Climate Change Card Game

EN-GB
Adults
Climate Fresk - EN-GB - Adults – V8.1 – 22/04/2022

How to play

You need one deck of cards per team (6 to 8 ppl), a paper roll or a 1 x 2 m piece
of paper, pencils, rubbers, colour felt tip pens and some tape.
The aim is for each team to place the cards in order on the table, find all the
cause and effect relationships and draw arrows between the cards to illustrate
what climate change is all about.
Deal the cards set by set and wait until all cards are down on the table before
dealing the next set.
Time indications: one hour to place the cards, one hour to decorate the Fresk and
one hour to sit down together and discuss what you have learned.
Reasoning Creativity Review Debrief

Human activities
1
1 www.climatefresk.org
This is where it all begins…
Set 1
Fossil Fuels
SSP5-8.5
CO2 emissions from
billion tonnes of CO2 per year
fossil fuels
SSP3-7.0
40 GtCO2/yr
Source: IPCC
SSP2-4.5
SSP1-2.6
SSP1-1.9
2060 2080
5
Fossil fuels are coal, oil and natural

gas. They are used mainly in
buildings, transportation and
industry. They emit CO2 when
burned.
Set 1
CO2 Emissions
Anthropogenic CO2 emissions (GtC/yr)
Fossil fuels
Deforestation
7
CO2, or carbon dioxide, is the main

anthropogenic (produced by human
activities) greenhouse gas. These
emissions come from the use of
fossil fuels and from deforestation.
Set 1
Additional Greenhouse Effect
Infrared radiation
Insolation
15°C
Greenhouse
Reflection effect
-18°C
13 °C
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon

- incidentally, the most common GHG is water
vapour. Without the greenhouse effect, the
planet would be 33°C colder and life as we
know it would not be possible.
But CO2 and other GHGs related to human
activities amplify the greenhouse effect and
unbalance the climate.
Set 1
Rising Temperatures
Global surface temperature change
from 1850-1900
+ 1.2°C Observed
Model -
5°C
+ 5°C
natural and
human-
caused
Model -
natural only 4
(solar and
volcanic)
Source: IPCC
+ 1.5°C
0
21
1950 2000 2015 2050 2100
The average air temperature at the surface of

the Earth has increased by 1.2°C since 1900.
Future emission scenarios predict that this
increase will reach between 2 and 5°C by 2100.
During the last ice age 20,000 years ago, the
average air temperature was only 5°C lower
than today and warming up took 10,000 years.
Set 1
Melting Sea Ice
18
Sea ice melting does not make the

sea level rise (just as a melting ice
cube does not make a glass
overflow).
Set 1
Sea Level Rise
Global mean sea level rise from 1900
An extreme but not

impossible scenario
80 cm
20 cm
50 cm
22
Source: IPCC
Since 1900, sea level has risen by

20 cm. This is caused by the thermal
expansion of ocean waters and the
melting of glaciers and ice sheets.
Set 1
Industry
2
Industry uses fossil fuels and

electricity. It accounts for 40% of
greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions.
Set 2
Building Usage
3
The building sector (housing and

commercial use) uses fossil fuels
and electricity. It accounts for
20% of greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions.
Set 2
Transportation
4
The transportation sector is

highly dependent on oil. It
accounts for 15% of greenhouse
gas emissions.
Set 2
Deforestation
6
Deforestation is defined as cutting

down or burning trees beyond the
ability of the forest to restore itself.
80% of deforestation is driven by
agricultural expansion.
Set 2
Agriculture
8
Agriculture does not emit much CO2

but does emit large quantities of methane
(from cattle and rice paddies) and nitrous
oxide (from fertilizers).
In all, agriculture accounts for 25% of
GHGs if we include the induced
deforestation.
Set 2
Other GHGs
9
CO2 is not the only greenhouse gas

(GHG). Among others are methane
(CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), both of
which mainly come from agricultural
activities.
Set 2
Concentration of CO2
Source: IPCC
1,100 ppm
280 ppm 415 ppm 400 ppm
11
About half of CO2 emissions are captured by

natural carbon sinks. The other half remains
in the atmosphere. The concentration of CO2
in the air has increased from 280 to 415 ppm
(parts per million) over the past 150 years.
This is higher than at any point over the last
three million years.
Set 2
Source : GIEC
Carbon Sinks
Annual anthropogenic CO2 partitioning (GtC/yr)
Oceans 1/4
Atmosphere 1/2
Photosynthesis 1/4
12
Half of the CO2 we emit every year is absorbed

by carbon sinks:
- 1/4 by vegetation via photosynthesis
- 1/4 by the oceans
The remaining half stays in the atmosphere.
Set 2
Ocean acidification according to
24
RCP scenarios (pH)
Ocean Acidification
Source : IPCC
When CO2 dissolves in the ocean, it

turns into acid ions (H2CO3 and
HCO3-). This makes the oceans
more acidic and the pH drops.
Set 2
Aerosols
10
Nothing to do with aerosol spray cans.

