Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
-
Upload
ecology-action -
Category
Documents
-
view
230 -
download
0
Transcript of Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
1/19 1
T e a c h e r T r a n s p o r T a T i o nB a c k g r o u n d p a c k e T
Transportation accounts for 45% of Santa Cruz Countys
greenhouse gas emissions
2009 County Commission on the Environment
A Sae Routes to School Program o Ecology Action
- a local environmental non-proft in Santa Cruz since 1970.
http://www.ecoact.org/Programs/Transportation 831-426-5925 x144
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
2/19 2
Index
Ft Ft bt Ttt t u.s. ..................................................... 3
ey u a pllt .......................................................................... 4
swl kll alttv Ttt ........................................................ 6
T ct dv ........................................................................................ 7
alttv t c-b Tvl ..................................................................... 8
Wb r T .......................................................................... 10
ax i: B imt clmt c .............................. 13
ax ii: clmt c Ft st ...................................................... 16
r .................................................................................................... 2
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
3/19 3
Fast Facts about Transportationin the U.S.Trafc congestion, air pollution, urban sprawl, and global warming are all common themes in the news
today. Most often the cause is linked to our automobile-dominated transportation system. Americans
drive more miles per year and own more cars per capita than any other nation in the world; a fact due
largely to our land use patterns, the lowest gasoline prices of any industrialized nation, and a culture that
has become accustomed to using the automobile as its primary mode of travel.
itt ttt: InSantaCruzCounty,85%ofcommutersdriveand72%ofthemdrivealone.Nationally,91%ofcommutersdriveand84%ofthemdrivealone.
InSantaCruzCounty,3%ofcommutersbiketoworkand4%walk.In1990,4%ofAmericanswalkedtowork,and
lessthanhalfapercentbicycled.
In1969,42%ofstudentswalkedorbikedtoschool;by2001thatnumberhaddroppedtoonly16%.
InDelftHolland,bicyclesareusedfor43percentofalltrips;inTokyo,themajorityoftravelisbypublictransporta-
tion,cycling,orwalking.
A2009SantaCruzCountyCommissionontheEnvironmentreportfoundthatasof2006,ourcountyproduced2.7
milliontonsofgreenhousegaseseachyearor10.6tonsperperson.
Thissamestudyfoundthat45%or1.2milliontonsofthecountysgreenhouseemissionsareduetotransportation.
Since1983,thenumberofmilesthatAmericanstravelinvehicleshasdoubled.
IntheU.S.thenumberofpersonalvehicleshasgrown181%since1969,butthepopulationhasonlyincreasedby
40%.InCalifornia,thestates34millionresidentsown25millioncars!
In2007,SantaCruzCountyresidentsdrove5.4millionmilesadayandusedalmost300,000gallonsofgasolineeveryday!
Wecouldeasilywalkorbikemore:Halfthetripswemakearelessthanthreemiles,40percentarelessthantwo
miles,and28percentarelessthanonemile.
Eventhoughbikingorwalkingisfeasible,75percentoftripsthatareonemileorlessaremadebycar.
c-lt cm:
Urbandevelopmentsprawlsintofertilevalleysandforestland,destroyinganimalhabitat,increasingpeoplesrelianceoncars,andmakingtripslonger.
Airpollutionisagrowingproblem;transportationaccountsforabouthalfofallairpollution.
Climatechange,whichislargelyaresultoftransportation-relatedgreenhousegasemissions,isbringing
warmer,wetterwintersandhotter,dryersummers.
Stress-relatedconcernssuchasroadrageareescalating.
Peoplearespendingmoretimedrivingandlesstimewalkingandbicycling,whichmayincreaseriskforheart
disease,diabetes,andotherobesity-relatedhealthproblems.
Trafccongestiononmajorhighwaysisdrasticallyincreasingtriptimes.
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
4/19 4
Energy Use and Air PollutionFossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) are found beneath the earths surface. They are formedfrom the carbon remains of plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. Oil is
rened to produce the gasoline that powers our cars. Gas burned in car engines contributes to air
pollution, water pollution, acid rain, and climate change.
dv y ftDriving,especiallydrivingalone(singleoccupancyvehicletrip),usesalotoffossilfuelsandisthemostenergyin -
efcientwayofgettingplaces.Formodesoftransportationthatrequirephysicalactivity(bicycling,walking,etc.)
foodisthefuel,notgasoline.Foodenergyismeasuredinkilocalories.Onekilocalorie(kcal)istheequivalentof
whatwecommonlyrefertoasacalorieinfood.Onepeanutbuttersandwich(about310kcals)providesthe
energyneededtotravel4to8milesbybicycleor2-4milesofwalking.Forcomparison,thereare31,000kcalsin
agallonofgasolineandtheaveragecarburns1600kcalspermile!Additionally,thefoodourbodiesburnasfuel
emitsnopollution,buteverygallonofgasburnedemitsovertwentypoundsofCO2andpollution!
ey u cm
mode fuel source energy use active? health benets pollutantsper passenger emitted per
passenger mile
bicycling food 40kcal/mi yes physicalactivity none*
walking food 100kcal/mi yes physicalactivity none*
bus(full:40riders) gas 200kcal/mi no none 0.10oz.per passengermile
carpool(4people) gas 400kcal/mi no none 0.20oz.per passengermile
car(driveronly) gas 1,600kcal/mi no none 0.90oz.per passengermile
*immeasurableamountsofCO2.
