NORTHAMPTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Syllabus – Fall 2012
INVESTIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE (GEOG 140)
Professor: Dr. Douglas E. Heath
Office Number: PENN 126-A
Section/Time: 01 / MW noon - 1:15 p.m.
Office Phone: 610-861-5543
Classroom: PENN 135
e-mail: dheath@northampton.edu
Office Hours: by appointment and as follows:
Mon: 1:15-2:00 p.m.
Tues: 9:00-9:30 a.m. & 1:45-2:30 p.m.
Wed: 1:15-2:00 & 6:00-6:30 p.m.
Thur: 9:00-9:30 a.m. & 1:45-2:30 p.m.
Campus Mailbox: Nursing Dept.
Weather Information: 610-861-4595 or
www.northampton.edu (cancellations)
_______________________
Elective Category: Scientific Study of Human
Behavior (“SSHB”)
Your Clicker #: ____
_____
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Learning Outcomes………….…………………………………………………………………….2
Required Texts…………………………………………………………………………………….2
Topical Outline……………………………………………………………………………………3
Assignment Schedule……………………………………………………………………………...4
How to Use Blackboard in this Course……………………………………………………………8
Cancellations, Absences, and Enforced Withdrawals……………………………………………..8
Grades...…………………………………………………………………………………………...9
Class Participation………...………………………………………………………………9
Research Presentation……………………………………………………………………10
Exams…………………………………………………………………………………….10
Carbon Footprint Analysis…………………………………………………………….....10
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this course you will be able to discuss the following questions in a
well-informed and nuanced manner:
1. Is the global climate changing? What evidence do we have?
2. If so, are humans contributing to the change? What evidence do we have?
3. In what ways would climate change be potentially beneficial or dangerous?
4. How do potential benefits and risks vary for different places and groups of people?
5. How can individuals and society respond to potential or actual climate change?
6. Why do we disagree about climate change?
REQUIRED TEXTS
1. Mann, M. E. & Kump, L. R. (2009). Dire Predictions: Understanding Global Warming.
New York: DK Publishing.
2. e-Chapters 19 (Climate Disruption and Ozone Depletion) and 23 (Economics, Environment,
and Sustainability) from Miller, G. T. & Spoolman, S. E. (2012). Living in the Environment
(17th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.
You need to purchase Ch 19 and 23 at $6.49 a piece from the publisher. Just go to the
shopping area of the publisher’s website: http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/index.html.
Sign-up for an account and use the text ISBN (9780538735346) to open the text’s site.
Look on the right under “Purchase” and “Digital,” and click on “eChapters” and “View.”
Then click on Ch 19 and 23 to put them into your shopping cart and proceed to pay.
3. There will be numerous other readings that you will not need to purchase but that will be
posted at the Blackboard website. These are listed on the assignment schedule that begins
on p 4.
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TOPICAL OUTLINE
Unit 1: The Basic Physical Science
Questions (See Outcomes #1 & 2)
1. Is the global climate changing? What evidence do we have?
2. If so, are humans contributing to the change? What evidence do we have?
Sequence of Topics
1. The Summer 1816 Case Study…………………………………………..... .Days 1 & 2
2. Distinguishing Climate from Weather………………………………………........Day 2
3. Energy Flow through the Atmosphere…………………………………………....Day 2
4. Factors that Influence Climate………………………………………………........Day 3
5. Greenhouse Gases (“GHGs”) and Atmospheric Warming…………………….....Day 4
6. The Carbon Cycle……………………………………………………………........Day 5
7. The Processes of Climate Science………………………………………………...Day 6
8. Reconstructing Prehistoric Climates……………………………………………...Day 7
9. Data on Historic and Contemporary Atmospheric Warming……………………..Day 8
10. The “Human Fingerprints” of Climate Change…………….……………………..Day 9
11. GHG Emission Scenarios and Projections of Warming…………………..…..…Day 10
Principle Pedagogy
Intensive clicker-based review and discussion of readings with minimal lecture
Unit 2: Impacts and Vulnerability
Questions (See Outcomes #3 & 4)
1. In what ways would climate change be potentially beneficial or dangerous?
2. How do potential benefits and risks vary for different places and groups of people?
Sequence of Topics
1. Impacts of Global Warming on the Natural World
A. Rising Sea-Level Due to Thermal Expansion and Melting Glaciers…...Day 12
B. Changes in Frequency and Magnitude of Extreme Weather Events……Day 14
(i.e. moving from “Global Warming to “Climate Change”)
C. Ecological Responses to Climate Change…………...………………….Day 14
2. Human Dimensions of Climate Change: 12-25 topics……………………...Days 15-19
(For topic descriptions, see the separate handout on student presentations.)
