Investigating the Green House Effect

You are a citizen concerned about the greenhouse effect and decide to do some research about the issue. You come across a great website that has a simulation on just this topic. Once you have run some simulations and made some observations you become more than concerned, you are downright outraged! The next step is to write a letter to the editor detailing your concern and using what you have learned as evidence in support of your position.

1. Go to http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/greenhouse

2. Open up The Greenhouse Effect and explore all of its features.

3. Write down your observations of what happens during the three featured time periods: Today, 1750 and Ice Age.

4. Change the number of clouds for each time period and write down your observations.

5. Scientists predict CO2 levels to increase to 490 1260 ppm by the end of the century. Run a simulation that will help you predict how this change will affect temperature. What do you find?

6. Write a letter to the editor detailing your findings.