Climate Change - Topic Guides - Math and Science - LibGuides at Pikes Peak Library District

Search Terms

Specific key words or phrases are necessary to find information in databases or the library catalog. We recommend:

Climate change
Climatology
Ecosystems
Environmentalism
Global Warming
Greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gas
Natural resources management

Search Strategies

You can use these search terms to find books in the library catalog and eBooks or eAudiobooks in the eLibrary.
To narrow your search, type two terms into a search bar in this format: "Term 1" AND "Term 2". This search will only provide resources that include both terms. Combine any two search terms from the box into a database search bar to see what you find.
Find more database search tips on the Debate Issues & Paper Topics guide, in the Database Search Tops box.

Standards and Knowledge Building

This guide is connected to the following Colorado Academic Standards

Human activities affect global warming. Decisions to reduce the impact of global warming depend on understanding climate science, engineering capabilities, and social dynamics.
Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for different resources, many of which are limited or not.

This guide will support students by building further knowledge in:

Different library resources – what they are and how they are useful for understanding environmental impacts of human activities on climate change.
How to effectively find information in these sources using search terms.

Contact

Mikaela Fortune

Email Me

Contact:

5550 N. Union Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO
80918

(719) 531-6333

Welcome to the Climate Change Topic Guide!

Databases

Databases are subject-specific search engines that provide access to journal articles and other reliable resources. The following PPLD databases are recommended for students studying climate change:

Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
Searches almost 3500 full text academic and scholarly journals.
Explora for Public Libraries This link opens in a new window
Find articles and facts from the world’s leading magazines and reference books in one search.
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Searches our entire collection of Gale eBooks on a variety of subjects, including history, science, government, business and more.
GreenFILE This link opens in a new window
GreenFILE offers well-researched information covering all aspects of human impact to the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more. The database provides indexing and abstracts for more than 1,000,000 records, as well as Open Access full text for more than 15,000 records.
Science Reference Center This link opens in a new window
A one-stop resource for science-related research needs.

Reference Materials

Recommended Books

Reference materials are things like encyclopedias and handbooks that provide quick facts and summaries of different subjects. The following books in the PPLD catalog support the study of climate change:

Climate Change for Dummies by Elizabeth May; John Kidder
Call Number: eBook. Overdrive.
ISBN: 9781119703105
Publication Date: 2022-04-26
Great, bite-sized chunks of information on the extreme weather events, loss of wildlife, and cultural ramifications of climate change.
It's Getting Hot in Here by Bridget Heos
Call Number: 363.73874 HEOS
ISBN: 9780544303478
Publication Date: 2016-02-23
Tackles the issues of climate change head on: the science and history of it, and how humans have affected this current crisis.
Thinking Critically by AndreaC Nakaya
Call Number: 363.73874 NAKA
ISBN: 9781601527325
Publication Date: 2014-08-01
This book examines the Pew Research Center study that found a majority of people believe climate change is a major threat. With “full-color illustrations, and narrative-driven pro/con format”, this deep-dive on climate change can be helpful in your research.

Explore (multimedia and recommended websites)

Recommended Websites
Multimedia

You can use trusted, online sources to find information. For more information on reliable, online sources, please visit PPLD’s Debate Issues & Paper Topics guide. PPLD recommends:

NASA's Global Climate Change site
Live, up-to-date analysis of the state of climate change and its effects around the globe. This resource delves into evidence, causes, effects, and solutions.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Shows the activities of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and provides access to their databases of information collected on global warming and changing weather patterns.
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Highlights the United States' efforts and research in this field.

Use these multimedia sources to watch or listen to information on climate change.

Climate of Change.
Tilda Swinton narrates this documentary on the imminent effects of global warming and climate change. This video is accessible through Kanopy in the PPLD eLibrary.
Shored-Up: Rising Sea Levels and Climate Change.
A documentary examining the wake-up call of hurricane Sandy’s devastation of the east coast in 2012. This video is accessible through Kanopy in the PPLD eLibrary.
Thule Tuvalu: Investigating Climate Change.
A look at the present damage experienced by two remote locations (one in Greenland, on in the Pacific Ocean) resulting from climate change. This video is accessible through Kanopy in the PPLD eLibrary.