3. Geographic & socio-economic differences in vulnerability to climate change…Day 20
Principle Pedagogies
Topics #1 & 3: review and discussion of readings and video documentaries
Topic #2: guided student research leading to classroom presentations and discussions
(with Blackboard postings of the PowerPoint files for subsequent study)
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Unit 3: Disagreement and Response
Questions (See Outcomes #5 & 6)
1. How can individuals and society respond to potential or actual climate change?
2. Why do we disagree about climate change?
Sequence of Topics
1. The Economic and Political Context for Responding to Climate Change
A. Neoclassical vs. Ecological Economics…......………………………….Day 22
B. Supply, Demand, and Price……………………………………………..Day 23
C. Market Failure…………………………………………………………..Day 24
D. Government Intervention in Markets…………………………………...Day 25
2. Why We Disagree about Climate Change, Part 1:
Values and Interests……………………………………………..….Day 26
3. Responding to Climate Change
A. Adaptation (increasing resilience) and Mitigation (reducing GHGs)…..Day 27
B. “Technological Fixes:” Geoengineering and Carbon Sequestration……Day 27
C. From Individual to International: Who Can Do What?............................Day 28
4. Why We Disagree about Climate Change, Part 2:
Disinformation and Agnotology….....................................................Day 29
Principle Pedagogy
Review and discussion of readings with some interspersed lectures.
ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
01. M 8/27
02. W 8/29
Mann/Kump [book]: read p 10 (up to “Climate and Latitude”)
Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter 19]: read from p 493 to the top of p 496
Climate Change [blackboard]: read pp 2-3 (or pp 3-4 if counting the cover page)
and the box at the bottom of p 12
Energy Flow through the Atmosphere [blackboard]: read pp 1-2
Also read the “Presentations on the Human Dimensions of Climate Change”
handout. Write your name and choice of topics on a notecard. Specifically, list
your top three choices in order of preference and submit the notecard in class.
-- M 9/03
LABOR DAY
03. W 9/05
Mann/Kump [book]: read pp 10-13 and pp 22-25
Factors that Influence Climate: [blackboard]: read pp 141-145
Variations in Earth’s Orbit [blackboard]: pp 561-563 (skim for general points)
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04. M 9/10
Mann/Kump [book]: read the box on the top of p 14 and read pp 26-33
Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter #19]: read the following sections on pp 496-502:
“Human Activities Emit…,” “ Human Activities Play…,” “CO2 Emissions…”
and “Waste Heat Also…” (i.e. skip the boxed essays)
Climate Change [blackboard]: read pp 4-9
05. W 9/12
Mann/Kump [book]: review pp 26-27 and read pp 94-97
Climate Change [blackboard]: read p 10
Submit your annotated bibliography when you come to class.
06. M 9/17
Climate Change [blackboard]: read pp 11-15 (or pp 12-16 if counting cover page)
Climate Literacy [blackboard]: read p 4 (“Peer Review…” only) and p 13 (all)
The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change [blackboard]: read p 1686
Mann/Kump [book]: read pp 8, 20-21, and 64-67
Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter 19]: read boxed essays on pp 498, 500-501, and 502
07. W 9/19
Mann/Kump [book]: read pp 14-15, 40-47, and 62-63
Variations in Earth’s Orbit [blackboard]: pp 561-563 (read carefully)
Do additional necessary work that was indicated by comments on your annotated
bibliography. If none is needed, you may start making your PowerPoint.
08. M 9/24
Climate Change [blackboard]: reread pp 4-5
Mann/Kump [book]: read pp 36-39
How are Temperatures on Earth Changing? [blackboard]: read pp 103-104
Berkeley Team Announces Early Results from Global Warming Review [blackboard]: read the two-page article and examine the graph.
The Conversion of a Climate-Change Skeptic [blackboard]
09. W 9/26
Climate Change [blackboard reading]: reread pp 5-6
Mann/Kump [book]: read pp 18-19, 34-35, and 68-75
Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter #19]: read pp 502-504
Also go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXyTpY0NCp0 and view the
First 20:58 of the lecture by Naomi Oreskes.
10. M 10/01
Mann/Kump [book]: read pp 86-93 and 104-105
Also review the Unit 1 materials to find whatever you need to answer the exam
questions that were distributed on Day #9. If you have difficulty finding or
understanding this information, be prepared to ask questions that will help you.
11. W 10/03
STUDY FOR THE UNIT 1 EXAM
12. M 10/08
Mann/Kump [book], read pp 98-99
Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter #19] read “Melting…Greenland” (p 492), “Enhanced
Atmospheric…Consequences” (pp 504-505), “More Ice…Melt” (pp 505-506),
“Permafrost…Scenario” (p 506), and “Sea…Rising” (pp 506-507)
Work on your PowerPoint.
13. W 10/10 “Rising Waters” (Science-on-a-Sphere program, Nurture Nature Center, Easton)
Work on your PowerPoint.
