ENV- 490: MAJOR TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

ENV- 490 (Class# 8599): Tuesday & Thursday 3:00 - 4:20pm, ETEC 480

IPCC AR6 WG2 Adaptation
                                                                                                                                                    IPCC, AR6, WG2 [2022]

TOPIC:

This is a required course for environmental science majors in their senior year that brings together students from all concentrations (ecosystems, climate change, geography and sustainability science & policy) to address major topics in environmental science.

This course will focus primarily on anthropogenic climate change (global warming), arguably one of the most important environmental issues of our time, and how it relates to the four environmental science concentrations climate change (radiation balance, paleoclimate, the carbon cycle, climate modeling), ecosystems (impacts of climate change on biodiversity, agriculture, the marine food web, vegetation shifts), sustainability science & policy (climate change policies, international treaties, perceptions of climate change, mitigation and adaptation) and geography (new energy technologies, future projections and emission scenarios, human health).

In this course we will focus on the science of Climate Change - highlighting what is known and but also discuss what remains uncertain. The class will be a mixture of lectures and student presentations. The goal is to encourage students to debate the issue actively and critically, both verbally and in writing. Most of the semester (weeks 1-12) will be based on lectures, assigned readings of relevant papers and book chapters, small modeling exercises, but also include discussions of current topics related to climate change. The semester ends with in-class presentations of student research projects (weeks 13-15).

INSTRUCTOR:    Mathias Vuille
                             ETEC 439
                             ph.: 442-4472
                             mvuille@albany.edu


TIME AND LOCATION: Tue. & Thu. 3:00 pm - 4:20 pm, ETEC 480


CREDITS: 3


TEXTBOOK: David Archer (2011): Global warming - Understanding the Forecast. 2nd edition, Wiley Publishing, 203 pp. (available at the University Bookstore).

In addition we will rely on material from the IPCC 6th Assessment reports.

It is recommended to download the Summary for Policymakers of WG1:

https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_SPM.pdf

 

PREREQUISITES: A ATM 210 and A ENV 315, or permission of the instructor


OFFICE HOURS: by appointment.


WEBSITE:  For all course material, including class lectures and papers go here (password required)


FORMAT: The class is a mixture of lectures, seminar-style discussions and student presentations.

EVALUATION:   1) Homework assignments (35%)
                           2) Two exams (25% each)
                           3) Oral presentation in class (15%)
                                        
SCHEDULE:

The schedule is approximate and subject to change. It will be adjusted and evolve as the class progresses.



WEEK

STYLE

TOPIC

COMMENTS

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
(usually due Wednesdays)

Week 1
(01/19)

Lecture

Course overview,
Anthropogenic vs. natural change

Knowledge assessment

none

Week 2
(01/24, 01/26)

Lecture

Anthropogenic vs. natural change,

Intro to Student projects

HW1: Archer Ch. 1/2,
journal article

Week 3
(01/31, 02/02)

Lecture

The greenhouse effect, Global Dimming

 

HW2: Archer Ch. 7/11

Week 4
(02/07, 02/09)

Lecture

Climate sensitivity & feedbacks,
Carbon cycle, Abrupt climate change,

  

HW3: Archer Ch. 3/4/8/9,
journal article

Week 5
(02/14, 02/16)

Lecture

Climate modeling, Emissions &
emission scenarios

 

HW4: Archer Ch. 10,
journal article

Week 6
(02/21, 02/23)

Lecture

Climate change projections, Intro
to impacts, Climate extremes

Review Sheet I

HW5: Archer Ch. 11/12,
journal article

Week 7
(02/28, 03/02)

Lecture,
Exam

Heat waves, Tropical cyclones

Exam I (03/02)

No HW - study for exam

Week 8
(03/07, 03/09)

Lecture,

Arctic sea ice. Ice sheets, Sea level rise,

Project proposal due (0309)

HW6: Project proposals

Week 9
(03/14, 03/16)

no class

Spring Break

 


Week 10
(03/21, 30/23)

Lecture

Alpine glaciers, Permafrost, Natural hazards

 

HW7: journal articles

Week 11
(03/28, 03/30)

Lecture 

Snow & water resources,
Agriculture, Terrestrial ecosystems

 

HW8: Archer Ch.13

Week 12
(04/04, 04/06)

Lecture

Marine ecosystems, Human health, Adaptation, Mitigation


HW9: journal articles

Week 13
(04/11, 04/13)

Lecture,
Group work

Geonegineering, Energy solutions,
'The wedge game'


HW10: Text on stabilization wedges 

Week 14
(04/18, 04/20)

Lecture,
Student presentations

International, US and
NYS climate policy,
Climate solutions

Knowledge reassessment,  Student presentations start on 4/20

HW11: journal articles

Week 15
(04/25, 04/27)

Student presentations

Climate solutions


none

    Week 16
    (05/02)

 Student
presentations		 Climate solutions Review Sheet II HW12: presentation summaries