Step 1: Create a Graph
Go to En-ROADS. Choose an input category (such as coal, bioenergy, population, deforestation, etc.) and adjust it.
Carefully observe how that one change affects both graphs and the temperature increase of the earth. Keep in mind that with “business as usual,” the earth’s temperature is predicted to go up by 4.1° Celsius (7.3° Fahrenheit). So if you increase energy efficiency, the earth’s temperature increase will go down. This does not mean that the temperature is decreasing—it is just increasing by less.
Take a screenshot that includes the category you changed and the temperature change graph and number. Paste the screenshot into a word processing document.
For example, this screenshot shows how the temperature increase went down when we increased energy efficiency:
The En-Roads climate interactive showing energy efficiency increased and temperature increase decreased.
Step 2: Summarize Your Conclusions
Write a few sentences about your observations after your screenshot.
For our example we might say that when energy efficiency is highly increased, it has a positive overall effect on the earth’s temperature. It could decrease it by 0.4° Fahrenheit. It also reduces how much coal, oil, and gas is used.
Step 3: Add Text to Prevention Section
Go to Adobe Express and log in to your account. If you are already logged in, click on the Get Adobe Express Free button in the middle of the page, and you’ll be taken to your homepage. Open your Global Warming poster that you started in the lessons by clicking on Your stuff in the left side menu.
Add your observations from Step 2 to the Prevention section that you set up earlier.
Our example could look something like this:
The prevention section of the poster with an image of a windfarm and the sentence about energy efficiency underneath.
Step 4: Add Text to Causes and Effects Sections
Finish the Causes and Effects sections in your poster. Look up information from reputable sources, and try to use a variety of sources such as online articles/websites, printed books, magazines, journals, etc. Include at least one picture per section.
Be sure to include information about the impacts of the category you changed in Step 1 on the causes and effects of global warming. For example, if you changed deforestation in Step 1, in the Causes section you might mention how deforestation contributes to the increase in greenhouse gases, and in the Effects section you might mention how deforestation leads to loss of habitat for wildlife and increased flooding.
Step 5: Finalize Your Poster
Make any final adjustments to your poster, such as resizing images, changing fonts, or adjusting spacing. Make sure all of your text is clear and easy to read.
Step 6: Save and Submit
Once you are satisfied with your poster, save it as a PDF or image file, and submit it for review. Make sure to double-check your work for any errors or typos before submitting.
Congratulations! You have successfully completed the activity of using En-ROADS to create a graph, analyzing the results, and incorporating your findings into a Global Warming poster. This process helps to deepen your understanding of the factors contributing to climate change and the importance of taking action to mitigate its impact.