Starter 33
As of RIGHT NOW, what do you think are the best solutions to address climate change?  Why do you think these would be the most effective AND realistic strategies?
 
Party Caucus
Follow the instructions on the party caucus sheet linked above.  Majority and minority leaders and whips should head up this process!  It should take about 60-90 minutes.
 
Legislation Brainstorm

EPW Members who will be co-authoring legislation (most of you):  Take the rest of class to think about…

1. Who do you want to co-author legislation with (usually someone from your own party, but you could reach across the aisle for a bipartisan effort!)?
2. What types of solutions you want to have in your legislation?
3. What questions do you need to answer/research before you write that legislation?
4. What questions do you have for our experts?

Finance Committee Members, Experts, Lobbyists, Committee Chairs, Committee Ranking Members:  Take a look at the list of potential solutions/actions for climate change.  Try to figure out how your senator would vote on each of these.  If you don’t know what it is, you should probably look it up!  Things to consider…

1. How would this impact their state? (think about what industries are there, what industries are creating jobs in their states)
2. How have they voted in the past on similar legislation?
3. Do they have any quotes about this?  What did they say?
4. When all else fails, what’s their party’s position?

 
Potential Solutions (you may need to look some of these up!)

1. Cap and Trade
2. Investment in public transportation
3. Coal retirement plan
4. Develop nuclear power
5. Increased investment in technological research (what technology?)
6. Tax breaks for renewable energy businesses
7. Tax breaks for individual consumers of energy efficient cars, houses, etc.
8. Carbon capture
9. Net metering (selling power from rooftop solar systems)
10. Carbon tax
11. Geoengineering
12. Mandating use of technology (for example, to fix methane leaks)
13. Subsidizing use of technology (for example, to fix methane leaks, to develop solar/wind power, etc.)
14. Reforestation
15. Other?  WHAT ELSE?

 
HOMEWORK
Finish legislation brainstorm if you didn't finish in class!

Starter 32: Capping Methane Leaks is a Win-Win for Industry and Environmentalists
Watch the Newshour clip linked above.

1. What solution are they describing to the problem of climate change here?  Describe it.
   
2. Do you think your senator would vote for legislation requiring this?  Why/why not?
3. What questions do you need to answer in order to write effective legislation on methane leaks?

Essential Question:  How does each party define the problem of climate change, and how does that definition shape the solutions they support?
 
Objective:  To understand how our party defines the problem, and what solutions are being proposed.

Platform Study: 
Partner with another senator from your party.  Go to your party’s political platform.  For Democrats, use Ctrl F to search “climate change.”  You’ll see there are two main chunks- read them!  For Republicans, go straight to the section titled “America’s Natural Resources.”  Read it!  Use the Party Platform Study handout to organize your notes (it's on the DOCS page of my DP).

Article Study:
Get into a group with your party members, and figure out which article each person is going to do from your party list (see DOCS page of DP for list).  You should have two people on each article (you won't assign every article).  NOW...find a partner from the OTHER party.  Together, you will read two articles- the one from their party, and the one from yours, and you will complete the Article Study notes for both of those articles.  Keep an eye towards solutions, and places for compromise and collaboration.

IF YOU WERE ABSENT:  Choose one article from the Republican list, and one from the Democrat list, and complete Article Study notes for both.  All articles and handouts are on the docs page of my DP.

If you have time, I STRONGLY suggest that you read another article or two!

HOMEWORK
Finish article study if you didn't finish it in class.  DUE:  Start of class, Friday.  You will need this to be prepared for our party caucus tomorrow!

Starter 31: US/China Deal

1. What, in your view, are the 3 most important elements of this agreement?
2. To what extent do you think this agreement addresses our long-term climate issues?  Explain.

Essential Question:  How does each party define the problem of climate change, and how does that definition shape the solutions they support?
 
Objective:  To understand how our party defines the problem, and what solutions are being proposed.
 
Framing:  Today we’re going to transition from background knowledge and context to looking at different solutions being proposed to fix climate change.   Today combined with tomorrow’s in-depth article study is going to get us ready for the party caucus and legislation brainstorm on Friday.  Remember, the goal by the end of this week is to have concrete ideas for legislation, and a solid understanding of your senator and party positions.
 
