Misconception Interview and Analysis

Part 1: Common Environmental Misconceptions - Identify three common environmental misconceptions that people might possess. For each misconception, discuss in DETAIL:

• What is the misconception?
• Identify a minimum of three common misconceptions that someone might have of the concept?
• How might they have developed these misconceptions?
• Discuss what you might do to modify their misconceptions.

Note that much of this section should contain citations.

Part 2: Misconceptions Interviews - Interview three people of different ages and background. Ask them “What causes climate change?” (for your background, see note below)

• Record their responses. Remember to use probing and clarifying questions in your interviews. Try to determine through your questions how they learned or discovered their response to the question.
• What misconceptions do they have concerning the question?
• How did they acquire their misconceptions?
• What have you discovered about their understanding based on their responses?
• How would you modify their misconceptions?

Part 3: Scientifically Accurate Conception - What is the scientifically accurate explanation for “What causes climate change?” Please put your explanation in your own words and be sure to cite your information.

Part 4: References - Cite the references that you used (APA style) in researching this assignment. You must use a minimum of five sources. You may use on line journals for sources only if the URL ends in .edu or .gov or it is a peer-reviewed journal.

Note: Common misconceptions about climate change: http://www.gcrio.org/gwcc/misconceptions.html

The largest contributor to global warming is carbon dioxide gas released when coal, oil, and natural gas are burned. CFCs, gases which cause stratospheric ozone depletion, play only a minor role in climate change. The depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, including the ozone hole, is a serious environmental problem because it causes an increase in ultraviolet radiation which can harm people, animals, and plants. This is a different problem from the problem of climate change.

Misconception: Aerosol spray cans are a major contributor to climate change.
Fact: Using aerosol spray cans has almost no effect on climate change.

In the past, aerosol spray cans contained CFCs which contributed to the depletion of the ozone layer (not the same as global warming). Under U.S. law, aerosol spray cans no longer contain CFCs.

The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, to produce energy for electricity, heat and transportation is the primary source of carbon dioxide, which is the most important contributor to global warming. Carbon dioxide does not contribute to general air pollution.

Misconception: The space program is a major contributor to climate change because it punches holes in the atmosphere.
Fact: The space program has almost no effect on climate change. The local changes rockets make in the atmosphere soon disappear.

Gases released by rocket exhaust have no real impact on global warming. They have only a small, largely short-term, local effect on the different problem of stratospheric ozone depletion.

Misconception: Using nuclear power causes climate change.
Fact: Nuclear power does not contribute to climate change. If nuclear power is used instead of coal or oil, it will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. "Renewable energy" sources, such as solar power, can also reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

While nuclear power plants present a variety of other environmental problems, they do not emit gases which contribute to global warming.