Activity One - Listen

You have now all discovered the huge impact that climate change is having on the Alps in Europe. We have experienced this first hand and this year has been no exception. Despite the relatively cold days in January which were followed by a very warm February break, there has been very little in the way of precipitation throughout this whole season. In fact, it has felt like late Spring and the only ski day I did this year in 2023 in Les Houches near Chamonix, consisted of multiple warnings about thin and hard snow. Not great for a less than confident skier to read when tackling a red piste! In fact, the Alps are warming quicker than other areas in the world by over 2 degrees Celsius. This is creating many challenges for the people who rely on the snow for their livelihoods or the meltwater for water. So what can we do about it? Are there any sensible solutions or is it inevitable that you will be showing your grandchildren pictures of snow in old photos as they will never experience it? To discover what is being done you are going to listen to a podcast from the news outlet - The Guardian. 

1. Fill in the note taking grid as you listen to the podcast in the 'Useful Resources' box below.

2. Now you have an idea of what is being lets try use AI to discover more. Use www.elicit.org to research methods to reduce the melting of glacier ice. 

   1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Record in your notes what you typed into the search box along with the resources it then provided. 

               2. Did you have to change the terms you searched for? What changes did you make?

               3. What new resources have you now found?

Useful Resources

Activity Two - Solutions

The end of unit test will ask you to a evaluate, discuss or analyse a particular idea that you have studied. One of those themes could be to do with how scientific and technical innovation has been used to successfully (or not) resolve the issue of retreating glaciers and poor snow fall. This activity is going to focus on a way that may help you to revise the detailed examples or case studies that you have looked at. The content that you have to revise is sometimes overwhelming and it is important to be able to reduce what you have learnt into bit sized revision chunks.

1. Collect an A6 piece of card and a set of coloured pens.

2. Write the title of the place and what it is an example of at the top of the page - The Alps - Climate Change Mitigation

3. Divide the card into five sections.

4. At the top of each section write one of these following headers:

   1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. • Place - Where is it? Climate? Population? Average earnings?

                        • Process - What is the problem? Evidence.

                        • Possibility - Outline of the solution to the reduction in snow and ice.

                        • Power - What allows this solution to take place? 

                        • Perspective - What are the views of the different stakeholders? Local inhabitants, tourists, environmentalists, energy suppliers, etc. 

5. Using the resources below create at least one revision card based on the structure above for the possible solutions AND one for Saas Fee.

Useful Resources

Activity Three - Thinking Critically - Extension

Using your case study cards and the answers to the previous lessons questions create a plan for the extended answer question below:

To what extent can the retreat of glaciers ever be halted?