GEP - Current Events Email - December 1, 2009

+ archive

Dear Educator:

Each month World Savvy will highlight breaking news and current events that can be connected to the classroom, including links to articles at various reading levels and connections to the standards. For complete background information on a range of contemporary issues, visit the World Savvy Monitor.

Copenhagen Summit

World leaders are gearing up for the Copenhagen Climate Summit to be held December 7 – 18, 2009. The Summit aims to negotiate a new global climate treaty, since most provisions of the Kyoto Protocol are set to expire in 2012. The maneuverings for this Summit, however, are already in motion, starting with the G-8 summit this summer where leaders agreed on ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emissions. Since then, however, leaders at last week’s Asia-Pacific Summit dropped a target to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This has put a damper on the upcoming summit, and left organizers scrambling to convince countries to recommit to ambitious targets. In fact, world leaders are still waiting on a decision from the White House as to whether President Obama himself will be attending the Copenhagen Summit.

Track developments leading up to and during the Copenhagen Summit on the official website. Also, check out a Q&A from the BBC and a special section from the Guardian.

In addition, read the latest edition of the World Savvy Monitor on global water issues for an overview of some of the issues that will be of concern during the Copenhagen Summit. Find resources for teaching about water issues in the Classroom Companion.

Read more...

Recommended Articles:

Advanced Article: Business Week: Can the Copenhagen Summit be Saved?
Intermediate Article: BBC: APEC leaders drop climate target
Beginner Article: BBC: Copenhagen Must Produce Targets

Multimedia:
Climate Hot Map
UCAR: Understanding Climate Change – multimedia resources
NPR: Climate Connections (videos, interactive graphics, cartoons, articles, and more)

Discussion Questions:

1. What is the Copenhagen Climate Summit that will take place in December 2009? What was the Kyoto Climate Summit, and how are they connected?
2. What are the goals of the Copenhagen Climate Summit?
3. What did world leaders announce at the recent APEC Summit and what does it have to do with the Copenhagen Summit?
4. What role do you think the U.S. should take at the Copenhagen Summit? What commitments, if any, do you think the U.S. should take regarding climate change targets?

Curriculum:

1. Choices Program: Global Environment: Considering U.S. Policy
2. Union of Concerned Scientists
3. Facing the Future: Environment and Global Sustainability Curriculum

California Standards:

Government: 12.10 – Tensions within Constitutional Democracy

World History: 10.11 – Modern World Economy

US History: 11.10 – Contemporary America

Earth Science:6.4 – Energy in the Earth’s System, 6.5 – Ecology

+ back to top

---

The views expressed in the articles and resources listed above are not the views of World Savvy. They are listed here as resources for educators but do not necessarily reflect the opinions and priorities of World Savvy. If you ever want to unsubscribe from this list, just send an email to Kelly at kelly@worldsavvy.org.