-- M 10/15 FALL BREAK
14. W 10/17 Mann/Kump [book]: read pp 100-03
Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter #19]: read “Severe Drought…Increase” (p 505),
“Extreme Weather …Areas” (p 508), and “Climate Disruption … Biodiversity” (pp 508-509)
Global Warming and the Science of Extreme Weather [blackboard]
---------------------------------------------15. M 10/22 The homework for this set of class meetings will be specified when the schedule
16. W 10/24 of student presentations is finalized. It will include pp 107-139 in Mann/Kump,
17. M 10/29 pp 509-510 in Miller/Spoolman, and possibly readings posted on Blackboard. It
18. W 10/31 will also include the reviewing of each PowerPoint presentation posted on Black19. M 11/05 board and the submission of follow-up questions and comments that I will address
at the start of the following class before the next set of presentations is made.
---------------------------------------------20. W 11/07 Mann/Kump [book]: read pp 141-153
Also review the Unit 2 materials to find whatever you need to answer the exam
questions that were distributed on Day #19. If you have difficulty finding or
understanding this information, be prepared to ask questions that will help you.
21. M 11/12 STUDY FOR THE UNIT 2 EXAM
22. W 11/14 Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter #23]; read pp 614-622 (up to “We Can Include…”)
Do the “Data Analysis” on p 636. At the start of class I will ask you to submit
your answers to Q 1-3 on a paper that also shows the calculations you made.
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23. M 11/19 Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter #23]: reread “Market Econ…Sellers” on p 614-615
and carefully study Fig 23-3
Mann/Kump [book]: read pp 182-183
Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter 19]: read “Ecological Footprint Analysis” on p 426
Begin collecting data to calculate your personal carbon footprint by following
the directions on the Carbon Footprint Analysis handout. The data sheet and
accompanying report will serve as a final project for the course and are due on
the date of your final exam. Continue working on this on Days #24-26 when
your reading assignments are short. In this way, final editing will be all that is
required of you on Days #27-30 and during the Final Exam Week, when the
rest of your workload for this course (and others) will be much greater.
24. W 11/21 Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter #23]: reread “Governments…Failures” on p 616
25. M 11/26 Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter #23]: read pp 622-627
26. W 11/28 Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter #23]: reread “Estimating…Controversial” on p 619
and “Cost-Benefit Analysis…Tool” on p 620
The Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change (summary) [blackboard]
27. M 12/03 Mann/Kump [book]: read pp 141-179
Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter 19]: read from p 513 (“Collect…Somewhere”) to
p 516 (“Governments…Disruption”)
28. W 12/05 Mann/Kump [book]: read pp 180-197
Miller/Spoolman [e-chapter #19]: read pp 510-513 and 516-520
29. M 12/10 Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXyTpY0NCp0 and view the lecture
by Naomi Oreskes based on her book, Merchants of Doubt (Q 147 .O74 2010 in
Mack Library). Stay on-line for the discussion that follows the lecture. (1:15 total)
30. W 12/12 Bring questions to class about anything that you find difficult or unclear in
your carbon footprint analysis project or in drafting your final exam essays.
-- TBA
FINAL EXAM and submission of Carbon Footprint Analysis
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HOW TO USE BLACKBOARD IN THS COURSE
You will use Blackboard in this course only for the following support functions:
1. to access several required readings identified in your daily homework schedule
2. to view classroom materials:
PDFs of clicker-based reviews with interspersed lecture information
video documentary links and accompanying study guides
student research PowerPoint presentations
3. to obtain essay exam questions, which are provided in class a week before each exam
All required readings are available at the start of the semester, but classroom materials and exam
questions are only to added singly to the Blackboard site after each has been distributed in class.
The following steps take you to the material you are seeking:
1. Go to the NCC homepage, hover over “Quick Links,” and click on "Logins."
2. Click on "Blackboard." On the next screen click on "user login." Enter your student
identification number as your user name and password. Click "Login."
NOTE: If you are not able to log on to Blackboard, call the Help Desk at 610-861-5413.
3. Under “My Courses” at the right, click on "Investigating Climate Change."
4. On the next screen click on “Learning Content” (fourth button in the column on the left).
5. Click on the underlined link for the folder you want and navigate through it:
In the “Readings” folder the items are arranged alphabetically by title.
In the other folders the items are arranged chronologically.
CANCELLATIONS, ABSENCES, AND ENFORCED WITHDRAWALS
If class is cancelled for inclement weather or any other reason, do the scheduled homework
anyway and look for an announcement in your student e-mail and on blackboard that explains
exactly what in the schedule of classroom activities will be postponed, condensed, or removed.
If you are absent, keep up with the homework schedule as well as you can and do what you can
to make up for missing the class content. After class I will often post a course document on
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blackboard containing a pdf version of a TurningPoint file or a link to a video excerpt that was
used in the class that day.
In accordance with the statement in your Student Handbook, I will withdraw any student who
misses more than two times the number of weekly meetings – i.e. four class meetings during
the semester – or has an F average because of failure to do the assigned work.
