Download Climate Change - NYU Environmental Studies

Course Description
ENVST-UA 226
Sonali McDermid
8 September 2014
Instructor: Sonali McDermid is a climate scientist and Assistant Professor in the Dept. of
Environmental Studies here at NYU. A description of her research is available at
http://environment.as.nyu.edu/object/environment.faculty.sonalimcdermid.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 212-992-7469
Brief Course Description: This course aims to equip students with the basic scientific and
historical background needed to understand the causes and consequences of climate change,
and the proposed adaptation and mitigation options. Topics include the nature of energy and
fossil fuels, weather and climate, the greenhouse effect, forcings and feedbacks, climate
change in the geological and archaeological records, climate model projections and
uncertainties, and the environmental consequences of unchecked global warming. The course
explores the costs and benefits of a range of proposed solutions, which include: renewable
energy and carbon sequestration, increased efficiency of energy use, carbon regulation, and
new technologies.
Grading: Your grade will be based on regular homework assignments, two mid-term exams,
and a final exam
Homework: 15%
Midterm Exams: 50% (25% each)
Final Exam: 35%
There will be weekly homework assignments throughout the course, which will each require
short answers to approximately 4 questions (some may be quantitative). Two short answer
midterm exams will be given in class, in mid February and late March/early April. They will
make up 50% of the final grade.
Required Text:
Lee R. Kump, James F. Kasting and Robert G. Crane. The Earth System. 3rd edition. Prentice
Hall 2010.
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Course Description
ENVST-UA 226
Sonali McDermid
8 September 2014
Climate Change – Spring 2015 – Weekly Syllabus
Week 1. Introduction: Overview of fossil fuels and climate change. What is energy?
Increased population and per capita energy consumption have initiated what is being termed
a new geological period: the “anthropocene”.
Week 2. Atmosphere and Oceans, Weather and Climate: Structure, composition, and
dynamics of the atmosphere. General circulation, prevailing winds and weather. Chaos and
the “butterfly effect”.
Week 3. Climate change: The temperature/CO2 record, measurements of ocean heat content,
melting of polar ice and glaciers, increased frequency of drought and extreme weather events,
and other “symptoms”. Evidence that fossil fuel combustion is the principal cause.
Week 4. The “Greenhouse” Effect: Sunlight, surface reflectivity, and temperature. Earth’s
energy balance, and the transmission and absorption of visible and thermal radiation. History
of the greenhouse effect and the discovery of increasing carbon dioxide. Other planetary
“experiments”: Venus and Mars.
Week 5. The Earth’s Climate System: How climate depends on interactions between
atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and crust of the Earth. The hydrological cycle, short and
long term carbon cycles, plate tectonics.
Week 6. Climate Change in the Geological Record: Climate variation across time scales.
The faint young Sun and evolution of the atmosphere. The Earth’s orbital cycles as
“pacemaker” of ice ages (Milankovic theory). Evidence from marine sediments and glacial
ice cores. Discovery of the ice ages.
Week 7. Climate Change in the Human Past: Sea level rise and global flood legends.
Influence of climate changes on the rise of ancient Egyptian civilization and the collapse of
civilizations in Mesopotamia, Peru, Yucatan, and the American southwest. The Little Ice
Age.
Week 8. Forces and Feedbacks in the Climate System: Radiative forcings: changes in
Earth’s orbit, greenhouse gases, and solar luminosity. Positive and negative feedbacks. How
stable is the ocean’s circulation? What constitutes “dangerous anthropogenic interference”?
Week 9. Climate Models and Projections: Earth systems models and computer simulations,
their applications and uncertainties. Multi-model climate projections for a range of future
emission scenarios. The implications for “Business as usual”: more frequent and severe
storms and droughts, loss of Arctic ice, and rising sea level.
Week 10. Environmental Impacts of Global Warming: Shifting climate zones will disrupt
land and ocean ecosystems, species survival, agriculture and industry, and human health.
Chronic drought and rising sea level would drive environmental refugees and conflict.
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Course Description
ENVST-UA 226
Sonali McDermid
8 September 2014
Week 11. Ozone: UV light and its biological effects. Ozone layer. Freons and catalytic
destruction of ozone. Discovery of the ozone hole. Mitigation by international agreement.
Week 12. Renewable Energy and Carbon Capture: Solar and wind energy. Hydropower.
Biofuels. Carbon capture and storage. Biochar.
Week 13. Conservation, Nuclear Power & Geo-engineering: Efficiency of transport,
lighting, heating, cooling, energy storage and transmission. Nuclear power. Geo-engineering.
Pros and cons.
Week 14. Social and Economic Issues: The scientific consensus and popular
misconceptions. Costs of mitigation and adaptation. “Tipping points” (physical and social).
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