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
5/19 5
a pllt
MotorvehiclesareCaliforniaslargestairpollutionsource,accountingformorethan40%ofthestatewideto-tal.Somemetropolitanareas,suchasLosAngeles,exceedfederalhealthstandardsforcarbonmonoxideand/
orozone.Motorvehiclesemit72%ofnitrogenoxidesand52%ofreactivehydrocarbons,whichbothcontrib-
utetotheformationofsmog,acidrain,andozoneThesepollutantsadverselyaffectthehealthofplantsand
animalsandvulnerablesegmentsofthehumanpopulation,includingtheelderly,children,andpeoplewith
respiratoryproblems.
clmt cThefactthatthetenhottestyearsinthelastcenturyhavealloccurredinthelast15yearshasledtotheIntergov-
ernmentalPanelonClimateChangetoconcludein2007thatwarmingoftheclimatesystemisnowunequivocal.
Thispanelconcludedthatscientistsknowwithvirtualcertaintythathumanproducedcarbondioxideisrespon-
sibleforthispatternofwarming.Whenfossilfuelsareburned,carbondioxide,themajorheat-trappinggreen -
housegas,isreleased.Thisisthesamegasthathumansbreatheoutasweburnfoodinourbodies.However,
thecarbondioxidewerespireissonegligiblethatitdoesnotcontributetoglobalwarming.
Heattrappinggasesoccurnaturallyintheatmosphereatlevelsthathavebeenrelativelystableformany
thousandsofyears.However,humansburningofgasoline,coal,oilandnaturalgas,aswellasdeforesta-
tionaroundtheplanet,hasdramaticallyincreasedtheconcentrationofgreenhousegasesintheearths
atmosphere.SincetheIndustrialRevolutioninthelate1800s,theconcentrationofcarbondioxide,the
majorgreenhousegas,hasincreased30%.Thethickeningblanketofgreenhousegasestrapsheatthatwould
otherwiseescape,similartothewayheatisheldinsidebythewindshieldofacarparkedinthesunorinsideaplantgreenhouse.Consequently,thetemperatureonEarthappearstobewarmingbecausetheincreasein
greenhousegasesistrappingmoreheat.Awarmerplanetmayresultinmorefrequentandlargerhurricanes,
themeltingofglaciersandpolaricecaps,withasubsequentriseinsealevelandcatastrophicooding.
Motorvehiclesandgasandcoal-redelectricityarethetwomajorproducersofgreenhousegases.IntheU.S.,
33%ofgreenhousegasemissionscomefrommotorvehicles;inCaliforniacarsandtrucksproduce43%ofthe
statesgreenhousegases.In2006,governorSchwarzeneggersignedanambitiousplanthatcallsforreducing
Californiasgreenhousegasemissionsto2000levelsby2010,1990levelsby2020,and80percentbelow1990
levelsby2050.In1998,SantaCruzCityCouncilpassedResolutionNS23,741theCitiesforClimateProtection
Actandjoined500localgovernmentsaroundtheworldtoreduceemissionsofgreenhousegaseswithintheirlocaljurisdictions.
FormoreClimateChangeinformation,statistics,andfacts,seeAppendixIandII.
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
6/19 6
Sprawl Killed AlternativeTransportationBefore 1950, people usually lived and worked in the same community. They could walk, cycle,
use horses or take a trolley to their work site from residential areas located close to the city cen-
ter. People could reach stores and do errands on foot and children could easily walk or cycle to
school. Urban sprawl changed this centralized system and people became increasingly reliant on
personal vehicles.
T tw t bb lt m: HomeownershiploansfromtheFederalHousingAuthorityforpeoplewantingtomovetothesuburbs. Thedesiretoescapeurbancrowds.Inthelate1800s,citiesweredirty,diseased,andunsafeplaces,and
thisperceptionhascontinuedtoinuencepeopleschoices.
Thedesiretoseparateindustrial,commercial,andresidentiallanduses.
Themobilityandconveniencepresentedbycheapandaccessible,mass-producedautomobilesandthe
nationalhighwaysystemdevelopedunderPresidentEisenhowerinthe1950s.
i Y Bl it, Ty Wll cmWithurbansprawl,landfarfromcitycentersandpublictransitroutesisdevelopedforroads,housing,and
commercialuses.Becauseofurbansprawl,morepeoplearedrivinglongerdistancestogotowork,school,
shoppinganderrands.Moredrivingmeansmoretrafccongestion,longertraveltimes,andmoreemissions.Buildingmoreandbiggerroadsisnotthesolution.Timeaftertime,biggerhighwaysarelledtocongestion
levelsyearssoonerthanexpected.
pv t Wy t pblmAscitiesspreadoutward,agriculturalland,forest,streams,wetlands,andothernaturalareasaredeveloped.
TheAmericanFarmlandTrustreportedthatfrom1982to1992,400,000acresperyearofprimefarmland
wascoveredoverbyurbanandsuburbandevelopment.Thistranslatesinto45.7acresperhour,everysingle
day.Besideseliminatinghomesforplantsandanimals,urbandevelopmentdecreasesthenumberoftrees
thatcleantheairandsoakupseasonalrain.Consequently,airqualityandstormwatermanagementproblems
increaseasspongyforestlandistransformedintoimpermeableroofsandasphaltroads.Whatwereonce25-yearoodsnowoccureveryyear,largelyduetotheincreaseinpavedland.
