An Approach to Thinking about Global Warming for Students in Elementary Schools

In 2004, Non Profit Organization Weather Caster Network Japan (WCN) started its nationwide activities highlighting prevention of global warming and climatic damage to promote public interest in weather and climate and to raise the presence of weather casters. Sharp Corporation started environmental classes related to recycling systems of its products in 2001 and natural energy in 2004 in schools in the vicinity of facilities.

From autumn 2006, WNC and Sharp Corp. began collaborative classes for thinking about global warming, relying on each other's strength. At the classes, weather casters teach the first class, to inform participants of actual conditions and future prospects of global warming with some quizzes and experiments, for example by measuring CO2 greenhouse effects or the rise in sea surface elevation due to warming. Employees of Sharp teach the second class, covering recycling systems and natural energy (solar power), with experiments and presentations.

These two-part classes are designed so (A) children gain an interest in the environment through a familiar weather caster class and, so (B) they can learn the latest technology and expertise for reducing environmental loads through a Sharp class. We hope that children, who will lead the next generation, (1) will understand the actual situation and future of the earth, (2) will learn about recycling systems and natural energy, (3) will have a consciousness of the environment and (4) will get to know about an earth-friendly way of living.

So far, we have held over 500 classes per year, the total number of schools we visited reached 1,000 by December 2008, and the number of students we met has exceeded 65,000. We expect that lots of children and their families have learned about and practice global warming, an earth-friendly way of living. We have been continuously improving and updating our lectures with the latest information, and we're going to continue our classes.