Systems: All of the smaller systems that make up the earth (like the water system, rock system, and atmosphere system) contribute to making the earth hospitable for all life.
A system is happening when the whole of something is greater than the sum of its parts. A pile of dirt, plants, and rocks laying on the ground is not a system. When the parts are assembled into a biosphere that can sustain the life of a cricket, then the biosphere is greater than the sum of its parts. Each of the parts of your biosphere are smaller systems: the soil, the plants, and even the crickets are their own systems that contribute to the larger system of the biosphere.
Our planet is also greater than the sum of its parts. All of the smaller systems that make up the earth, like the water system, rock system, and atmosphere system, contribute to making the earth hospitable to all life.
The climate change problem centers on the fact that human actions are changing the smaller systems that make up the earth (like adding greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere) which is changing the whole earth’s system in ways that humans have never done before.
When a smaller system changes, it may not cause an immediate change in the larger systems that it is a part of, but those changes can add up and eventually have larger impacts. Organisms that breathe will respire carbon dioxide. If you have too many more respiring organisms than photosynthesizing plants in your biosphere, you can change the composition of its atmosphere, which might impact their ability to survive and thrive.
Most systems in nature tend to stay balanced, but because everything is connected, seemingly small changes can add up and cause larger changes in many different systems.
Our planet is also greater than the sum of its parts. All of the smaller systems that make up the earth, like the water system, rock system, and atmosphere system, contribute to making the earth hospitable to all life.
The climate change problem centers on the fact that human actions are changing the smaller systems that make up the earth (like adding greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere) which is changing the whole earth’s system in ways that humans have never done before.
When a smaller system changes, it may not cause an immediate change in the larger systems that it is a part of, but those changes can add up and eventually have larger impacts. Organisms that breathe will respire carbon dioxide. If you have too many more respiring organisms than photosynthesizing plants in your biosphere, you can change the composition of its atmosphere, which might impact their ability to survive and thrive.
Most systems in nature tend to stay balanced, but because everything is connected, seemingly small changes can add up and cause larger changes in many different systems.
Systems Research Ideas
- Interview all of the people at your school who are familiar with your school’s preparedness plan and determine if your school system is resilient to climate change. What kinds of events is your school prepared for? What role do students play in preparedness?
- What do climate scientists predict for your area in the coming decades? Is your school prepared for those changes?
- Research the various materials that your school purchases and determine how those purchases may contribute to increasing your school’s carbon footprint. Identify who decides on what to purchase and interview them to determine how much they factor climate change into their purchase decisions. Look into materials such as:
- Clothing (sports uniforms and other types of fabrics)
- Energy used for electricity, heating, and cooling
- Maintenance, cleaning, and landscaping supplies
- School meals
- Paper
- Research what happens in your school if the power goes out for a day and determine if your school system is resilient to climate change. What are all the things that would no longer work at your school without power? What happens if the power is out for longer than one day?
- If your school has a backup generator, how long can it power the school in a power outage? Is there a backup plan for your school’s backup generator?
- Research the heating and cooling systems in your school and determine if these systems are prepared for climate change. What is the hottest and coldest temperature your school can comfortably function in? What happens if the temperatures reach beyond that range?
- Determine if your school is in a flood zone. Research if any of your classmates’ routes to school are in a flood zone. Are there plans in place for when this land floods?
- Research the schools in your state that are located in flood zones: How is their school property zoned? What are their preparedness plans for floods?
- Research transportation to and from your school and determine how that system is contributing to climate change. How much greenhouse gas does your school community release into the atmosphere getting to and from school? Are there any ways to reduce that impact?
- Analyze your school’s food system and determine if it is resilient to climate change. Where do you get your food from? Will those places be able to continue to grow food as the climate changes? How much greenhouse gas is released into the atmosphere to transport food to your school? Are there ways to reduce that impact?