CSI: Climate Status Investigations-High School
1
The Keystone Center
Wedge Game
Multiple Disciplines
Goal: The Wedge Game is an activity of the Carbon Mitigation Initiative (CMI) of the
Princeton Environmental Institute. Permission to use the activity is granted with the
caveat that data be shared with CMI. The goal and purpose of the activity as stated by
CMI is:
“To provide hands-on experience with the challenges involved in cutting
emissions, CMI developed the “Stabilization Wedge Game” in 2004. It was first
used for CMI’s annual meeting, where it was played by 50 players from
industry, academia, and the non-profit sector. Subsequent games have been
carried out with players from a variety of backgrounds, and the game is
adaptable for use with different audiences.”
“The goal of the game is to build a plausible and politically acceptable portfolio
of strategies to keep global carbon emissions flat for the next 50 years. Teams
can choose to use each strategy more than once, but must consider the
potential physical and economic limitations of each strategy.”
Note: The activity can be used as it is written by CMI or as it has been modified
below.
Objectives: Students will…
Develop an understanding of each strategy and their impact
Problem-solve to find the most sustainable choice for their triangle
Materials (for a class of 30):
Refer to the CMI activity for a list of materials
OR for the modified version, you will need:
Wedge Game-PowerPoint
30 copies of Wedge Game-Student Sheets
30 copies of Wedge Game-Stabilization Triangle Template
Wedge Game-Teacher Sheet
Time Required: Two, 45-60 minute class periods
Standards Met: S1, S6, LA4, LA5, C4, C5, E1, G1, G5, WH9
Procedure:
Review the document, Wedges_Concept_Game_Materials_2005.pdf, to
implement this activity in the classroom OR visit this website to access the
activity: http://www.princeton.edu/~cmi
If you are implementing the modified version:
Review the guidelines for the game on the Wedge Game-Teacher sheet.
Divide students into groups of 3 (country groups).
Present the idea of the Stabilization Triangle using the Wedge Game-
PowerPoint.
After showing the PowerPoint, provide students with this scenario:
CSI: Climate Status Investigations-High School
2
The Keystone Center
The chairperson of the Global Nations International Climate Summit (GNISC)
invites and challenges each country to create the Stabilization Triangle using
different strategies known as Strategy Wedges.
Note: This exercise is designed to address climate change using a global
perspective and may provide some additional alternatives when each country
seeks to find solutions that affect them directly.
Review the guidelines and concepts on the Wedge Game-Teacher Sheet.
Hand out the Wedge Game-Student Sheets to each group and let them begin
making their Strategy Wedge choices.
After students have made their Stabilization Triangles, ask them to bring them
to the Global Nations International Climate Summit (GNISC) representative (you
or a volunteer). Post triangles around the room.
Give students the Wedge Game-Decision Grid & Sustainability Ratings. They
will use the ratings to determine the overall sustainability of their Stabilization
Triangle.
Briefly review each triangle and its sustainability ratings.
Debrief:
Discuss what it means to use a strategy wedge more than once. For example, if
the Efficiency-Transportation strategy wedge is used more than once that
means all cars would need to go from 30 mph to 90 mph OR from 30mph to 60
mph and drive ½ as much. These are social, political and economic factors that
should be considered.
Discuss the idea that there is no single method to mitigate increases in CO2
emissions. For example, it is impossible to stabilize emissions using only wind
or solar power.
Assessment:
Participation in the activity
Completed Wedge Game-Student Sheet
Completed Wedge Game-Stabilization Triangle
CSI: Climate Status Investigations-High School
3
The Keystone Center
Wedge Game-Teacher Sheet
Below are the guidelines for playing the modified version of the Wedge Game. To play
the CMI version, refer to the pdf file listed in the materials list. You may also want to
refer to both the PowerPoint and CMI version to learn more about the Stabilization
Triangle concept.
The Stabilization Triangle is made of 7 total Strategy Wedges. Students will
choose their Strategy Wedges from a list of 15 on their Wedge Game-Student
Sheet.
Teams are allowed to use Strategy Wedges more than once.
There are 4 sectors of Strategy Wedges: Energy, Heat, Transportation and
Other; students can also create one wedge that may not be in the list.
Teams MUST choose Strategy Wedges from at least TWO sectors.
PART ONE:
Teams create their Stabilization Triangles with information on the Wedge Game-
Student Sheet.
PART TWO:
When teams have completed the Stabilization Triangle and handed it in, give
them the Wedge Game-Decision Grid & Sustainability Ratings sheet.
Ask teams to correlate their 7 strategy wedge choices with the sustainability
ratings.
They will then average all of their sustainability ratings to complete a decision
grid for their team’s Stabilization Triangle.
When each team has completed their decision grid, post it next to their
Stabilization Triangle.
Discuss any differences they might make based on their decision grid results.
Sustainability ratings were based on the list of criteria shown on the Wedge
Game-Student Sheet. If time allows, consider listing detailed facts regarding
each criteria as it relates to the strategy wedge.
CSI: Climate Status Investigations-High School
REPRODUCIBLE
4
The Keystone Center
Wedge Game-Wedge Descriptions
Below are tables for each sector.
ENERGY SECTOR
Strategy
Wedge Description Action Challenges
Coal to Natural
Gas-Electricity
Replace coal-burning electric
power plants with natural gas
plants
1 Strategy Wedge will require an amount of
natural gas to be used equal to that used for all
purposes today
Natural Gas
Geopolitics
!
Coal to Wind-
Electricity Wind displaces coal at 50 times
current capacity
1 Strategy Wedge will require area equal to ~3%
of U.S. land area; ~6% of U.S. land area is
suitable for wind development
Regional
Climate
Change,
NIMBY
!
Coal to Solar-
Electricity Solar PV displaces coal at 700
times current capacity
1 Strategy Wedge requires the equivalent of a
100x200km panel; An area 7% Colorado or
greater than the total land area of New Jersey
would supply enough energy for an entire wedge
Solar Cell
materials
!
Carbon
Capture and
Storage (CCS)-
Electricity
CO2 from fossil fuel power plants
stored and captured
1 Strategy Wedge will require injecting a volume
of CO2 every year equal to the volume of all oil
extracted
CO2 leakage
!
Nuclear
Electricity
Displace coal-burning electric
plants with nuclear plants at 2
times current capacity
1 Strategy Wedge is ~3 times the effort France put
into nuclear expansion in a typical year in the
1980’s, (the government built 56 reactors in 15
years) sustained for 50 years
Proliferation,
nuclear waste,
NIMBY
!!!
CSI: Climate Status Investigations–High School
REPRODUCIBLE
HEAT SECTOR
Strategy
Wedge Description Action Challenges
Coal to Natural
Gas–Heat
Substitute natural gas for
domestic heating or industrial
processes
A wedge may be available from displacement of
coal in all home heating or all industrial
processes
Natural Gas
geo–politics
!
Efficiency–Heat Increase insulation, furnace
efficiency
1 wedge could be achieved by using best
available technology in all new and existing
buildings
House size
!
TRANSPORTATION SECTOR
Strategy
Wedge Description Action Challenges
Produce
Hydrogen
through CCS
Hydrogen automotive fuel from
fossil sources with CCS
(displaces 1 billion 30mpg cars)
1 wedge would require H
2
production at 10 times
the current rate
Infrastructure;
H2 safety
! !
