Essential Principle: The atmosphere and humans are inextricably linked. (Second Chance)

Welcome.  My name is Teri Eastburn.  In this session, we will be reviewing the fundamental concepts developed thus far for the Essential Principle listed above.

Participants include:  Seth McGinnis (facilitator - UCAR); Carol Landis (Byrd Polar Research Center); Miriam Lund (U.S. Dept. of Education); Ted Willard (AAAS-Project 2061); Rhonda Spidell (Albuquerque Academy); Deke Arndt (Oklahoma Climatological Survey); David Smith (U.S. Naval Academy); Janelle Albarez (Nat'l Assoc. of Geoscience Teachers); Roberta Johnson (UCAR EO); Peter Schultz (CCSPO); Susan Gallagher (Assoc. of American Geographers)

Format for this session:

  1. Review fundamental concepts already developed
  2. Individual reflection and refinements to concepts noted on sticky notes
  3. Post and reveiew new comments
  4. Refine concepts

Concept 1: The interconnected relationship betwqeen humans and the atmosphere is complex and difficult to isolate.

Concept 2: Human's depend on Earth's atmospheric processes.  Humans evolved given particular atmospheric and climate conditions.

  •  We breathe to inhale O2 and exhale CO2.  We are dependent on H2O distributed through hydrologic cycles.

Concept 3: Human activities alter the atmosphere, affecting human health and climate.

Concept 4: Weather and climate affect viability, quality and character of individual lives and lifeways, societies/cultures, and impact economic dynamics.

Concept 5: Human planning and activities are based on short-term weather forecasts and long-term expectations of climate.

Goddard Concept 6: The atmosphere impacts humans.

  • Weather affects almost every aspect of our daily lives (tourism, agriculture, travel, etc.)
  • We need air to breathe
    • Poor air quality affects our health

Goddard Concept 7: Humans impact the atmosphere. 

  • Humans are changing the chemistry of the atmosphere, with global consequences (e.g., ozone hole; global warming)
    • Humans add gases that help trap heat & raise Earth's surface temperature
    • Humans add particulates that can both cool and warm the surface by reflecting or absorbing sunlight
    • Humans add pollutants that impact human and environmental health (e.g., respiratory complications, acid rain, etc.)
  • Human-released particles modify clouds to sometimes delay, sometimes intensify rainfall
  • Humans change the surface, which affects the warmth and particulates the surface gives to the atmosphere

Part 2:  Participants are now posting their comments, additions and changes to the above concepts.  I will capture these concepts below.

Comment:  Concept 2 and Goddard FC6 should be meshed into one. 

Comment:  Concept 3 and Goddard 7 should be meshed into one. 

Comment for the Essential Principle per Ted:  Suggest to reword Humans are dependent upon and affect the atmosphere.

Comments for FC1:   Don't like term "isolate."  Some say remove entirely as it simply restates the EP.  The idea of complexity of the relationship perhaps can be rescued.  Let's go on and reevaluate this.  Dave Smith: perhaps the concept of quantifiable or limits should be added.

Comment on FC5:  This could go with FC4, vice versa, or meshed.  Get rid of #4.  Deke: I like #5 as we work with it in terms of our activities.  Roberta: impacts our economy and the assumption that we operate on that our climate doesn't change.  Also take out terms "short term" and "long term" as this is redundant.  Suggested revision for FC5:  Individual and societal activities are affected by weather forecast and climate expectations. Many decisions are based on assumptions of a stable climate (This second sentence is controversal with group.) (This FC is more on human adaptation to their climate). We should not suggest that future decisions should be based on climate as a dynamic process as this is more advocacy than science.
Comments on FC3:  Strike human health.  Disagreement on this.  Dave Smith: It also effects transportation, economy, etc. etc.  Why is just health called out?  Most liked this statement.  There are many details that follow it that we will leave.  Let's discuss the Goddard comments that we want to add or eliminate. We should change to "ecosystem.  Human activities, such as changes in land use and burning fossil fuels, alter the atmosphere, affecting human and ecosystem health and climate.

Comment on FC2 with FC6: Ted suggested taking out the concept of evolving with the atmos. because it seems off focused Needs further discussion and thought.  There are rewrites that were suggested:  Humans and other organismsevolved in, adapted to, and live in the atmosphere, and we rely on its quality in our daily lives.  This FC is thought to be more biological, while FC5 is more societal and individual.  Something missing throughout the whole set here is the relationship between the biological system and the atmosphere/climate system.  Let's think about this one and make sure we are not listing a misleading statement.  Deke mentioned we should add that we are also vulnerable to the atmosphere.  Human beings are dependent on and vulnerable to Earth's atmospheric processes.

Concepts that are missing:  Peter Schultz: We need to give teachers ammunition to teach about the societal aspects of adaptation and mitigation to climate.  Deke:  Someone mentioned that our decisions today will impact our future in terms of climate.  Miriam noted that she likes the idea of citizen responsibility.  An educated citzenry of some kind needs to be added.  Brief discussion on adaptation and mitigation terms.  Some do not like them and suggest we should not use them.  Others feel they are widely used.

Here are the fundamental concepts as edited thus far: 

  • The interconnected relationship between humans and the atmosphere is complex and difficult to isolate. (scrap this point but somehow rescue that the relationship is complex use quantify or limit)
  • Human beings are dependent on and vulnerable to Earth's atmospheric processes.
    Humans breathe to inhale oxygen and release carbon dioxide and are dependent on water distributed through the hydrologic cycles which determine human activities.
    Living organisms including humans depend on the atmosphere and cause changes to the atmosphere.
    *vulnerable to natural hazards
  • Living organisms including humans depend on the atmosphere and cause changes to the atmosphere.
    • Human activities, such as changes in land use and burning fossil fuels,  alter the atmosphere, affecting human and ecosystem health and climate.
    • Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and increasing the amount and variety of chemicals released into the atmosphere, reducing the amount of forest cover, and rapidly expanding farming and industrial growth have changed Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere and altered Earth's climate. Atmospheric contamination degrades human health.
      The increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in human-induced greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, primarily from fossil fuel combustion and deforestation. (Based on IPCC, 2007)
    • Add Goddard examples
  •  Individual and societal  activities are affected by weather forecasts and climate expectations.  Many decisions are based on assumptions of a stable climate. (some reservations about the second sentence) some consensus about an educated citizenry and decision making---local to global

 This session is now over.  Thank you.

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