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
7/19 7
The Cost of DrivingThe actual cost of driving extends far beyond the amount paid at the gas pump. The average U.S.family spends almost $8,000 a year 19% of their personal income to operate and maintain
their private vehicles.
WhileAmericanfamiliespayalotfortransportation,governmentspaymuchmore.InCaliforniaduring2002,
thegovernmentspentalmost$12billiononroadconstructionandmaintenance!Societyalsopaystheprice
inenvironmentaldegradation,trafcaccidents,andmedicalexpenses.Thecostofmotorvehiclecrashesin
Californiain2000wasover$20billionindamagedproperty,healthcare,andlostlives.Additionally,consider
thecoststosocietysuchastimewastedintrafccongestion,trafcsafetyandenforcementexpenses,andthe
propertycostsofparkinglots!Inmanyurbanareas,over50%ofthelandisdevotedtoroadsandparkinglots
forprivateautomobiles.Imagineifonlyaquarterofthislandweredevotedtocommunitycenters,parks,or
localshopsthatpeoplemightbeabletoaccessbyfoot,bicycleorpublictransportation.Ifthiswerethecase,
ourtownsmightnotneedsomanyparkinglotsintherstplace!Consideringallofthepersonal,public,and
societalcostsofanauto-orientedsystemoftransportationwecanseethatitisveryexpensiveforeveryone.
However,itisimportanttoremembermanytransportationcosts,includingenvironmentalandsocietalcosts,
arenotimmediatelyapparent.
Tf dtEveryyearintheU.S.,morethan40,000peopledieintrafccrashes,averagingaboutonedeathevery13min-
utes.Yetoursocietyacceptsthesedeathsquietly,asiftheycouldnothavebeenprevented.Youngpeople
areparticularlyaffected.Motorvehiclecollisionsaretheleadingcauseofdeathforeveryagefrom2to33
years.Almostone-thirdofthe5,700pedestrianskilledbyautomobileseachyeararechildrenundertheage
of15.InCalifornia,morethan4,000peoplearekilledeachyearintrafccrashes.Youngdriversunder25are
alsostatisticallymorelikelytobeinvolvedinfatalcrashesthananyotheragegroup.
Ttt & hltIn1969,42%ofelementarystudentswalkedorbikedtoschool;by2001thatnumberhaddroppedtoonly16%.
Inconjunctionwithadecreaseinwalking/bicyclingtoschool,thepercentageofU.S.childrenandadolescents
whoareoverweighthasquadrupledinthepast30years;mostofthisincreaseoccurredsincethelate1970s.In
SantaCruzCounty,32%ofour913yearoldsareconsideredoverweightorobese.Childrenwhoareover-
weighthaveanincreasedriskforaprematuredeathduetoheartdisease,cancer,diabetes,andasthma.
Lackofphysicalactivity,alongwithunhealthydiets,aretoblamefortheincreaseinchildhoodobesity/in-
cidenceofoverweightyouth.Infact,theCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC)reportthat62
percentofchildrenages9to13yearsdonotparticipateinanyorganizedphysicalactivityand23percentdo
notengageinanyfree-timephysicalactivityoutsideofschoolhours.Replacingcartripswithwalkingandcy-
clingcanincreaseourphysicalactivity,contributetoqualityfamilytime,instillasenseofwell-being,andbuild
healthyhabitsforlife.
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
8/19 8
Alternatives to Car-based Traveldv it hm:There is a whole range of partial solutions to the problems of an auto-dependent transportation
system. Some of the changes need to come through government legislation, but most need to
come from changes in personal travel habits.
F a Btt WyTheeasiestwayforanindividualorafamilytoreducetheenvironmentalimpactofpersonaltransportationis
tochoosetodriveless,bicycle,walk,ortakethebus.Ifdrivingistheonlyoption,choosethemostefcient
vehicleavailable,andkeepitwell-maintained.Bychoosingtoliveclosetoworkandservicesthatllmost
needs,afamilycanfurtherreduceitsenvironmentalimpactfromtransportationandturntimespentinanautomobileintofamilytime.
Schoolscontributeimmenselytotheincreasingnumberofcarsontheroad;upto25%oftrafccanbelinked
totheschoolcommute.Kidscanmakeahugedifferenceintheircommunitiesespeciallyattheirschools,
wheretrafccongestionandairqualityareoftenproblemsatthebeginningandendoftheschoolday.
Encouragestudentstoexamineandchangetheirfamiliestransportationhabits,especiallyfortripstoschool.
Theleastpollutingmethodsoftransportationarealsotheleastexpensiveandthehealthiest.Unfortunately,
thesemethodsareoftenperceivedtobelesssafe,andlessculturallyacceptable.
Walking or Cycling:Ittakesabout10minutestowalk1/2mileorbikealmosttwomiles!Walkingandcyclingproducenopollution,andareexcellentformsofexercise.
Taking the Bus:Busesusuallyrunregardlessofthenumberofpassengers.Abuswithasfewasseven
passengersuseslessfuelperpassengerpermilethanatypicalcarcarryingonlyadriver.Abuswith40
passengersusesmuchlessfuelthan10carswithfourpassengerseach.
Ride-sharing or Carpooling:Withtwopeopleinavehicle,emissionsperpersonarereducedbyhalf;
withthreepeople,byevenmore.Regulartripstowork,school,orafter-schoolactivitiesaretheeasiest
toarrangearoundacarpool.Ridewith,orgivearideto,classmates,co-workersorfriends.
at alttvIf every one of the 200 million cars in the U.S. were replaced by cars that were just 10
mpg more fuel efcient, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 250 million
tons per year, cutting our annual carbon dioxide contribution to global warming by
nearly 20%.
