ENV-
490:
MAJOR TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
ENV-
490 (Class# 6325):
Tuesday & Thursday 11:45am – 1:05pm, ES 232
This is
a required course for
environmental science majors in their senior year that
brings together
students
from all four concentrations (biology, geology, climate
and
geography) 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 4
environmental science concentrations climate
(radiation
balance,
climate modeling, future projections and emission
scenarios), biology
(impacts
of climate change
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 1-11) 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 by guest speakers. The
semester ends with in-class presentations of student research
projects
(weeks 12-16).
INSTRUCTOR:
Mathias Vuille
ES 311
ph.: 442-4472
mathias@atmos.albany.edu
TIME AND
LOCATION:
Tue & Th. 11:45am -1:05pm, ES 232
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 4th Assessment report.
It is recommended to download the Synthesis report, available at:
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday afternoon, 2-4 pm
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 (40%)
2) Two exams (25% each)
3) Oral
presentation in class (10%)
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 DUE |
|
week 1
|
Lecture |
Course
overview |
Knowledge
assessment |
none |
|
week 2
|
Lecture |
Anthropogenic
vs. natural change, |
|
HW1: Archer Ch. 1/2, |
|
week 3
|
Lecture |
Climate
feedbacks, carbon cycle, |
Intro to
Student projects |
HW2: Archer Ch. 3/4/7 |
|
week 4
|
Lecture |
Climate
modeling, emission scenarios |
|
HW3:
Archer Ch.8/9 |
|
week 5
|
Lecture |
Climate
change projections, intro to impacts, heat waves |
Review Sheet I |
HW4:
Archer Ch. 10, |
|
week 6
|
Exam, |
Impacts:
hurricanes, sea-ice, ice sheets |
Exam I
(02/23) |
HW5: Archer Ch. 11/12 |
|
week 7
|
Lecture |
Impacts:
sea-level rise, glaciers, water resources |
Project proposal due (03/01) |
HW6: Project
proposals |
|
week 8
|
Lecture |
Impacts:
permafrost, biodiversity, agriculture, human health;
|
|
HW7: journal articles |
|
week 9
|
No class |
No class |
No class |
No class |
|
week
10 |
Lecture |
Adaptation,
|
|
HW8: journal articles |
|
week
11 |
Lecture |
Geoengineering,
|
|
HW9: Archer Ch.13, |
|
Week
12 |
Lecture |
Climate
change policy, |
Knowledge
reassessment |
HW10: journal articles |
|
week
13 |
Group
work, Student presentations |
'The
wedge game' |
Start
of student presentations on 4/12 |
HW11:Text on
stabilization wedges |
|
week
14 |
Student
presentations |
TBD |
|
HW13: presentation
summaries |
|
week
15 |
Student
presentations |
TBD |
|
HW13: presentation
summaries |
|
week
16 |
Student presentations |
TBD |
Review
Sheet II |
HW14: presentation
summaries |
|
week
17 |
Exam, |
|
Exam
II (05/08), |
HW15: presentation
summaries |