Aerosols are a type of local pollution that
comes from the incomplete combustion of
fossil fuels. They are bad for human health
and they negatively contribute to radiative
forcing, meaning that they have a cooling
effect on the climate.
Set 3
Energy Budget
Source: IPCC
91 % Ocean
Energy (ZJ)
3% Melting ice
5% Soil
1% Atmosphere
14
This graph explains where the

energy accumulated on Earth due
to radiative forcing goes. It warms
up the ocean, melts ice, dissipates
into the ground and warms up the
atmosphere.
Set 3
Radiative Forcing
Solar
Black carbon on snow
Greenhouse Total anthropogenic
Contrails Effect Total
Stratospheric H2O
Tropospheric O3
Other WMGHG 2.8 W/m²
N2O
CH4
CO2
SSP5-8.5
SSP3-7.0
SSP2-4.5
Land Use
SSP1-2.6
Aerosols (direct effect)
SSP1-1.9
Aerosols (indirect effect)
Aerosols
15 Volcanic
Source: IPCC
Radiative forcing represents the difference

between the energy that reaches the Earth
each second and the energy that is
released. It is rated at 2.8 W/m² (Watt per
square meter), 3.8 W/m² from the
greenhouse effect and -1 W/m² from
aerosols.
Set 3
Melting Glaciers
16
Almost all glaciers have receded,

and hundreds of them have already
disappeared. Glaciers are important
because they regulate and provide
freshwater.
Set 3
Rising Water Temperatures
17
Oceans absorb 91% of the

energy accumulated on Earth. The
water temperature has therefore
increased, especially close to the
surface. Water expands as it
warms.
Set 3
Melting Ice Sheets
+7m
+ 54 m
19
Source: IPCC
Greenland and Antarctica are ice

sheets (or continental glaciers). If they
were to completely melt, they will cause the
sea level to rise by 7 meters for Greenland
and 54 meters for Antarctica. During the
last ice age, ice sheets were so much
larger that the sea level was 120 meters
lower than today.
Set 3
Disruption of the Water Cycle
Snow
Rain
Clouds
Evaporation
Infiltration
20
Hotter oceans and a hotter atmosphere

lead to stronger evaporation, causing
rainclouds and rainfall. Hotter land and
a hotter atmosphere also lead to
stronger evaporation, this time causing
the ground to dry out.
Set 3
Calcification difficulties
© noaa
23
When the pH drops, it becomes

harder for limestone to form,
espessially for calcareous shells.
Set 4
Terrestrial Biodiversity
25
Animals and plants are affected by

the changes in temperature and the
disruption of the water cycle. They
may migrate or go extinct. Some
may thrive and proliferate.
Set 4
River Flooding
26
The disruption of the water cycle can

both increase and decrease rainfall.
More rain can lead to river flooding. If
the soil is very dry, it makes matters
worse because the water runs off it.
Set 4
Marine Biodiversity
27
Pteropods and coccolithophores are at

the base of the ocean food chain. If
they are driven to extinction, all marine
biodiversity will be threatened.
Warming ocean waters also impacts
marine biodiversity.
Set 4
Cyclones
34
Cyclones draw their energy from warm

water at the surface of the ocean. They
are getting stronger because of global
warming.
Set 4
Pteropods and Coccolithophores
29
Pteropods are a type of

zooplankton and coccolithophores a
type of phytoplankton. These
organisms have calcareous shells.
Set 4
Droughts
30
The disruption of the water cycle can

both increase and decrease rainfall. A
lack of rain can cause drought.
Droughts are likely to become more
frequent in the future.
Set 4
Marine Submersion
33
Cyclones and other extreme weather events