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
9/19 9
hw t b l mt
Limitunnecessarytripsbycombiningerrandsandtakingashoppinglistsonothingisforgotten. Takethemostdirectrouteandchoosedestinationsthatarecloser,suchasaneighborhoodstore.
UsetheYellowPagesandthephonetoshopbeforeheadingtothestore.
Travellight;extraweightdecreasesfueleconomy.Haulinganextra100poundsinyourvehiclereducesfueleconomybyupto2%.
Drivelessaggressively.Aggressivedrivingrapidaccelerationandbrakingcanlowergasmileagebyasmuchas33%
onthehighwayand5%intown.Aggressivedriversareusinganextra125gallonsofgasandspending$250morethan
averagedriverseachyear.
Knowwhentoustheair.Airconditioningcandecreaseyourfuelefciencybyasmuchas12%instop-and-gotrafc,so
considercrackingthewindows.Butathighspeeds,drivingwiththewindowsopencandecreasetheoverallefciencyof
thevehicle.
Ifyouarestoppingformorethantensecondsexceptintrafcturnoffyourengine.Idlingformorethantensec-
ondsusesmoregasandcreatesmoreglobalwarmingpollutionthansimplyrestartingyourengine.
Keeptiresfullyinatedandenginestunedforthebestfuelefciency.
Useafuel-efcientvehicle,andencourageyourfamilytoconsiderfuelefciencyandalternativefuelswhenbuying
theirnextcar.Forexample,acarthatgets20mpgusesanaverageof600gallonsofgas,emits6.8tonsofCO2and
costs$1380ingasolineperyear.Ascomparedtoacarthatgets40mpgusesanaverageof300gallonsofgas,emits3.4
tonsofCO2andcosts$690ingasperyear.
nw TlAsfossilfuelsuppliesdeclineandconcernaboutenvironmentalimpactsgrow,peoplewilllooktoalternativesourcesof
fuelfortheirvehicles.Somenewfuelvehiclesarealreadyinexistence:
Electric Cars uselargestacksofbatteriestopoweranelectricmotor.Theyareidealforpeoplewhodrivealimited
distanceeachday,asrechargingbatteriescantakeuptoseveralhours.
Electric-Assisted Bicyclesmakebikingabreezeforhillyareas,andcanbepedaledwherethelandismorelevel.
Hybrid Vehiclesuseacombinationofelectricandgasolinepowertogetveryhighgasmileage;theyuseanengine
toconvertafuel,suchasgasoline,intoelectricityonboardthevehicle.Hybridvehiclesarepoweredbyoneor
moreelectricmotorsoracombinationofelectricmotorsandmotionfromtheengine.Thesevehiclesareexpected
toserveastransitionvehiclestofuelcellvehicles.
Fuel Cellsusehydrogencombinedwithoxygenasafuel;theironlyemissionsarecleanairandwater.Americas
spaceshuttleshaveusedfuelcellsforyearstoproducetheirelectricityanddrinkingwater.However,hydrogen
mustrstbeextractedfromwaterusingelectricityproducedatpowerplants.
Whilethesetechnologiesareexciting,thereareseveralcaveats.Theelectricitytochargebatteriesinelectriccarsand
toproducehydrogenwillbedrawnfromelectricsystemspoweredbynuclearenergy(about20%),coalandgas-red
generators(about70%),andhydroelectricdams(about10%)allacrossAmerica.Theoverwhelmingmajorityofelectricity
producedintheU.S.isfromnon-renewable,pollutingsources.
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
10/19 10
Web Resource For Teachers
CURRICULUM RELATED:
http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=40561&a=222273
CurriculumdevelopedbyCityofPortlandentitledSmartMovesforK-5thgrade;manylessonplans,
handouts,etc.
http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=40561&a=222276MiddleSchoolversionofPortlandSmartMovescurriculum;10lessonsrangingfromhealthandsafetyto
environmentalandplanningissues,verycomprehensiveandlotsextensions,handouts
http://www.climatesolutions.org/publications/CS_Smart_Moves_for_Washington_Schools_0-10-24_55.pd
WashingtonStateSmart Moves transportation & the environmentactivitiesforK-12
http://www.intercitytransit.com/les/25/More_Smart_Moves_Activity_Book.pdf
moreSmartMovescurriculum:greatlessonsontransportationhistoryinthiscountry(el),waterqualityand
impervioussurfaces(e/m),healthissues(e,m),economicsandtheenvironment(h),fuelefciencyandhealth
(h);allhaveworksheets
http://www.saferoutestoschools.org/lessonplans.shtml
MarinCountylessonplansformultipleages;environmental,safetyandhealthrelated
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/Safe-Routes-2002/classact.html#1
NationalSafeRoutestoSchoolLessonPlanideas;mostlyfocusedonsafety,manyideasbutnotlaidoutas
curriculum
http://www.saferoutesne.com/educators/srintheclassroom.html
NebraskaSRTSsitewithfunpowerpointjeopardygameandactivityideasinclassroomforK-8thgraders;also
linkstoothersiteswithclassroomideas
http://www.saferoutes-wa.org/schools/curriculum
WashingtonStateSRTSsitewithmyriadoflinkstocurriculumsets
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
11/19 11
RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN ON CLIMATE/CO2
http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/ResourceCenterToolsGHGCalculator.html
CarboncalculatortocomputeindividualcarbonfootprintfromEPA
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html
EPAproducedsitemadeespeciallyforchildren.Simpleexplanationsforchildrenonclimatechange,climate,
greenhouseeffect,personalempowerment;gamesandrelatedactivities
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/kids.html
EPAproducedsite;climatewheelrecommendedformiddleschoolstudents;carboncalculator,etcprettygood
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/animations.html
EPAproducedsitewithanimationandcleardescriptionsforelementarychildrenofglobalwarming;water
cycleandcarboncycle.Threeseparateanimationlessons.