GRADES
Your course grade will be calculated as follows:
class participation……………………………………………….……100 points or 17%
research presentation…………………………………………………150 points or 25%
three exams………………………………………………….………..300 points or 50%
carbon footprint analysis………………………………………………50 points or 8%
600 points total
The following percentage grades are equivalent in this course to the following letter grades:
92.5-100.........A
89.5-92.4........A-
86.5-89.4....B+
82.5-86.4.....B
79.5-82.4.....B-
76.5-79.4.....C+
72.5-76.4.....C
69.5-72.4.....C-
66.5-69.4.....D+
59.4-66.4.....D
0-59.4....F
The following quality point values apply in the calculation of your GPA:
A....4.0
A-...3.7
B+...3.3
B.....3.0
B-....2.7
C+...2.3
C.....2.0
C-....1.7
D+...1.3
D.....1.0
F.....0.0
The remainder of this document is a description of each of the four components of the course
grade listed in the formula above.
Class Participation
It should go without saying that you are expected to be in class on time every day, to stay for the
duration of the period, and to use your “clicker” to respond as well as you can to the questions
posted on the screen. (Your clicker answers are automatically recorded and may be used as part
of the class participation grade, although my initial plan is not to use the saved data in grading.)
Beyond this, you are expected to demonstrate with regularity that you have prepared well for
class and are following the structured thought of the class meeting. The only way to do this is to
speak in class, and this is sufficiently important to account for one-sixth of your course grade.
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Research Presentation
A separate handout lists 25 diverse topics concerning the human dimensions of climate change.
It describes the assignment to make a Powerpoint presentation on one of these topics and to field
questions about it during a class discussion. The handout includes a detailed grading rubric for
the preparatory work, the presentation itself, and the following discussion.
All Powerpoint files will be posted on Blackboard after class and serve as assigned study
materials for other students preparing for the Unit 2 exam.
You must make a minimum of two office appointments with me by specified deadlines (see the
separate handout) to get the support that is necessary for you to have good prospects for earning
a high grade. Another purpose is of this support to maximize the prospects that all students will
have high-quality materials to study on all of the presentation topics.
Exams
The exams are composed entirely of essay questions of varying length, including a few that are
very brief. The essays must be written in class without the aid of notes or sources, but the
questions will be provided one week in advance so you can write drafts at home with plenty of
time to consult your readings and notes. This will also give you the opportunity to ask for
clarification during the class meeting before the exam.
All electronic devices must be turned off and put away before each exam. Their very presence
will be considered prima facie evidence of cheating and will result in a grade of zero. See me
before the exam if you require access to your cell phone during the exam and I will make
appropriate arrangements to accommodate your personal need.
Make-ups for missed exams in all of my courses are given only in grouped sessions. These are
held in PENN 126 during the 11:00-12:15 mid-day activity period on the following days:
Thursday, October 11 for Unit 1 and Thursday, November 29 for Unit 2.
Carbon Footprint Analysis
This assignment is found on p 526 of Miller and Spoolman’s e-chapter 19. You will work on
this fairly early in the last unit of the course during an interval when the daily readings are much
shorter than average. The data sheet and accompanying report will serve as a final project for the
course and will be due on the date of the final exam. More detailed instructions with a grading
rubric will be distributed at the beginning of the last unit.
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GEOG 140 – SYLLABUS ADDENDUM, FALL 2012
PRESENTATIONS ON HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
OVERVIEW OF THE ASSIGNMENT AND PROCESS
During Unit 1 you will do guided research for a PowerPoint presentation that you make in class
during Unit 2 on a topic concerning the human dimensions of climate change. You must request
three topics from the list on pp 2-5 of this document, and I will do my best to give each of you
your first, or at least your second, choice. The presentation schedule will be announced no later
than the Unit 1 exam (Day #11, Wednesday, October 3). The presentations will occur
approximately on Days #15 through #19 (depending on class enrollment) in the most logical
sequence I can arrange.
On the day of your presentation you must e-mail your PowerPoint file to me at
dheath@northampton.edu so that I may post it on Blackboard. All other students will be
assigned to review your presentation after class and to e-mail me with questions about anything
they still do not understand or comments about anything they still dispute. The deadline for
these e-mails is midnight of the day before the next class meeting, which will begin with a brief
wrap-up of the topics from the previous class.
SPECIFICATIONS
Deadlines:
Submit your top three choices for the topic: W 8/29
Submit your annotated bibliography and make two appointments: W 9/12
Appointment #1 to discuss your bibliography: no later than noon, W 9/19
Appointment #2 to discuss your presentation: no later than noon, M 10/01
Make your presentation: between M 10/22 and M 11/05 TBA
Length: 12 minutes (plus or minus two minutes)
Sources:
You must use at least 5 periodical articles that you find by searching in ProQuest or
EBSCOHost (not Google), or you may replace them (one-for-one) with the IPPC AR4 or
any book on reserve in Mack Library that is listed at the top of the next page.
Volume 2 of the fourth IPCC Assessment Report (AR4)
http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_ipcc_fourth_assessment_r
eport_wg2_report_impacts_adaptation_and_vulnerability.htm
NOTE: Download the 37-page index of this massive report and find the pages that
look promising. Then download the chapter(s) containing those pages.