bring strong winds, waves and low-pressure
conditions. A 1-hectopascal drop in atmospheric
pressure causes a 1-cm sea level rise.
Therefore, they can cause marine submersions
(coastal flooding), on top of the sea level rise
already caused by global warming.
Set 4
Vectors of Disease
28
Some animals carry diseases. Global

warming causes them to migrate,
possibly reaching human populations
that have no immunity against these
diseases.
Set 5
Freshwater Resources
31
Freshwater resources are affected

by changes in rainfall and by the
melting of glaciers that regulate the
flow of rivers.
Set 5
Decline in Agricultural Yields
32
Food production can be affected by

temperature, droughts, extreme
weather events, floods and marine
submersion (e.g. the Nile Delta).
Set 5
Wild Fires
35
Wild fires start and spread more

easily during droughts and
heatwaves.
Set 5
Heatwaves
36
One consequence of higher

temperatures is more frequent
heatwaves.
Set 5
Famines
37
Famines can be caused by lower

agricultural yields and by the loss of
marine biodiversity.
Set 5
Human Health
38
Hunger, new vectors of disease,

heatwaves and armed conflicts can
have a negative effect on human
health.
Set 5
Climate Refugees
39
Imagine that you live in a place that

has been miraculously spared from
climate change. Several billion people
may wish to share this space with you.
Set 5
Armed Conflicts
40
We shouldn’t let it come to this…
Set 5
Permafrost
41
Permafrost is permanently frozen ground. It is

starting to thaw, releasing into the atmosphere
previously locked-in methane and CO2 from
decomposed biomass. This creates a positive
feedback loop, just like forest fires and albedo
changes due to melting sea ice.
Set 5
Weakening Gulf Stream
42
The Gulf Stream is part of the ocean's

thermohaline circulation. It could weaken in
response to freshwater input from
Greenland's melting ice sheet. This could
disrupt the water cycle even more and
reduce the ocean's capacity to absorb
more carbon and heat.
Set 5
Key
1 8 9
3 41 25
4 2 6
13
15
11
14 21 36 28
5
10 20 30 35
18
19 16 17
34
42 31
22 33 26 37 38
Correction 27 32 39 40
Climate Fresk was developed by Cédric Ringenbach.

Its distribution is managed by the non-profit association "La Fresque
du Climat".
The non commercial use of this game is protected by the Creative Commons
BY-NC-ND licence.
Using this game for business purposes is allowed, and subject to the
EN-GB
payment of a 10% royalty fee or €3 per participant in the case of internal use.
Comprehensive license available at https://climatefresk.org/licence/
Payment can be made at https://climatefresk.org/fees/ English
The author Cédric Ringenbach The Climate Fresk association
+33 7 54 57 86 65 [email protected]
[email protected]
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EN-GB

Climate Fresk - EN-GB - Adults – V8.1 – 22/04/2022

Climate Fresk - EN-GB - Adults – V8.1 – 22/04/2022

Reasoning Creativity Review Debrief

This is where it all begins…

Fossil fuels are coal, oil and natural

CO2, or carbon dioxide, is the main

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon

The average air temperature at the surface of

Sea ice melting does not make the

An extreme but not

Since 1900, sea level has risen by

Industry uses fossil fuels and

The building sector (housing and

The transportation sector is

Deforestation is defined as cutting

Agriculture does not emit much CO2

CO2 is not the only greenhouse gas

280 ppm 415 ppm 400 ppm

About half of CO2 emissions are captured by

Half of the CO2 we emit every year is absorbed

When CO2 dissolves in the ocean, it

Nothing to do with aerosol spray cans.

This graph explains where the

Radiative forcing represents the difference

Almost all glaciers have receded,

Oceans absorb 91% of the

Greenland and Antarctica are ice

Hotter oceans and a hotter atmosphere

When the pH drops, it becomes

Animals and plants are affected by

The disruption of the water cycle can

Pteropods and coccolithophores are at

Cyclones draw their energy from warm

Pteropods are a type of

The disruption of the water cycle can

Cyclones and other extreme weather events

Some animals carry diseases. Global

Freshwater resources are affected

Food production can be affected by

Wild fires start and spread more

One consequence of higher

Famines can be caused by lower

Hunger, new vectors of disease,

Imagine that you live in a place that

We shouldn’t let it come to this…

Permafrost is permanently frozen ground. It is

The Gulf Stream is part of the ocean's

Climate Fresk - EN-GB - Adults – V8.1 – 22/04/2022

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