http://www.epa.gov/OMS/climate/420f05004.htm#step1
EPAsitetocalculateGreenhouseemissionsfrompassengervehicle
http://www.earthday.net/footprint/ash.html
Fun,comprehensivelifestylecalculator
LOCAL INFORMATION
http://www.ecoact.org/Programs/Transportation/index.htm
EcologyActionstransportationpagewithdescriptionsofallofourprograms.
http://www.bikesmart.org/
EcologyActionsYouthBikeSafetyEducationprogram
http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pw/ep/saferoutes.html
SantaCruzCityproducedsitewithbike/pedmapstolocalschools
http://www.sctrafcsafety.org/index.html
SCCommunityTrafcSafetyCoalitionsite.Lotsoflocallinksrelatingtobicycleandpedestrianissues.See
referencetoRidenStrideBicycleandPedestrianSafetyProgramforK-5thgradechildren.Formoreinforma-
tion,contactKithyChavezat454-4317.
http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pw/ep/warming.html
SCCitysitethatexplainsglobalwarminginplaintermsforadults.
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
12/19 12
http://www.commutesolutions.org/calc.htmDemonstratesdirectandindirectcostsofdriving.ProgramofSCCRTC
http://projectbiketrip.org/
TheBicycleTripbikeshopsponsoredbikerepairandeducationprogramforschools.
http://peoplepowersc.org/
SantaCruzCountyBicycleadvocacygroupandhighschoolalternativetransportationschoolprogram.
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL (SRTS) RESOURCES
www.activelivingresources.org/saferoutestoschool.php
IncludesaCitySRTSprogramandotherresources.
www.bikesbelong.org
TheBikesBelongCoalitionssiteincludesphotolibrarywithSRTSimagesandotherinformationaboutben-
etsofbicycling.
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk
CDCsKidsWalk-to-Schoolprogram;encourageschildrentowalktoandfromschool
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes
FHWAisresponsibleforadministeringfederalSRTSprogramfundstostateDOTs.
www.bikeleague.org/programs/saferoutes
TheLeaguessiteincludesa4-minutevideoonSRTS,bicyclingcurriculaandotherresources.
www.saferoutesinfo.org
includescontactsforstateSRTScoordinators,aguide,trainingopportunities,programtrackingandevaluation
resources,andinformationaboutInternationalWalktoSchoolDay.
www.railstotrails.orgRTCssiteincludesresourcesonwalking,bicycling,healthimprovement,decreased
oiluseandreducedcarbonemissions.
www.saferoutespartnership.org
SRTSNationalPartnership,anetworkofmorethan400organizations;includesinteractiveU.S.
mapthatallowsuserstoaccessSRTS-specicinformationforall50states;
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
13/19 13
ProvidedbytheEarthDayNetwork:http://www.earthday.net/resources/2006materials/default.aspx
What is climate change?a truly global threat.
- Ko Annan, Secretary-General of the UN, Referring to climate change November 2004.
Thetermclimatechangereferstoglobalchangesintemperature,windpatterns,andprecipitation.ThesechangesarebeingdrivenbyagradualwarmingoftheEarthsatmosphere(commonlyreferredtoasglobalwarming).TheEarthsclimatehasbeenchangingslowlyoverthecenturies.Coldperiodshavealternatedwithwarmperiods.However,thesechangeshavebeenhappeningatamuchfasteranddevastatingrateinrecent
years.The1980sand1990swerethewarmestdecadesonrecord.Scienceindicatesthatthisaccelerationisduetohumanactivity
TheEarthsatmospheretrapsheatescapingfromthesurfaceoftheplanet,whichkeepsuswarm.Carbondioxide,partofthemixtureofgasesinouratmosphere(calledgreenhousegases),isverygoodattrappingheat.Someofthegreenhousegasesarereleasedintotheatmospherefromnatureeveryday.Forexample,carbondioxideenterstheatmospheredailyfromdecayingplantmatterandforestres.
Inthepast,naturalprocessescouldhandletheamountsofgreenhousegasesgenerated,andthesystemremainedinbalance.Inrecentdecades,however,humanactivitythroughincreaseduseoffossilfuelsandcuttingdownofforestshasbeenoverloadingthenaturalprocesses.Greenhousegasesarenowbeinggeneratedbytheburningoffossilfuelstoruncarsandfactoriesandheatbuildings,aswellasbyindustrial
processes.Thesereleasesofgreenhousegaseshaveshiftedtheatmospheresnaturalbalance.
Aswell,largetractsoftheEarthsforestsarebeingcutdownforwoodandtoclearlandforfarmingandforcitiesandtowns.Thatleavesfewertreestoabsorbandstorecarbondioxidefromtheatmosphere.Thebalanceofgasesintheatmospherehaschangedsignicantly.Theresult:moreheatisbeingtrappedintheatmosphere.Themoreheattrapped,thewarmertheEarthbecomes,andthegreaterclimatesacrosstheglobewillchange.
