Imagine two frogs, minding their own business in a swamp when suddenly, they are kidnapped. They awaken in a kitchen, captives of a menacing chef. The chef boils a pot of water and tosses one of the frogs in. However, the frog immediately jumps out the window as soon as its toes touch the scalding water. The chef refills the pot, but this time, he doesn’t turn on the heat. He places the second frog in the pot, and the frog seems okay with this. The chef then turns the heat on very low, and the temperature of the water slowly rises. So slowly, in fact, that the frog doesn’t notice. It basks in the balmy water, only realizing its peril when the surface begins to bubble.
What’s interesting about this parable is that it’s not scientifically accurate for frogs. In reality, a frog will detect slowly heating water and leap to safety. Humans, on the other hand, are a different story. We’re perfectly happy to sit in the pot and slowly turn up the heat, all the while insisting it isn’t our hand on the dial, arguing about whether we can trust thermometers, and questioning— even if they’re right, does it matter? The answer is yes, it does matter.
Since 1850, global average temperatures have risen by 1 degree Celsius. That may not sound like a lot, but it is. This 1 degree is an average. Many places have already gotten much warmer than that. Some places in the Arctic have already warmed 4 degrees. If global average temperatures increase 1 more degree, the coldest nights in the Arctic might get 10 degrees warmer. The warmest days in Mumbai might get 5 degrees hotter.
So how did we get here? Almost everything that makes modern life possible relies on fossil fuels: coal, oil, and gas full of carbon from ancient organic matter. When we burn fossil fuels, we release carbon dioxide that builds up in our atmosphere, where it remains for hundreds or even thousands of years, letting heat in, but not out.
The heat comes from sunlight, which passes through the atmosphere to Earth, where it gets absorbed and warms everything up. Warm objects emit infrared radiation, which should pass back out into space, because most atmospheric gases don’t absorb it. But greenhouse gases— carbon dioxide and methane—do absorb infrared wavelengths. So when we add more of those gases to the atmosphere, less heat makes it back out to space, and our planet warms up.
If we continue emitting greenhouse gases at our current pace, scientists predict temperatures will rise 4 degrees from their pre-industrial levels by 2100. They’ve identified 1.5 degrees of warming—global averages half a degree warmer than today’s—as a threshold beyond which the negative impacts of climate change will become increasingly severe.
To avoid crossing that threshold, we need to get our greenhouse gas emissions down to zero as fast as possible. Or rather, we have to get emissions down to what’s called net zero, meaning we may still be putting some greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, but we take out as much as we put in. This doesn’t mean we can just keep emitting and sequester all that carbon—we couldn’t keep up with our emissions through natural methods, and technological solutions would be prohibitively expensive and require huge amounts of permanent storage.
Instead, while we switch from coal, oil, and natural gas to clean energy and fuels, which will take time, we can mitigate the damage by removing carbon from the atmosphere. Jumping out of the proverbial pot isn’t an option, but we can do something the frogs can’t: reach over, and turn down the heat.
Use an online climate change simulator to see how different actions affect global temperatures. Adjust variables like carbon emissions, deforestation, and renewable energy usage to observe their impact on the planet. Discuss your findings with your classmates and suggest ways to reduce global warming.
In groups, create a short skit based on “The Frog Parable.” One student acts as the frog, another as the chef, and others as narrators or additional characters. Perform your skit for the class and discuss how the parable relates to human behavior and climate change.
Calculate your personal or household carbon footprint using an online calculator. Identify the main sources of your carbon emissions and brainstorm practical ways to reduce them. Share your action plan with the class and encourage others to do the same.
Divide into two teams and hold a debate on the topic: “Is it possible to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050?” Research your arguments and present them to the class. After the debate, discuss the challenges and potential solutions for reaching net-zero emissions.
Research different types of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. Create a poster or presentation explaining how one of these energy sources works and its benefits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Present your project to the class and answer any questions they may have.
frog – a small tailless amphibian with a short squat body, moist smooth skin, and very long hind legs for leaping. – The children were excited to spot a colorful frog in the garden.
parable – a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, typically featuring animals or inanimate objects as characters. – The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us to show kindness to strangers.
metaphor – a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. – “Time is money” is a metaphorical expression emphasizing the value of time.
climate change – a long-term alteration in the typical weather patterns of a region, especially a change in temperature and precipitation due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels. – The increasing frequency of extreme weather events is a direct result of climate change.
water – a transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms. – The hiker drank refreshing water from a natural spring.
chef – a professional cook, typically the chief cook in a restaurant or hotel. – The talented chef prepared a mouthwatering gourmet meal for the guests.
heat – the quality of being hot; high temperature. – In the summer, the scorching heat made it unbearable to spend time outside.
temperature – a measure of the degree of heat or coldness of a substance or object. – The nurse checked the patient’s temperature with a thermometer.
global temperatures – the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans, which is influenced by various factors including climate change. – Rising global temperatures have led to the melting of polar ice caps and rising sea levels.
fossil fuels – natural fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, formed from the remains of living organisms over millions of years. – Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, contributing to the greenhouse effect and climate change.
