Visual Aids

Trail cards of sugar maple, Kirtland's
warbler, and Karner Blue butterfly
from the Climate Change, Wildlife, and
Wildlands toolkit

Flash card of sugar maple's current
and projected future range, printed
out from the CD-ROM and laminated,
if desired

Global warming wheel card supplied
with Climate Change, Wildlife, and
Wildlands toolkit

1

Recommended
Sites for T

Great Lakes shoreline, preferably forested
(e.g., Voyageurs National Park or Isle
Royale). Ideas and approaches in this
outline also may be modified for
classroom discussions on climate change
and ecosystems in the Great Lakes and
Upper Midwest region.

Pintail duck photo by Peter LaTourette

This outline offers suggestions for the elements of a talk on the potential impacts of climate
change on the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest region. You are encouraged to develop your
own personal talk based on the materials in the Climate Change, Wildlife, and Mtf/d/anc/s tool-
kit; this outline is merely intended to provide ideas. You also may use the ideas in this outline
to help you weave the topic of climate change into your talks on other subjects.

PRO^e°

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Goals

To help visitors appreciate that global
climate change is a serious issue that
may affect life and the physical
environment in the Great Lakes region.

To help visitors realize that they can be
part of the solution, rather than only
part of the problem.

Objectives

Visitors will be able to explain the
potential magnitude and significance of
changes in nature.

Visitors will be able to explain why many
scientists believe that humans are
contributing to changes in climate that
may have significant and long-lasting
impacts on plants and wildlife.

Visitors will be able to name at least two
species of wildlife and two natural
features (e.g., lakes and boreal forests)
that may be affected by climate change.

Visitors will be able to decide whether
they believe their actions contribute to
climate change, and whether they want
to help slow it.

Visitors will be able to list at least two
actions people can choose to take if they
want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Theme

Change is a natural feature of the
environment, but not all changes are
natural. Many scientists believe that
human actions are exacerbating changes in
climate that may have serious impacts on
ecosystems in the Great Lakes and Upper
Midwest.

Introduction

(sections in bold italics a re suggested
language for talk)

Begin with an attention-grabber, such
as a personal story or an anecdote that
helps the audience relate personally to
the landscape around them. Work in
"universals"—values and concepts
everyone can relate to, such as family,
tradition, natural beauty, etc.

Standing on or near the shore, point to
the water and then to the forests along
the shore and inland. Water and forests
are two of the natural features that
first spring to mind when people think
of the Great Lakes region.

¦	These lakes and the forests on their
shores have changed a lot over time,
with the coming and going of glaciers;
natural events such as droughts, fires,
and floods; and, more recently,

the impacts of pollution and human
development.

¦	Today we're going to take a look into
the near future to explore some of the
changes that many scientists believe
may be in store for the lakes and
forests, and the plants and animals that
live in them, during the next 100 years.

Transition

Hold up the flash card showing the
current geographic range of sugar maple
compared with its projected range in
21 oo. Here's an example of one change
that many scientists believe may happen
during the next 100 years. The yellow
area on this map shows the current
range of suitable habitat for the sugar
maple in the United States. The small
green areas represent the suitable
habitat that scientists believe will be left
by the year 2100. What could cause this
kind of drastic wide-ranging change?
(Correct answer: global warming.)

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Body of Talk

¦	Changes in climate occur naturally.
They have been happening for as long
as the Earth has had a climate. But
many scientists believe that the
changes underway today are different.
They believe that humans are
accelerating the rate of change by
contributing to a global warming
trend. Explain what global warming is
and how it happens. (This information
may be found in the Great Lakes and
Upper Midwest case study and the basic
and advanced fact sheets.)

¦	The sugar maple is only one of many
species in the Great Lakes region that
may be affected by global warming.

Describe impacts on boreal forests,
coldwater fish, ducks, and migratory
birds. (This information may be found in
the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest case
study.) Use trail cards of sugar maple,
Kirtland's warbler, and Karner Blue
butterfly from the toolkit to show
images of affected species and explain
briefly why global warming would affect
each of them.

¦	Even the lakes themselves may be
affected by a changing climate.

Describe how climate change may affect
lake levels, water quality, and what those
changes would mean for plants, animals,
and people that use the lakes. (This

information may be found in the Great
Lakes and Upper Midwest case study.)

¦ Do you want to see the region change
in these ways? Is there anything we
can do about it? Discuss how everyone
contributes to global warming and
everyone can be part of the solution.
Explain that people's choices can have an
effect on the atmosphere and climate for
decades into the future.

Ask the audience to suggest ways to
reduce their own emissions. Be prepared
with your own suggestions in case people
have trouble coming up with ideas.
Suggestions might include using energy
more efficiently at home (e.g., buying
energy-efficient Energy Star® appliances,
replacing incandescent light bulbs with
compact fluorescents wherever
practical), taking public transportation or
walking when possible, buying products
manufactured from recycled materials-
such as recycled paper or fleece clothing
made with recycled plastic bottles.

Bring out the global warming wheel card
and choose a volunteer to answer
questions about his/her household's
home energy use, transportation habits,
and waste practices to come up with a
rough estimate of the household's
greenhouse gas emissions. Then flip over
the card to show how the household

could reduce emissions by taking the
actions shown on the wheel card.

Conclusion

¦	Change is part of life, and some climate
change is natural. But it appears that
by burning fossil fuels, we humans are
contributing to rapid changes that may
take place faster—and perhaps on a
greater scale—than the natural
changes we would expect to experience
in this region during the next several
hundred years.

¦	We have to decide whether these
human-induced changes are
acceptable, and how much change we
are willing to tolerate before we act.

¦	We cant look into a crystal ball and
know for sure what the future will bring.
But the majority of scientists today
believe that human-induced global
warming is for real and that many of the
impacts we've discussed today will be
caused by our actions, our choices.

¦	Climate change is a problem that can be
alleviated by individual actions. Every
one of us contributes to global
warming, and every one of us can make
a difference. This isn't just an issue for
big companies and electric utilities and
governments. If we all act to reduce our

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emissions, we can help reduce the
impacts of climate change on wildlife
and beautiful places like this.

¦ Is it important for you to know that
future generations could still come to a
place like this and find sugar maples in
the forests and trout in the streams? Is
it important enough to warrant
changes in your lifestyle in order to
avoid environmental changes In the
future? The responsibilities of
stewardship are becoming more
complicated than they used to be. At
one time, simply conserving land and
water may have been enough. But now
we need to start thinking about the
atmosphere as well. Maybe our actions,
and those of our neighbors,

communities, and governments, can
help keep the forests and waters of the
Great Lakes region healthy for many
years to come.

¦ Do we want to experiment with our
atmosphere and our planet to find out
if our actions indeed have a long-
lasting impact on the environment?

x

I

X

Resources

¦	Climate Change, Wildlife, and Wildlands toolkit

EPA's global warming site: www.epa.gov/globalwarrning

¦	EPA state fact sheets: www.epa.gov/globalwarming/impacts/stateimp/

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