You may use additional sources you find at http://thinkprogress.org/climate
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Books on reserve in Mack Library:
Hanson, James. Storms of My Grandchildren. New York: Bloomsbury, 2009. Print.
Houghton, John. Global Warming: the Complete Briefing. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2005. Print. (You may borrow my 2009 edition.)
Lynas, Mark. Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet. Washington, D. C.: National
Geographic Society, 2008. Print.
National Research Council. Climate Stabilization Targets: Emissions, Concentrations,
and Impacts over Decades to Millennia. Washington, D. C.: The National Academies
Press, 2011. Print.
Ward, Peter D. The Flooded Earth. New York: Basic Books, 2010. Print.
Illustrations: Copy and paste any maps, graphs, illustrations, or photos that will help us
visualize key points in your presentation, and cite the source.
Documentation: Pretend this is a research paper and use MLA guidelines as you did in
ENGL 101. Specifically, put a “Works Cited” page at the end of the presentation.
(Feel free to use a much smaller font and to run onto additional slides.) If you copy an
illustration, just type “Source: _________” at the bottom of the slide and identify the
author and page. (You may also do this in a much smaller font.) In general, you should
paraphrase rather than quote, but if you must quote, then use a parenthetical citation
exactly as you would in a research paper. This assignment eliminates the normal
requirement that you use a parenthetical citation for information that you paraphrase,
although you should be able to identify your source of any information you use if anyone
asks you.
Grading: 150 points. See the rubric on the back page of this document.
TOPICS FOR REPORTS ON THE HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Impacts Rising Sea-Level on Coastal Populations
1. Discuss the consequences of different scenarios of anthropogenic sea-level rise for a major
affluent post-industrial coastal city or country (e.g. New York, London, or the Netherlands).
Briefly describe the possible responses.
2. Discuss the geographic features that make the population of Bangladesh particularly
vulnerable to sea-level rise. Identify the world’s most similar geographic situations (i.e. a few
highly populated, impoverished megadeltas where tropical storms are common) and briefly
describe the likely consequences of different scenarios of anthropogenic warming.
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3. Identify and describe the problems faced by members of the Association of Small Island
States (AOSIS) or any one of them (e.g. The Maldives or Palau) as global sea-level rises.
Discuss what governments are doing and what people might eventually be forced to do.
Impacts of Climate Change in High-Latitude Environments
4. Briefly identify the changes in the physical geography of the Arctic Ocean caused by regional
warming and then discuss in greater detail the related changes that seem most likely to occur in
the human geography of the region. These include expanding fossil fuel exploration, growth of
shipping, rising militarization, and the increasing immigration caused by the first three changes,
which in turn has great impact on indigenous cultures.
5. Describe the extent to which atmospheric warming is reducing the area of permafrost
(permanently frozen ground) in high latitudes, and specify the regions of the affected countries
that have experienced the greatest reductions. Describe the resulting economic damages and
ecologic changes. Explain how this regional change has great potential to generate global
warming by positive feedback.
6. Describe the changes that are expected to occur in the habitat of the polar bear and evaluate
the resulting threat to the species. You have the option of expanding this topic to include other
large mammal species that are threatened in a similar way (sea-lions, seals).
The Threat to Water Supply from Dwindling Alpine Glaciers
7. Discuss projections for the dwindling and eventual disappearance of glaciers in the Himalayas
and other nearby mountain ranges in the interior of Asia. Identify (and show on a map) the
major river systems that are fed by this meltwater and the population clusters downstream that
depend on it. Briefly describe the vulnerability of these people to projected reductions in water
supply. This depends on factors such as the population size, the ways people use the water, the
seasonality and dryness of the regional climate, and the adaptive capacity (i.e. individual and
governmental resources to cope with the problem.)
8. This topic is the same as #7 but with the glaciers of a different mountain range (the Andes)
and the people of a different region (western South America).
The Consequences of Increasingly Extreme Weather
9. Describe the increasing property damage on America’s Gulf and Atlantic coasts or some
particular more limited area (e.g. the Mississippi Delta or Florida Peninsula), and discuss its
possible causes. These include not only an anthropogenic increase in the intensity or frequency
of hurricanes, but other factors that are unrelated to climate change, specifically land subsidence,
population growth, and property development in the coastal zone.
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10. Discuss the hypothesis that climate change is causing larger and more frequent flood-ing of
major rivers. (This excludes coastal flooding and flooding of smaller streams caused by the
urbanization of formerly rural land.) Be sure to include a clear explanation of how the size of a
flood is determined and described. (e.g. What is a “100-year flood?”) Identify the range of
adaptive responses – from building dams and levees to abandoning frequently flooded land – and
briefly discuss their prospective costs.
