COMMUNITY BASED RESEARCH

PROJECT #1: CLIMATE CHANGE

Please do the first exercise and as many of the others as you can do in an hour or two.

1.. Go to http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator and calculate your impact on global warming. Now, talking to your parents/guardians complete the same analysis for the household in which you lived prior to coming to Regis. Once you get both results, spend time at http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/whatyoucando/ specifically learning what you can do to cut down on your carbon dioxide emissions. What on this list can you commit to change so as to make a difference in your emissions? What will it take for you to do this? Talk to at least 3 friends and share what you learned about your own impact on carbon dioxide emissions and how you can decrease them. See if you can convince these friends to make some of the simple changes you’ve decided to make. Kindly note that Dr. Roth will check in with you throughout the semester to see how you’re doing with your commitment. Try to check in with the friends you’ve spoken to in this exercise as the semester proceeds as well.

2.. Check out David Harsanyi’s article on “Chill Out Over Global Warming” at http://www.denverpost.com/harsanyi/ci_3899807. Do some research to see what editorial response he received in the days following the release of this article. Do some more research to see whether or not you agree or disagree with what Harsanyi puts forth and to see what other media sources are saying about global warming. After you’ve completed your research, write Harsanyi.

3.. The city of Boulder just passed a climate tax. You can read one article on it at http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_read.asp?id=41348132007. Spend an hour and a half researching and learning about this. You might also contact individuals and organizations that worked on this campaign to learn more. Alternatively, after you understand, in depth, what the climate tax is all about, you might interview 3 people (of varying ages and perspectives) in Denver to see if they’d consider supporting such a tax.

4.. Don Steadman at the University of Denver has done a lot of work to measure vehicular emissions from off of major highways in Denver in recent years. Learn more about his ‘Rapid Radar’ work and compare the technologies he’s using to the Envirotest required by the state of Colorado. Consider visiting an Envirotest to learn more about the process they use.

5.. What is the City of Denver doing about climate change?

6.. What is the City of Denver doing to promote renewable energy?

7.. Learn about what Xcel Energy does to promote saving energy. See if there are any techniques that you might integrate into your own life.

8.. Recently, Denver got absolutely dumped on in terms of snow – three weeks straight! Might this weather have anything to do with climate change?

9.. It is said that global warming is greatly affecting the state of the world’s glaciers. Learn about Colorado’s own St. Mary’s Glacier. Do research to find out how it’s changed from 1960 until today. Visit the glacier. See if you can locate someone who works the park in Summit County who’s seen the glacier change and interview him/her.