Climate Change / Global Warming Science Demonstrations, Activities and Labs Avoiding Flawed, Problem Science Demonstrations -- Greenhouse Effect in a Bottle; Heating Carbon Dioxide vs. Air; The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming are quite real. Let's be sure the demonstrations we recommend to fellow educators are authentic, and get the science right! Examples of Scientifically Faulty Demos -- Overview
Hands-on Science		Avoiding Flawed Demos > Greenhouse Effect > Problem Examples > Overview

Avoiding Flawed Demonstrations: Greenhouse Effect Intro/Index Faulty Demos Errors, Misconceptions Testing, Lab Results Scientifically Strong Resources Rebuttals Acknowledgements Contact This web portal is a resource within America's online library for Education & Research in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics:

Index and Introduction (Special section's home page) Overview of Flawed Demo Examples Menu of the individual examples: Analysis and testing of flawed demo designs Being most heavily promoted: Need -- National Energy Education Development     Keystone Center Prominent demos:     CLEAN     Bill Nye & Al Gore    On BBC TV    AMNH -- American Museum of Natural History Many examples currently on-line:    Spin on That   PBS's Nova Capturing Carbon    Pico Tech     CIRES         Flawed demos of this variety have been carefully reviewed, tested and analyzed by other reputable scientists: Lueddecke et.al. Common errors with these relatively rare variations: Using other heat trapping (greenhouse) gases    Sunlight as the energy source variations Overview: Examples of Flawed Demos it is Recommended that Science Educators Avoid** Open Container Versions PET Plastic Container Versions Glass Container Versions National Energy Education Development Developed by energy industry sponsored programs; aquarium & science museum staff paid to present. Sponsors of above design include: BP, Chevron, Halliburton Foundation, KBR, Shell Society of Petroleum Engineers Flawed Design, Mistaken Assumptions Well Documented in 2010 paper A noble & honest attempt to design a valid demo, making details available for peer review. Colleagues did discover descrepancies, which were published on-line. Papers have been available for demo developers and promoters to study. In science, we learn from this process, correcting misconceptions and falsehoods. Unfortunately, in contrast to this example, peer review and public feedback has been essentially absent in many other programs. Major sponsors often are the ones to determine which educational materials should to be used, and which should not. Hungry for funding, education directors rarely challenge directives from above. Keystone Center Climate Science Investigations. Too Cool for School -- The Greenhouse Experiment Professional development workshops at conferences. Above: promoted at California Science Teachers Association conference. Sponsors include: BP, Chevron Texaco, General Electric, & American Petroleum Institute. Spin on That Climate science denial websites are expressing great pleasure that these demos are being advanced. Using demos to "debunk AGW." CLEAN Some United States government programs have also chosen to promote variations. Bill Nye & Al Gore's Climate Change 101 demo American Museum of Natural History CIRES With climate scientists being discouraged from acting as advisors for public education programs, and punished if they do, while sound demos are discouraged, unvetted teaching tools have spread. Example of on-line videos produced by outreach programs. Pliable Plastic Container Versions (e.g. plastic bags) More PET Plastic Container Versions Other variations, which remain stuck making the same basic errors. PBS's NOVA -- Capturing Carbon Pico Tech On BBC Television Covered in television news & science stories. One of the reasons these webpages are being published is to proactively encourage programs with integrity to make corrections in the menu of science demos they are promoting. It is possible to avoid this becoming the subject of an international media scandal. Using other heat trapping gases Following the basic design of one of the demos on this page, only using other greenhouse gases, such as methane or chlorohydrocarbons, instead of carbon dioxide. Sunlight as the energy source variations Introduction and Index >>  Faulty demonstrations being heavily promoted -- over a dozen examples << Errors and misconceptions commonly found in flawed demonstrations Testing the demos, mistakes revealed -- lab & field results from scientists and hundreds of students & teachers Scientifically strong demonstrations engaging millions. Powerful, fun, dramatic, unforgettable. Resources & Further Background Encouraging rebuttal: welcoming sponsor-promoters to defend if demos are scientifically valid. Testing the evidence for everyone to see, experience for themselves -- that's what has made science demonstrations so very powerful in history Acknowledgements, Thank You's            Contact

©2011 ClimateChangeEducation.org: Climate Education Specialists, since 1999 We are a team of teachers, docents, scientists, engineers, techs, artists, students and parents providing pro bono services for thousands of climate education programs worldwide. While primarily based at science museums and the University of California, we work with hundreds of schools, programs and science institutions around the world to strengthen the climate education community.  If we should be working with you too, let us know. For over ten years: we have been designing, developing and presenting hands-on science demonstrations for 100,000's of participants. Sharing experiences, mutual learning with science education programs worldwide.. If you are part of designing, teaching, presenting and/or supporting sound science hands-on demonstrations on climate change, perhaps we should be working together.