Feedback Loops - Forests
Provided by: Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops|Published on: June 23, 2022|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Bonnie Waltch, Susan Gray
Location: Earth, South America
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video explains how tropical, boreal, and temperate forests are essential carbon sinks and how they cool our planet.
- Students will learn how dangerous feedback loops, caused by climate change and deforestation will turn forests into carbon emitters unless people cut emissions, stop deforestation, and regreen the Earth to begin a cooling feedback loop.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This video is articulately narrated by Richard Gere and provides powerful visuals to make the information easy to understand.
- This video has subtitles that are available in 25 languages.
Additional Prerequisites
- Teachers may want to show this video to introduce students to the concept of feedback loops.
- This topic can be emotionally challenging for students, so it would be beneficial for teachers to prepare ways to support students' wide range of feelings about this topic.
Differentiation
- Teachers could stop the video at 2 minutes, 32 seconds and have students create a graphic organizer similar to the one in the video to ensure understanding of the feedback loop presented in the video.
- In art classes, students could analyze the photographs at the beginning of the video and discuss the role of nature photography in environmental and climate activism.
- Allow students to use this interactive map to gather more information on deforestation, fires, tree cover, forest variation, and the rate of change in the world's forests.
- Consider having students watch other videos on feedback loops including these videos on permafrost, atmosphere, and albedo.
The resource highlights the importance of forests and biodiversity conservation in carbon sequestration and their ability to limit global temperatures. Forests around the world could be a net emitter of CO2 if they are degraded. This resource is recommended for classroom use.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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