LAMS327 The Science of Climate Change 3cr

Climate change impacts us all. The media bombards
us daily with the effects, policy, and financial
aspects of this phenomenon. Few students and lay
persons however, understand completely the basic
science of climate change. In this course, you
will learn about the difference between climate
change, the greenhouse effect, and global warming;
the basic science of how our atmosphere formed,
how it has changed through time, and how humans
are impacting both weather and climate. Through a
reading and critical-though based class, we will
learn about and discuss (orally and in writing)
the impacts of climate change on agriculture,
weather, economics, and poorer nations. We will
discuss how science needs to more clearly inform
policy at national and global levels, grapple with
the social justice element of weather-related
phenomena in poorer nations, and will dispel
common myths surrounding global warming. We will
discuss techno-fixes designed to engineer the
atmosphere to be cooler. Students will complete a
research paper based on our readings and
discussions that shows clearly what we can and
should do about climate change. The class is
solution-oriented (no doomsday thinking allowed),
and we will conclude with discussing a mix of
returning to a more harmonious way of obtaining
our food and energy as well as the role technology
plays (ex: GMO foods, green building, and
renewable energy technologies) in our future. We
will go on two field trips during class time,
complete a series of laboratory/in-class exercises
as small groups, and will attend lectures off
campus.Climate change impacts us all. The media bombards
us daily with the effects, policy, and financial
aspects of this phenomenon. Few students and lay
persons however, understand completely the basic
science of climate change. In this course, you
will learn about the difference between climate
change, the greenhouse effect, and global warming;
the basic science of how our atmosphere formed,
how it has changed through time, and how humans
are impacting both weather and climate. Through a
reading and critical-though based class, we will
learn about and discuss (orally and in writing)
the impacts of climate change on agriculture,
weather, economics, and poorer nations. We will
discuss how science needs to more clearly inform
policy at national and global levels, grapple with
the social justice element of weather-related
phenomena in poorer nations, and will dispel
common myths surrounding global warming. We will
discuss techno-fixes designed to engineer the
atmosphere to be cooler. Students will complete a
research paper based on our readings and
discussions that shows clearly what we can and
should do about climate change. The class is
solution-oriented (no doomsday thinking allowed),
and we will conclude with discussing a mix of
returning to a more harmonious way of obtaining
our food and energy as well as the role technology
plays (ex: GMO foods, green building, and
renewable energy technologies) in our future. We
will go on two field trips during class time,
complete a series of laboratory/in-class exercises
as small groups, and will attend lectures off
campus.

Lecture

Fall and Spring