A Climate Scientist Who Decided Not to Fly

• In this article, climate scientist Peter Kalmus explains why he stopped flying in airplanes after he realized how much flying contributed to his carbon footprint.

Positives

• This article prompts students to think about how their individual choices contribute to the global issue of climate change.
• The article includes a pie chart and a graph that show Peter Kalmus's carbon footprint before and after he decided to make changes to his lifestyle.
• Students will also learn about other ways the author was able to reduce his carbon footprint through vegetarianism, growing his own food, biking to work, and composting.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should know how and why burning fossil fuels causes climate change.

Differentiation

• Students can use this carbon footprint calculator to learn more about their own carbon footprint and then create an action plan to reduce their emissions.
• English language arts classes could read this article and discuss the techniques that the author used to convey his message. Students could think about the tone of the article and how it shapes the reader's opinion on flying.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.