Course-Related
Readings & Assignments (due before
indicated class meeting)
Class #1 (Introduction):
Readings:
DP: 6-15
Class #2 (Introduction, continued):
DP: 16-21
Class #3 (Greenhouse Gases on The Rise):
Readings:
DP: 26-28; 30-33
Assignment:
Do a google search to locate a
contrarian-oriented article that contests the premise that the buildup of CO2
in the atmosphere is anthropogenic (human) in nature. Write a short (1-2
paragraph) critique of the article based on your readings and any possible
supplementary sources of information you wish to use (though note the instructions regarding use
of supplementary sources of information in the course
syllabus). Make sure to evaluate the credibility and objectivity of the
source. Print out your essay and make sure to attach a copy of the article
you’re writing about. Come to class
prepared to participate in a discussion.
Class #4 (Greenhouse Gases on The Rise):
Readings:
Finish DP: 26-28;
30-33
Class #5 (The Greenhouse Effect):
Readings:
DP: 22-25; 28-29
IPCC AR4 WG1 Report Frequently
Asked Questions, Question #1.3 "What is the Greenhouse Effect",
"The Discovery of Global
Warming" by Spencer Weart (American Institute of
Physics) The Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse
Effect (the article is fairly lengthy, you may skim through it)
Class #6 (Observations of Modern Climate Change):
Assignment:
Perform a google
news search on "global cooling" to determine how many news
articles during the past 3 months (among those listed by google), refer to
either the claim that scientists were predicting global cooling decades ago, or
that the globe is currently cooling (or at least, not warming). Discuss what you found in a short essay (a few
paragraphs). Assess the reliability
of your sources. You will turn in both your essay and the articles
you found. Be prepared to participate in
an in-class discussion.
Class #7 (Observations of Modern Climate Change, continued):
Be prepared to
participate in an in-class discussion based on your readings and assignment
from class #6.
Class #8 (Observations of Modern Climate Change, continued):
Readings:
DP: 52-61
DP: 18-19
IPCC AR4 WG1 Report Frequently
Asked Questions, Question #3.2
"How is precipitation changing?"
IPCC AR4 WG1 Report Frequently
Asked Questions, Question #3.3
"Has there been a Change in Extreme Events?"
IPCC AR4 WG1 Report Frequently
Asked Questions, Question #9.1 "Can Extreme Events be explained by
Global Warming?"
Assignment:
Read this Inside Science News piece from June 2015 “Most
Extreme Weather Has Climate Change Link, Study Says” and this
press release from March 2017 describing research your instructor was
involved in looking at climate change/extreme weather linkages.
Prepare a short (less than one page) essay to turn
in. Assess the prevailing thinking about the linkage between climate change and
extreme weather events. Make sure to cite your sources.
Class #9 (Writing Workshop):
Come prepared to
participate in writing workshop. You should bring your LAPTOPS to class with
you.
Class #10 (Writing Workshop):
Come prepared to
participate in writing workshop. You should bring your LAPTOPS to class with
you and bring a printed copy of your RESUME with you,
Class #11 (A Tempest in a Greenhouse: Have Hurricanes Become
More Frequent or Intense?):
Readings:
DP: 62-63
Read these three
commentaries co-authored by your instructor:
Hurricane Florence is a climate change triple threat (The Guardian,
9/14/17—read the full,
unedited version at my blog)
Now, do a google news search to see what other climate scientists (at
least three!) have had to say about this connection in recent weeks.
Write a short summary (less than one typewritten
page) describing the state of our understanding of the impact that climate
change is having. List the references you used (but no reason to print out the
individual news articles). Assess the reliability of sources/individuals
quoted.
Be prepared to participate in an in-class
discussion.
Class #12 (Humans vs. Nature: The Competing Impacts of
Humans and Nature on Climate):
Readings:
DP: 18-19
IPCC AR4 WG1 Report Frequently
Asked Questions, Question #2.1
"How do Human Activities Compare with Natural Influences".
Class #13 (The Paleoclimate Perspective):
Readings:
DP: 40-43; 48-51;
64-67
IPCC AR4 WG1 Report Frequently Asked Questions, Questions #6.1
and #6.2
[THINK ABOUT POTENTIAL TOPICS FOR COURSE-END MULTIMEDIA
PRESENTATION]
Class #14 ("The
Day After Tomorrow": A Possible Scenario?):
Readings:
DP: 104-105
IPCC AR4 WG1 Report Frequently
Asked Questions, Question #10.2
"How likely are..Abrupt
Climate Changes?", pages 31-32
[CONTACT INSTRUCTOR WITH SUGGESTED TOPIC FOR COURSE-END
MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION]
Class #15 ("The
Day After Tomorrow": A Possible Scenario?):
(continued)
Class #16 (Climate Modeling; Can't we Explain Past Trends by
Natural Factors Alone?):
Readings:
DP: 68-81
IPCC AR4 WG1 Report Frequently
Asked Questions, Question
#1.1 "What Factors Determine
Earth's Climate?", pages 2-3
IPCC AR4 WG1 Report Frequently
Asked Questions, Question
#8.1 "How Reliable Are the
Models?"
Assignment:
Perform a google news search using
appropriate key words to find any news articles in the past month suggest that
the warming of the past century is likely to have been due to natural, rather
than human, influences. Briefly summarize your findings in a roughly 1 page summary. Assess the reliability of your sources. Come to class prepared to discuss some of
the examples you found.
Class #17 (Media Workshop #1):
[come to class
(W140 Pattee) prepared to participate in workshop]
Class #18 (How Sensitive is the Climate?)
Readings:
DP: 84-91
Assignment:
Come to class prepared to participate
in a group discussion.
Class #19 (Projections of Future Climate Change; Emissions
Scenarios)
Readings:
DP: 82-83; 92-93
IPCC AR4 WG1 Report Frequently
Asked Questions, Question #10.3
"If Emissions are Reduced, How Quickly do
Concentrations Decrease"
Assignment:
Perform a google news search using appropriate
key words to find any news articles in the past month discussing prospects for
limiting global carbon emissions. Briefly summarize your findings in a roughly 1 page summary. Assess the reliability of your sources. Come to class prepared to discuss some of
the examples you found.
Class #20 (Media Workshop #1):
[come to class
(EMS Library) prepared to participate in Study/Work Smarter workshop]
Class #21 (Projections of Future Climate Change: Climate
Responses)
Readings:
DP: 94-103
IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), WG1 Summary
For Policy Makers, page 20-26
IPCC AR4 WG1 Report Frequently
Asked Questions, Question #11.1
"Do Projected Changes...Vary from Region to Region?"
Assignment:
Perform a google news search to find
recent news articles discussing climate change impacts on extreme weather
events, including floods, droughts, blizzards, etc. Assess the reliability
of your sources. Summarize your findings in one or two paragraphs. Come to class prepared to discuss your
examples.
[ONE PARAGRAPH BLURB ON PRESENTATION TOPIC DUE]
Class #22 (The Science in ‘An Inconvenient Truth’)
Readings:
Class #23 (Media Workshop #2):
[come to class
(W140 Pattee) prepared to participate in workshop]
Class #24 (The Science in ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, continued)
Class #25 (Academic Integrity Workshop with EMS Associate
Head for Undergraduate Studies Allen Kimel):
[come to class prepared
to participate in workshop]
Class #26 (Guest Lecture from Sustainability Institute
Associate Director for Student Engagement Doug Goodstein):
[come to class
(prepared to participate in discussion)]