Spark staff member Randy Russell and Scott Denning, professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University, presented a webinar (web-based seminar) on June 11, 2012. The webinar, titled "Teaching Climate with Models: Breathing of the Earth", described the impact of human activities on the carbon cycle and the use of the "climate bathtub" conceptual model for teaching about these topics.

An archived version of the webinar, including slides, audio, and animations, is available for viewing on the NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) webinars site.

Resources displayed or mentioned in the course of the webinar are available via the links below:

• climate bathtub animations shown in the webinar
• equilibrium bathtub animation
• bathtub filling and bathtub draining animations
• two faucets and increased flow from one faucet animations
• increased drainage via ocean absorption and plant uptake - bigger drain and tub with holes animations
• three bathtubs - atmosphere, oceans, plants - animation
• carbon cycle diagrams
• carbon cycle diagram from the Department of Energy (without numbers)
• carbon cycle diagram from the Department of Energy (with numbers)
• more carbon cycle diagrams from the DOE
• carbon cycle diagram from NASA
• carbon cycle diagram from the IPCC
• carbon cycle diagram from UCAR
• articles by John Sterman et al about the Climate Bathtub model
• "Understanding Public Complacency About Climate Change: Adults' mental models of climate change violate conservation of matter" (2007) by John D. Sterman and L. Booth Sweeney. Climatic Change, 80, 213-238.
• "Bathtub Dynamics: Initial Results of a Systems Thinking Inventory" (2000) by L. Booth Sweeney and John D. Sterman. System Dynamics Review, 16, 249-294.
• "Risk Communication on Climate: Mental Models and Mass Balance" (2008) by John D. Sterman. Science, 24 October 2008: Vol. 322 no. 5901 pp. 532-533.
• Carbon Bathtub diagram from National Geographic (December 2009)
• Detailed diagram of Drain section of Carbon Bathtub (National Geographic)
• The Very, Very Simple Climate Model
• Compare IPCC Scenarios Interactive Viewer