Years of Living Dangerously: Part 6 (50 min)
Watch, and take notes in your Climate Change packet.  Discuss and debrief.

Platform Study: 
Partner with another senator from your party.  Go to your party’s political platform.  For Democrats, use Ctrl F to search “climate change.”  You’ll see there are two main chunks- read them!  For Republicans, go straight to the section titled “America’s Natural Resources.”  Read it!  Use the Platform Study handout linked on my Docs page to organize your notes
 
HOMEWORK
NONE!

Starter 30:
Take a few minutes, and finish the movie questions from yesterday.  Now pair up with someone from (GASP!) the other side of the room, and share your takeaways from page 3 only. 

• Find at least 2 similarities with your partner
• Find at least 2 differences with your partner

 
Objective:  To develop a more nuanced understanding of how climate issues have been approached in the past, and to get a broad working vocabulary around climate change issues and actions.
 
Framing:  Today is going to be a really important day, and a really independent day.  You’re going to work together with your partner to gain a more cohesive sense of climate change issues and actions.  As you do this, you should be thinking about potential solutions you could put in your legislation!

Timelines:
With your new soulmate, turn to pages 5 and 6. Use the following timeline resources to fill out your climate timelines. Pay attention to the vocabulary on page 7!   Fill it out as you encounter it.  By the end of class today, you should have pages 5, 6, and 7 finished.

Timeline Resources: 

1. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/24838.html
   
2. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/environment/climate-of-doubt/timeline-the-politics-of-climate-change/
   
3. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/12/07/science/20091207_CLIMATE_TIMELINE.html?_r=0
   
4. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-15874560

 
2015 US/China Trade and Climate Agreement
Start with the Washington Post Article (linked on my DOCS page).  Be prepared to reflect on the following questions as our starter tomorrow.

1. What, in your view, are the 3 most important elements of this agreement?
2. To what extent do you think this agreement addresses our long-term climate issues?  Explain.

 
HOMEWORK
Finish anything you didn’t finish in class.  When you walk into class tomorrow, you should be done with…

1. Pages 1-7 of your Climate Change packet
2. Have read and be ready to write about the US/China  agreement
   

Essential Question:  What political dynamics keep lawmakers from taking action on urgent issues?
 
Objective:  To compare what is blocking action on issues like climate change with conditions in the 1970s leading to unanimous passing of the Clean Air Act under Nixon.
 
Framing:
Over the next two weeks, we’ll be engaging in some intense study of two critical and controversial issues in preparation for Model Senate (Climate Change and Fiscal Cliff).  In the last week before break we’ll be writing and revising bills.  The speeches and bills are the primary assessments for Model Senate, so it’s essential that you feel knowledgeable about these issues.
 
Starter 29- Political Pressure
Turn to the top of page 4, and with the political pressure graphic, consider our question: What political dynamics keep lawmakers from taking action on urgent issues?

1. On the LEFT side, fill in bubbles with forces that apply pressure for lawmakes to RESIST passing legislation.
2. On the RIGHT side, fill in bubbles with forces that apply pressure for lawmakers to act.

 
If you are stuck, consider…

1. Lack of voter support in district for legislation
2. Party position
3. Persuasion from other lawmakers
4. Mass protest wanting action
5. Negative media exposure for inaction
6. New, reliable scientific data showing problem
7. Increasing technology to address problem
8. Individual campaign contributions
9. Personal/social ties/personal experiences
   
10. Needs of their district and voters (constituents)
11. WHAT ELSE?

 
Clean Air Act
Setting the Stage:  The CAA is important because it is the law under which our EPA has the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.  This is THE major political fight on climate change right now, so understanding this law, and the history of it is critical to our political debate.

1. Video 1:  A summary of the CAA and its social and political context.  
2. Video 2:   An interview with Senator Edmund Muskie who authored the bill. (we'll watch the first few minutes).  

After the videos, write your top 3 take-aways on page 4 of your issues packet.
 
Video:  Years of Living Dangerously, Part 3
We’ll watch part 3 of this award-winning documentary (50 minutes).  As we watch, you’ll fill out page 3 of your issue packet.  This is not available online, so you'll need to borrow it from Lori if you're absent.
 
HOMEWORK:
Make sure that you have pages 1-4 of your issue packet complete.