Climate change is the most severe problem we are facing today, more serious than
even the threat of terrorism.
-David King, UK Government Advisor, January 2004.
Climatechangeisnowacceptedasamajorthreattotheworldscontinuedviability.Wearenowexperiencingmajorupheavalsinweather,agriculturalproduction,andfreshwateravailability,aswellasasignicantriseinsealevelsfromunrestrainedcarbonemissions.Theimpactsofclimatechangeoncethoughtofasunimaginableandfarfetchedarenowoccurring.
Whilethereisconsensusamongmostscientists,corporateleaders,governmentofcials,NGOs,andinternationalbodiesthatglobalwarmingmustbehalted,thereisalsoconsensusthatforavarietyofreasonspublicdemandforimmediateactionlagsfarbehindtheneed.Pollsshowthatwhile70%ofAmericansthink
Appendix I: Background Information on Climate Change
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
14/19 14
climatechangeisbad,solvingclimatechangefallstothebottomofthelistofconcernswhencomparedtowhatpeopleperceiveasmoreimmediateproblems,suchascrime,publiceducation,housing,etc.
Whilstthereisapowerfulscientic,moralandcommonsensecasetobemadefortakingaction,therehasnotbeenenoughfocusonhowclimatechangewilldirectlyaffectcommunities.Asaresult,thegeneralpublictunedout.Themediadowngradedthestoryfocusingondistanteffects,suchasthinningice,nottheimpactsonthehumanpopulationandavailablesolutionsandpoliticianshavebeenreluctanttotakeactionuntiltheirconstituentsaskthemtodosomething.Theresultofthishasbeenconfusionofwhatishappeningandinaction.
ThroughEarthDayNetworksworkwith12,000partnersandNGOsinover174countriesweknowthatwehavethepowertoreachandeducatelargenumbersofpeople.Byfocusingonclimatechange,andmorespecicallythesolutionstoclimatechangewecanshowindividualsandcommunitieshowtheycandosomethingtangibletomakeadifference.
What is happening as a result of climate change?The Greenland ice sheet is likely to be eliminated in the next 50 years unless much more substantial
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are made
-Jonathon Gregory, Climatologist, April 2004.
Anincreaseinoveralltemperatureischangingweatherpatterns.Hurricanesandotherextremeweatherarelikelytobemoresevereanddevastating,aswitnessedrecentlybyHurricanesKatrinaandRita.
Wearecurrentlycaughtinaviciouscycle,asthetemperatureincreasesduetotheuseoffossilfuelsandotheractivitiestheicecapsaremelting.Notonlydoesthemeltingofthisiceraisewaterlevels,butitreleasescarbondioxidethathasbeentrappediniceformillionsofyears.Thiscarbondioxidefurtheraddstothewarmingoftheplanet.IfwecannotstemthemeltingoftheicethroughareductioningreenhousegasemissionsweareinadvertentlyaddingmillionsmoretonesofCO2intotheatmosphere.
Somescientistsarepredictingthatrainandsnowwillincreaseinsomeplacesanddecreaseinothers.Thiswouldleadtooodsinsomeareasanddroughtsinothers.Severeweather,suchasheatwaves,extremecold,tornados,windstorms,typhoons,blizzards,etc.,mayhappenmoreoften.Sealevelsmayrise,oodinglowlandsnearoceanswheremillionsofpeoplelive.Someoftheseareasmaystayunderwaterpermanently.Vectorbornediseasesmayspreadtonewareas.Speciesofplants,animals,andshmaybecomeextinctastheirhabitatschange.
How will this affect me?We have coastal erosion, droughts, and in the last decade we have experienced an unusual high
level of tropical storms. Salt water intrusion into our soils has affected our traditional food
supply and we now see the ooding of low-lying areas.
-Paani Laupepa, Ministry of Natural Resources Tuvalu, October 2001.
Climatechangeisalreadyaffectingandwillcontinuetoaffectthewholeworld.Notonlyisthephysicalenvironmentaffected,butalsothehealth,jobs,economies,culturesandcommunitiesofthepeoplelivingonourplanet.
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
15/19 15
Mostdevelopingcountriesdonotcontributeasmanyemissionstotheatmosphereasindustrialized,developedcountriesdo.However,manypeopleagreethatdevelopingcountrieswillfacethegreatesthardshipsduetoclimatechange.Developingcountriesdonothavethemoney,theorganizationsorthetechnologiestohelpthemadapttocurrentandfuturechanges.Therehasbeenareluctanceofdevelopedcountriestopromotetheuseofexistingsolutionsastheyhaveincorrectlybeenviewedasnoteconomic.
Overtime,itisexpectedthatrainfallinAfricaandtheMiddleEastwillcontinuetodecrease.Thismeanslesswaterforpeopletousefordrinking,cleaning,andgrowingcrops,inaregionwherewaterisalreadyscarce.Low-lyingcountriesandislandslikethenationsofSoutheastAsiamaybesubmergedassealevelsrise,displacinglargepopulations.Asweatherpatternschangearoundtheworld,peoplewhodependoncropsfortheirlivelihoodwillnditincreasinglydifculttogetgoodyields.
