How Sail-Powered Cargo Ships Use Sustainability on the High Seas
Ask students: When (in how many years) will the quantity of goods transported decrease? How much cargo can the Grain de Sail 2 hold?
Eighty percent of all global trade travels by sea, and the ships carrying those goods account for 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Now, some shipping companies are taking a new tack as they try to navigate the industry to sustainability on the high seas.
View the transcript of the story.
Discussion Questions
- Who is Yann Jourdan?
- What was the maximum speed of the Grain de Sail 2?
- Where did the Grain de Sail 2 travel from?
- When (in how many years) will the quantity of goods transported decrease?
- How much cargo can the Grain de Sail 2 hold?
Focus Questions
- Do you think more cargo ships should travel using sail-powered energy? Explain.
- What other questions does this story raise about carbon emissions?
Extension Activity
Watch the two videos on carbon emissions and discuss what stuck out to you the most with a partner, neighbor or family member. Talk to them about the story you watched above about the cargo ships. Which story did they relate to more? Why? If you could follow-up with someone from any of the stories, what questions would you ask them.
Keep in mind: Contact information for many non-profit organizations and individuals you see in news stories can be found online on their website's About pages, LinkedIn, etc. Do you know that many of these individuals and organizations would love to hear from young people with questions and concerns they have — perhaps you could ask them to Zoom with your class! You don't know until you ask!
Lesson Plans on Climate Change
Explore more resources for educators to find a wide-range of relevant preK-12 lessons on climate change or supporting young people as they continue to lead the conversation around the climate change crisis.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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