11. Describe the heatwaves that caused the premature deaths of at least 20,000 people in
Western Europe in 2003 and perhaps 55,000 in Russia in 2010. Note the specific causes of death
and whether particular kinds of people (based on age, health, wealth, etc.) were disproportionately represented among the victims. Identify prospective adaptive strategies.
12. Discuss the evidence that climate change is causing droughts to become drier, longer, and
more frequent. Do this for of the following regions: (1) the American Southwest and/or Interior
West, (2) the Mediterranean Basin and/or Middle East, (3) Australia, or (4) the southern margin
of the Sahara Desert (i.e. the Sahel region in the west and/or the East African savanna). Identify
and discuss the actual and prospective impacts on society.
Prospective Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture
13. Climate change may increase some types of agricultural production. Discuss the causes
(longer frost-free periods, carbon dioxide fertilization, and possibly others) and the magnitude of
potential gains. Identify locations or types of locations where this is predicted to occur and the
agricultural commodities produced in such places.
14. Discuss the ways that the agriculture of any given region (e.g. Sub-Saharan Africa) or
country (e.g. China) is vulnerable to prospective climate change. Possibilities include increasing
drought, temperatures rising above the optimum range for traditional crops, and increasing
abundance of pests.
Prospective Impacts of Climate Change on Terrestrial Ecology
15. Discuss the prospects that anthropogenic warming will reduce the timber production and
disrupt the ecology of the forests in the middle and high latitudes. Consider the prospects for
disrupting the carbon cycle and the consequent positive feedback on climate.
16. Identify where in the world (or at least some of the major places where) the frequency and
intensity of wildfire is increasing. Specify the biomes where this is occurring. Explain how
climate change would increase wildfire frequency and intensity. Identify other contributing
causes you encounter in your research (e.g. population growth, land-use change, and human
behaviors that ignite wildfires). Describe the resulting types of ecologic and environmental
damage.
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17. The Amazon rainforest experienced a 100-year drought in 2005 and again in 2010. Discuss
the hypothesis that this is a result of climate change rather than some statistically
improbable variation in weather. Also describe how Amazonia’s carbon cycle is modified
by a shift from normal rainforest weather to drought conditions, and use the concept of positive
feedback to discuss implications for global warming.
18. Discuss the prospects of climate change causing species extinction in a given biome (e.g.
tropical rainforest or high mountains) or for that biome in a specific location (e.g. Amazonia or
the Alps). Address the question of why such loss would matter.
19. Describe the shift in the geographic range of a species (e.g. American pika) or group of
species (e.g. North American mountain mammals) that has occurred during the past century and
is apparently attributable to climate change. Discuss the possible significance.
Prospective Impacts of Climate Change on Marine Ecology
20. Describe the natural conditions necessary for the growth of coral reefs and identify the
places in the world where major reefs are located. Explain how climate change can damage reefs
and describe the resulting ecologic and economic damage. Identify other factors that have been
damaging reefs in recent years and, if possible, compare their magnitude of their effects to the
effects of climate change.
21. Describe the process by which climate change is expected to increase the acidity of the
oceans and discuss the ecological impacts that this could have.
Prospective Threats to Health and Welfare from Climate Change
22. Describe how the pollutant ozone is formed in the lower atmosphere and how it damages
respiratory health. Discuss estimates of how much additional warming would create how much
more ozone and cause how much more damage to health.
23. Discuss the prospects that climate change will affect the pests that spread various diseases
and the pollen that generates allergic responses in vulnerable individuals. Is there evidence that
this is already happening? If so, where? And for what diseases or conditions?
24. Define the new term, “environmental refugee.” Discuss the ways that climate change is
generating environmental refugees while identifying the places in the world where their numbers
are greatest. Discuss the concerns that have been expressed by some scholars and US military
and diplomatic officials about their potential for catalyzing political destabilization and war.
The grading rubric is on the back side of this page.