Asclimatechangeprogressesitisimpossibletosayforsurewhatexactlywillbeaffected.Theonlyguaranteeisthatmillionsofpeoplewilllosefamilymembers,homes,communities,andjobsduetoclimatechange.Itishighlyunlikelythatanyone,richorpoor,blackorwhitewillbeunscathed.
What can I do?
Whilewecouldneverstopthenaturalcyclesofwarmingandcoolingintheclimate,wecanreduceourownpersonalcontribution.Therearemanythingsthatyouasanindividualcando.Theseinclude:
Beenergyefcientinyourchoices.Therearemanyenergyefcientalternativestoeverydayitems,whetherit
beacompactuorescentlightbulb,amoreeffectiverefrigerator,orahybridcarthesmallestchangewillhaveabigimpactonclimatechange.
Userenewablesourcesofenergyandmakeyourhomemoreenergyefcient.Thereareoftentaxincentivesandlong-termsavingstobemadebyswitchingtorenewablesourcesofenergy.Visithttp://www.dsireusa.orgtoseethevariousgrantsandincentivesavailableinyourstate.
Educateyourselfandothers.Themoreyouknowthebigger,moreeffectivedifferenceyoucanmakeinyourcommunity.Pleaseseeourresourcespage(http://www.earthday.net/resources)forhelpfulfactsheets,talkingpoints,andlinkstoclimatechangewebsites.Inaddition,teachersandothermembersofEarthDayNetworksEducatorsNetworkcanaccessclimatechangelessonplansontheTeachersCorner(http://www.earthday.net/involved/teachers/default.aspx).
Voteforthebestcandidateinlocalandnationalelections.Askyourlocalrepresentativewheretheystandonclimatechangeandwhatsolutionstheyplantoimplementinyourarea.Tondoutthecontactaddressforyourlocalrepresentativecheckhttp://www.congress.org.
TakeEarthDayNetworksEarthDayFootprintQuiztoseehowyouractionsimpactsaffecttheenvironmentandwhatactionsyoucantaketochangeit(http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp).
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
16/19 16
Appendix II: Climate Change Fact SheetProvidedbytheEarthDayNetwork:http://ww2.earthday.net/node/149
Oil and carsUnlesswemakefundamentaltransportationchanges,in2030thenumberofautomobilesintheworldwillincreaseby50%.
AccordingtoChevron,theworldconsumestwobarrelsofoilforeverybarreldiscovered.Ittook125yearstoconsumethersttrillionbarrelsofoilintheworldwillconsumethenexttrillioninonly30years,accordingtoChevron.
By2030,theworldwillconsume47%moreoilthanitdidin2003.
Newenergydiscoveriesaremainlyoccurringinplaceswhereresourcesaredifculttoextractphysically,technically,economically,andpolitically.
Oilproductionisindeclinein33ofthe48largestoil-producingcountries,yetenergydemandisincreasingaroundtheglobeaseconomiesgrowandnationsdevelop.
Oilandgascurrentlyprovidemorethanhalfoftheworldsenergysupply,andaccordingtotheInternationalEnergyAgency,they,alongwithcoal(whichalsoreleasesCO
2)willcontinuetobethemajor
sourcesofenergywellintothe21stcenturyunlessthingsarechanged.TheInternationalEnergyAgencyestimatesthattheworldwillneedtoinvest$16trillionoverthenextthreedecadestomaintainandexpandenergysupply.
Overhalftheworldsoilsupplieslieinjust5countries.
Temperature and sea level changesDuringthelastonehundredyearstheglobaltemperaturehaswarmedbyanaverageof0.6C.Itispredictedthatglobaltemperaturesin2100willbe5.8Cwarmerthantheywerein1990.ThiswillmaketheEarthwarmerthanithasbeenin50millionyears.
MuchoftheUnitedStateshasalreadywarmed,byasmuchas4F.Noneofthelower48statesintheU.S.experiencedbelowaveragetemperaturesin2002.Thecurrentpaceofsea-levelriseisthreetimesthehistoricalrate,andappearstobeaccelerating.Scientistsestimatethesealevelwillriseby19inchesby2100,thoughitcouldriseasmuchas37inches.OfparticularconcernisthestabilityoftheWestAntarcticIceSheet.Asuddencollapsewouldraisesealevels16-20feet,thoughthelikelihoodofsuchacollapsebeforetheyear2100islow.
Carbon dioxide
SincethebeginningoftheIndustrialRevolution,carbondioxide(agreenhousegaslinkedtoclimatechange)intheatmospherehasincreasedby31%.Despitenaturalemissionsofcarbondioxide(CO
2)emittedbyvolcanoes,forexample,humanactivitiesarenow
addingabout7billionmetrictonsofcarbonintotheatmosphereeveryyear.AutomobilescountforathirdoftheU.S.sCarbonDioxide(CO
2)emissionsthelargestsourceafterpowerplants.
Eachgallonofgasolineburnedcreatesabout20poundsofCO2.
VehiclesintheUnitedStatesreleasemoreCO2thanalltheenergysources(suchasheating,electricity,
vehicles,andfactories)inallofIndia.
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
17/19 17
Converting CO2Onefullygrowntreetransforms13poundsofCO
2peryear.
