Let's create continuous conversations about climate change education: Spreading the Sediment of Science!

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Has there Been Climate Change Before?

Has there Been Climate Change Before?
SubjectToClimate

Written By Teacher: Elizabeth Ward

My name is Elizabeth Ward. I am a former Early Childhood, Elementary, and English as a Foreign Language educator. I have taught third grade Science and Social Studies as well as Kindergarten in both urban and rural Oklahoma public schools. I taught online EFL to students of all ages in China for four years. I also have experience in curriculum development and content design for teachers in the physical and digital classroom. As a former teacher I have a passion for supporting teachers and making their jobs easier. I currently live in the greater Houston area with my husband and four dogs. 

Climate change is a phenomenon that has shaped Earth's history, but the current rate and causes are unprecedented in human history. Examining past and present climate changes allows students to understand the difference between natural variations and those driven by human activities. This topic helps students connect evidence from scientific research to the real-world impacts they see today, fostering informed discussions about environmental responsibility and resilience. Using tools like historical climate data, interactive graphs, and case studies can make this exploration engaging and accessible for learners. Consider exploring these resources with your students; Graphing Global Temperature Trends and Our Changing Atmosphere.

MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

Written By: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

The MIT Climate Change Engagement Program, a part of MIT Climate HQ, provides the public with nonpartisan, easy-to-understand, and scientifically-grounded information on climate change and its solutions.

The Earth’s climate and atmosphere have changed drastically over the last 4.5 billion years. Today’s global average temperature is around 59°F, but scientists estimate it has been as low as 10°F (during “snowball Earth” events) and as high as 95°F or above (so hot the Arctic North resembled today’s tropics). The atmosphere has changed too: Earth used to have very little oxygen, until the first cyanobacteria (or “blue-green algae”) showed up and started producing it. Today, oxygen is the second-most common element in the atmosphere.

But if we want to better understand how the Earth may respond to the rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere that we’re experiencing today, we should look to a particular event around 56 million years ago, says Professor Kristin Bergmann of the MIT Earth and Planetary Sciences Department. This is the “Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum” (PETM), an era of high temperatures and acidifying oceans.

So what happened to the Earth during the PETM? Due to volcanic eruptions, CO2 levels in the atmosphere increased 3-4 times. Just like today, rising levels of this greenhouse gas led to global warming. Temperatures in the tropics may have averaged over 100°F, and even the arctic was warm enough to support swampy forests and crocodiles. Oceans acidified, changing ecosystems by breaking down animal shells and weakening coral reefs. There were also changes in storm intensity and rainfall, which impacted ecosystems on land.