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Your Preparation of the Presentation (30 points)
Meeting Deadlines:
Submit bibliography by T 1/31 (4 points)
Complete Appointment #1 by T 2/07 (3 points)
Complete Appointment #2 by R 2/16 (3 points)
points:
____
____
____
Annotated Bibliography – 1-10 points for each of the two items below:
10 points if source requirements satisfied and citations correctly formatted
10 points if each annotation specifies the usefulness for the defined topic
____
____
The Presentation Itself (100 points)
Correctness – up to 20 points on the continuum described below:
Clearly communicates precise understanding of relevant concepts
Expresses correct understanding of concepts but with lack of clarity
Expresses significant misunderstanding of some relevant concepts
Expresses little understanding of the concepts relevant to the topic
____
(20)
(16)
(12)
(6)
Completeness – up to 20 points on the continuum described below:
Thoroughly examines the available facts and utilizes the relevant concepts
Generally good research that is missing some relevant information
Incomplete research that is missing substantial relevant information
Presentation contains little of the available relevant information
(20)
(16)
(12)
(6)
Organization – 1-20 points on the continuum between these extremes:
Excellent introduction and conclusion / Logical sequence / 15 minutes
Lacks intro and conclusion / Confusing sequence / Much too short or long
(20)
(1)
____
____
Written Expression – 1-10 points on the continuum between these extremes:
Text on slides has clear meaning and is free of errors in grammar and spelling (10)
Text on slides is nonsensical and contains many errors in spelling and grammar (1)
____
Illustrations – 1-10 points on the continuum between these extremes:
Facilitate understanding of key points of content / Easy to read and understand
Pointless or distracting / Difficult to read and understand
____
(10)
(1)
Delivery – 1-10 points on the continuum between these extremes:
Poised / Easy to hear and understand / Pace is neither too fast nor too slow (10)
Distraught / Cannot be heard or understood / Pace is much too fast or slow (1)
____
Compliance with Schedule – 1-10 points on the continuum between these extremes:
Gave the presentation as scheduled without creating problems for others (10)
Eventually gave presentation after apparently unjustified postponements
(1)
____
The Following Discussion (20 points)
1-20 points on the continuum between these extremes:
responds with well-informed, clearly expressed answers and comment
unable to respond to any questions or comments following presentation
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____
(20)
(1)
GEOG 140 – ASSIGNED READINGS AVAILABLE ON BLACKBOARD
In addition to the Mann/Kump textbook and the Miller/Spoolman electronic chap-ters that
students must purchase, the assignment schedule includes the following readings posted at the
GEOG 140 Blackboard site:
“Berkeley Team Announces Early Results from Global Warming Review.” The Guardian, 31
March 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ science/blog/2011/mar/31/ scienceofclimatechange- climatechange-scepticism
Climate Change. National Academies Report, 2008, pp
Climate Literacy. US. Global Change Research Program, 2009, pp
Energy Flow through the Atmosphere. Part 1: The Electromagnetic Spectrum. Part 2: The
Earth’s Energy Balance. IPPC FAQ 1.1, AR 4, 2007.
Factors that Influence Climate. Miller/Spoolman Ch 7, Sec 1 (pp 141-145)
“Global Warming and the Science of Extreme Weather” by John Carey. Scientific American, 29
June 2011.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=global-warming-and-the-science-ofextreme-weather
“How are Temperatures on Earth Changing?” IPCC AR 4, FAQ 3.1, 2007.
http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/faq-3-1.html
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“The Conversion of a Climate Change Skeptic,” guest editorial by Richard Muller, New York
Times 28 July 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/opinion/the-conversion-of-a- climate-changeskeptic.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
“The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change,” by Naomi Oreskes.
(5702): 1686. 2004.
Science 306
Oreskes, Naomi. "The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change."Science 306.5702
(2004): 1686. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Web. 23 July 2011.
The Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change. (Executive Summary)
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100909030609/http://webarchive.nationalar
chives.gov.uk/+/http://www.hmtreasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternrevi
ew_summary.cfm
“Variations in Earth’s Orbit,” pp 561-62 in Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, by
Tarbuck and Lutgens, 2005.
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GEOG 140 – UNIT 1 EXAM
DIRECTIONS:
Search through the reading assignments and the files for our class meetings (posted at
Blackboard) to find the information you need to write clear and specific respon-ses to the
following questions, which account for 72 of the 100 points. During the exam period you will
be required to write without consulting sources.
Write drafts or at least outline your responses to Q 1-4 before the next class and bring with you
any questions that are raised in the process. At that time you will receive an additional set of
short answer questions, which will account for the remaining 28 points.
1. GLOBAL WARMING:
A. Briefly describe the direct evidence of global warming, identify the institutions that
have collected and analyzed it, and specify the amount of warming that has occurred
during the past 100-150 years. (9 points)
B. Describe significant but manageable problems inherent in drawing a valid conclusion
about global warming from any such set of measurements. Use this as a context to
discuss the significance of the preliminary results recently released by a fourth
independent team of scientific skeptics. (10 points)
C. Describe the four kinds of indirect evidence that strongly support this direct evidence
(i.e. the measureable changes in the physical environment that follow directly from a
warming atmosphere and that are particularly difficult to explain by any other cause). (8
points)
2. ANTHROPOGENIC CAUSES: Describe the types, locations, and timeframes of
measurements that show the “human fingerprints” of global warming, and explain how they
demonstrate that the cause of the observed warming is human, not natural (i.e. solar changes or
volcanic eruptions). Also explain how computer modeling experiments lead to the same
conclusion. (20 points)
3. CLIMATE SYSTEM DYNAMICS: Explain the meaning of the following terms using an
example to illustrate each, and specify whether your example is natural or anthropogenic:
A. forcing (5 points)
B. positive feedback (5 points)
C. negative feedback (5 points)
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OVER
4. LOGIC: Name and briefly describe the common error of logic contained in the erroneous
statements 4A and 4B on the back of this sheet. (The correct technical terms for these errors are
not found in your assigned readings, but you can find them in the Blackboard PowerPoint file for
Unit 1 – Topic 9) In each case, use the logical error to explain why the statement is not valid.
