Title: TASK: Interpret the experiment
Course: Project week - Leuphana-Copy > Section: What is renewable energy? (science focus)

Let’s now take the bathtub/climate analogy one step further. You have noticed in the previous task that what is important in this model is the relation between the rates of inflow and outflow, resulting in either rising, falling, or stable greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

1. Evaluating popular assumptions

One popular assumption regarding climate change goes as follows:

If we want to reduce the greenhouse effect and the warming of our climate, we must stop producing more global carbon dioxide emissions. Our goal should be to stabilize carbon dioxide emissions at today's level.

What do you think about this statement – do you agree or disagree? Justify your opinion using your observations from the bathtub experiment. Discuss your responses in class. You can have a quick poll of who agrees and who disagrees with the statement.

[fa-comments-o] You can collect and discuss your ideas in the Course Forum.

2. Exploring future scenarios (option 1)

What happens if we cap carbon dioxide emissions at today's levels? Or if they continue to grow? Or if they are reduced? Below is a graph representing the annual global carbon dioxide emissions and removals, i.e. nature’s capability to absorb carbon dioxide in the land and water masses.

1. Take a look at the line graph below and describe what it shows. (What do the axes represent? What do the lines stand for? What phenomenon does the graph describe?)
2. Make an informed projection: What direction should both graph lines take so that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere does not continue to rise? Complete the graph lines until the year 2100 to your best knowledge and explain your solution.

A line graph representing the annual global carbon dioxide emissions and sinks in Gigatons of carbon dioxide per year, i.e. nature’s capability to absorb carbon dioxide in the land and water masses. The green line represents today's level of annual carbon dioxide sinks.

To describe and analyze the graph, you can use the TIP: Analysing visual texts (charts and tables) as a help.

[fa-comments-o] You can draw the graph on paper, take a photo with your smartphone and upload it to the Course Forum. Are there different solutions in your class? Discuss.

3. Working with a simulation (option 2)

Instead of completing the line graph, you can also run the simulation pictured below (>> go to the simulation).

Image of the climate bathtub simulation tool. © Schlumberger Ltd.

The simulation gives you three different scenarios:

1. Carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise as they have in the past decades (i.e. "wait-and-see scenario")
2. Carbon dioxide emissions level off (i.e. they stabilize at the current level)
3. Carbon dioxide emissions are significantly reduced (e.g. through aggressive climate protection policies)

Run all three scenarios and see what effects each scenario would have on the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Take detailed notes for each scenario and discuss them in class (or online).

[fa-comments-o] You can collect and discuss your ideas in the Course Forum.

[fa-pencil] You can also document your findings in the Project Journal.

[fa-info-circle] Ask your teacher for this task's solution.

Download:

[fa-file-pdf-o] The bathtub experiment (PDF version)

[fa-info-circle] This task cycle is adapted from: Niebert, K. (2017). Den Klimawandel bremsen lernen. In U. Kattmann (Ed.), Biologie unterrichten mit Alltagsvorstellungen – Didaktische Rekonstruktion in Unterrichtseinheiten (pp. 92–105). Seelze: Friedrich Verlag.