grid” technologies, planned development, ending poverty, etc.).