Environment Challenge (Catch The Carbon Dioxide)

Scouts are working towards a world where the risk of harmful substances to people and the environment are minimised. This activity aims to help Scouts

• Be aware of harmful substances in the local environment.
• Explain ways to reduce the risk of harmful substances to people, plants and animals.

Our planet is surrounded by a blanket of gases. This is our atmosphere. As the sun shines on the earth it sends us heat. Some of this is absorbed by the earth’s surface and some of it bounces back into the atmosphere. The reflected heat is trapped by the atmosphere and this keeps our planet warm. This is known as the greenhouse effect.

The blanket of gases is getting thicker as we release greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels for energy and as we cut down forests for timber and agriculture. Greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide. As the blanket gets thicker, the temperature rises. As a result of this, our climate is starting to change.