Oneacreoftreesproducesenoughoxygenfor18peopleeveryday.Thereareapproximately400treesperacreoflandinforestedareas.Onaverage,ittakesoneacretoconvert1.25tonsofCO
2peryear
Effects of climate changeDiseasessuchasmalariaandWestNileviruswilloccurinlargenumbersintheU.S.asaresultofwarmer
temperatures,becausethecarriersofdisease(i.e.mosquitoes)thriveinwarmerclimates.Globalwarmingisalreadyimpactingagricultureandbiodiversity.10%ofallknownplantspeciesareunder
threatofextinction.17MillionAmericans,5millionofwhicharechildren,sufferfromasthma.
Childhoodasthmaratesmorethandoubledfrom1980tothemid-1990sandtheyremainhistoricallyhigh.AsthmaisoneofthemostprevalentchronicchildhooddiseasesandisamajorcauseofchildhooddisabilityaccordingtotheCDC.
Currently,atleast14millionschooldaysaremissedannuallytoasthma(CDC).PeoplelivingincitiessuchasAtlanta,Baltimore,andCincinnaticouldbymid-centuryseea60%increasein
thenumberofhighsmogleveldays.TheArcticicepackhaslostanareatwicethesizeofTexassincethemid-1970s.Climatechangeishavingadisastrouseffectoncoralreefs,includingintheFloridaKeys,theBahamas,andMexico.WintertemperaturesintheArctichavewarmedbyasmuchas7Foverthelast60years,afasterratethan
inanyotherregion.Thisaffectswildlifesuchasfoxes,caribou,walruses,andpolarbears.ItalsoaffectsthelifestylesofnativepeoplesintheArctic.
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
18/19 18
ReferencesRenewableEnergyPolicyProject(REPP)andPacicGas&ElectricCompany(PG&E).30 Simple Energy Things You CanDo to Save the Earth.Berkeley,CA;EarthworksPress,1990.
DemocraticEnergy.Automobile Greenhouse Emissions- California .Accessed8Jan2007.http://www.newrules.org/environment/climateca.html
U.S.DepartmentofLabor.U.S.BureauofLaborStatistics.2006.2004 Consumer Expenditure Survey .http://www.bls.gov/cex/csxann04.pdf
CountyofSantaCruz.HealthServicesAgency.2008 Santa Cruz Health Report.http://www.santacruzhealth.org/pdf/2008%20STATEOFTHECOUNTYHEALTH.pdf
CityofSantaCruz.EnvironmentalPrograms.Cities for Climate Protection Program.http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pw/ep/climate1.html
U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency. Climate Change: Science.http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/stateofknowledge.html#ref
USDepartmentofTransportation.FederalHighwayAdministration.Final Report: The National Bicycling & WalkingStudy, Transportation Choices for Changing America. PublicationnumberFHWA-PD-94-023.www.fhwa.dot/gob/enronment/bikeped/study/
SantaCruzCountyCommissionontheEnvironments Greenhouse Gas ReportdeliveredtotheBoardofSupervisors.
February26,2009.
U.S.DepartmentofTransportation.1995NationwidePersonalTransportationSurvey,fromJohnPucherandLewisDjikstra,Making Walking and Cycling Safer: Lessons from Europe,TransportationQuarterly,Vol.54,No.3(summer2000),4.
SantaCruzCountyCommunityAssessmentProject,NaturalEnvironmentalIssuesYear14,2008http://www.santacruzcountycap.org/pdfs/CAP%2014/CAP14_Natural_Environment.pdf
Beneld,KaidF.,MathewD.Raimi,andDonaldD.T.Chen.Once There Were Greenelds: How Urban Sprawl isUndermining Americas Environment, Economy, and Social Fabric.NaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil,SurfaceTransportationPolicyProject,NewYork:1999.
U.S.CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.Physical activity levels among children aged 913 years---UnitedStates, 2002.MorbidityandMortalityWeeklyReportAugust22,2003;52(SS-33):785-788.
U.S.CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.NationalCenterforHealthStatistics.Prevalence of OverweightAmong Children and Adolescents: United States, 1999-2002.Available:http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/overwght99.htm#Table%201
-
8/9/2019 Bike 'n Hike - Teacher Resource -Teacher Background Packet
19/19
NationalCenterforTransitResearch.Public Transit in America: Results from the 2001 National HouseholdTransportation Survey, 2005.Accessed14Dec2006.http://nhts.ornl.gov
SantaCruzCountyRegionalTransportationCommission(SCCRTC).SCCRTC Transportation Monitoring Report, 2004.http://www.sccrtc.org/pdf/TMR2004/2004TMR_bodyb
NationalCenterforStatisticsandAnalysisoftheNationalHighwayTrafcSafetyAdministration.State Trafc SafetyInformation for Year 2005.http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/STSI/USA%20WEB%20REPORT.HTM
NationalCenterforStatisticsandAnalysisoftheNationalHighwayTrafcSafetyAdministration.Trafc Safety Facts 2002.http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/2002ovrfacts.pdf
PublicPolicyInstituteofCalifornia.Transportation Systems: Just the Facts 2006.http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/jtf/JTF_TransportationJTF.pdf
SurfaceTransportationPolicyPartnership.The Underlying Causes of Trafc Congestion.http://www.transact.org/ca/gridlock/three.htm
StateofCalifornia.ClimateChange.FrequentlyAskedQuestions.Where Do Greenhouse Gases Come From?http://www.climatechange.ca.gov/publications/faqs.html
NationalSafeRoutestoSchool.WalktoSchool.Why Walk or Bicycle to School? Talking Points.www.walktoschool.org/downloads/WTS-talking-points-2008.doc