Carbon Stabilization Wedges

T. Keeler, A. Schwalfenberg, D. Vandenbrink, B. Martin, P. Mahaffy, King's Centre for Visualization in Science

This interactive/applet allows the user to explore the potential increase in carbon emissions over the next 50 years, subject to modifications made by the user in various technologies that impact carbon output. Part of the Visualizing and Understanding the Science of Climate Change module.

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Notes from our reviewers

The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials.

Each "Show/Hide Assumptions" gives the parameters the simulation deems to be realistic scenarios and explains the basic assumptions used as the basis for those parameters. Anything below these parameters will result in a lower "Reality Check" score beneath the graph. These lower parameters could be useful as the basis for guided questions. Suggest reviewing it in the context of the lesson from which it was extracted, before using on a stand-alone basis. See CLEAN resource Stabilization Wedges Game [link http://serc.carleton.edu/resources/41709.html] for a hands-on carbon stabilization game that has a lot of background information.
The tool shows the potential increase in carbon emissions over the next 50 years, subject to modifications made by the user in various technologies that impact carbon output. Assumptions are provided for each set of variables. Tool allows the user to change multiple factors from the multiple categories shown in the various drop down menus at once in order to see the aggregate effect on projected carbon emissions. Comments from expert scientist: Presents most of the critical ideas relating to carbon stabilization wedges.
Ability to change multiple factors at once lends to process of authentic inquiry by users and provides an excellent base to create inquiry-based activities. Provides a great base for how models and/or science can inform decision-making on a societal level. Applet is complex on its own - likely easier to understand and make use of it in the context of the lesson in which it appears [link https://www.explainingclimatechange.ca/lesson9/lesson9.html], here also in the CLEAN collection [link http://cleanet.org/resources/45148.html]