A. I have measured and recorded Lehigh Valley weather for 50 years. I don’t believe in
global warming because I don’t see anything to show that it is happening. (5 points)
Note: In order to answer this question, you need to assume that the speaker’s temperature measurements are accurate and display no discernable warming trend.
B. Those who argue that our climate is getting warmer are wrong because
they ignore the fact that the average global temperature since 1998 has
been steady or declining, not increasing. (5 points)
Note: This statement was made in 2007. Ignore newer data. Instead, say why the
statement was not valid when it was made even though it was still true in 2007
that 1998 was the warmest year on record.
5. MISCELLANEOUS SINGLE-SENTENCE COMPLETIONS
A. Earth’s elliptical orbit takes us farther away from the Sun in July than in January.
Despite this, our temperature is much higher in July because…
(3 points)
B. The burning of fossil fuels since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution has emitted
approximately twice as much carbon dioxide as can be accounted for by measuring its
increasing concentration in the atmosphere over the same period. This is possible
because the half of the CO2 is … and …
(4 points)
C. In 1914, Milutin Milankovitch proposed that … is caused by …
(4 points)
D. During the 1970s, geologists were finally able to test the Milankovitch hypothesis by
drilling into datable layers of…
located in…
and measuring the ratios of…
contained in…
(4 points)
E. The phenomenon Milankovitch explained has been occurring for only the last two
m.y. even though the forces that cause it were already acting on the Earth hundreds of
m.y. earlier. The explanation for this apparent paradox is that it took until 2 m.y.a. for
geologic forces to…
(3 points)
F. Scientists have been able to measure continuous changes in atmospheric CO2
concentration during the past 800,000 years by…
(3 points)
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G. The measurements in #5F above ranged between ______ ppmv and ______ ppmv
from 800,000 years ago until modern times, but they have increased rapidly since the
Industrial Revolution and are now approaching ______ ppmv.
(3 points)
6. The conceptual flaw in all five statements on the video clip involves the confusion of two
closely related but distinct phenomena: __________________ and __________________.
-- “This is our Fox News global warming alert: it is freezing!”
-- “Blizzard vs. global warming. Who do you believe? Al Gore or your
freezing butt?”
-- “[This is] a pre-winter into-winter storm like Europe hasn’t seen in
years. Forget about all that global warming talk.”
-- “It’s not global warming – I’ll tell you that!” (This is the voice-over on a
map of current temperatures showing Tampa, Florida at 28OF.)
-- “Another [winter] storm [is] headed this way next week. Global
warming: where are you? We want you back.”
Hint: These are non-technical terms that you used before you took this course and that we
examined in some detail in our second class meeting of the semester, specifically during the
discussion of the mini-lecture on the 1816 case study. (4 points)
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GEOG 140 – UNIT 2 EXAM
DIRECTIONS: During the next week, find the information you need to write clear and specific
responses to the questions below by searching the following sources:
 the assigned readings listed on your syllabus,
 the two videos shown in class (links available at the blackboard site) and their
accompanying study guides
 your notes on the “Rising Waters” program at the Nurture Nature Center,
 all student PowerPoint presentations posted at the Blackboard site
During the exam period you will be required to write the essays without consulting any sources
or notes.
1. CLIMATE CHANGE AND EXTREME WEATHER (24 points)
While recognizing that changes in climate must necessarily generate changes in weather,
climatologists have avoided the logical error of stating definitively that climate change has
caused any particular weather event. You, too, must avoid this error by using the analogy of
rolling the dice. With this in mind:
A. Briefly describe the two metaphorical changes in the dice.
B. Specify the kinds of literal weather events that these metaphorical changes represent.
C. Explain how physical changes in the atmosphere accompanying the measured increas
in average global temperature seem likely to generate an increase in extreme weather.
D. Describe the kinds of human consequences of the various types of extreme weather.
2. POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOPS
A. Describe the albedo feedback loop operating in the Arctic region, and explain how it has
produced a regional temperature increase approximately twice as great as the average
global temperature increase. (10 points)
B. Specify the major subsurface change in Arctic land that is caused by regional warming.
Then describe how this creates problems for the people living there and briefly explain
how it acts as an amplifier of global warming with the potential to cause “runaway”
warming. (10 points)
C. Explain why the Amazon’s 100-year droughts of 2005 and 2010 are a matter of great
global concern rather than merely local concern. (6 points)
OVER
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3. SEA-LEVEL
A. Specify the two factors or sources that account for rising sea-level, briefly describe
the two projections for 21st Century sea-level rise made by the IPCC and US
Geological Survey, and briefly discuss why these projections are so uncertain (each in
itself as well as their differences). (10 points)
B. Contrast the impacts of a 1-meter rise in sea-level in New York City and Bangladesh.
(Note: This is a conveniently round number that falls within the range of both
projections mentioned in the preceding question.)
(10 points)
4. Describe how the Greenland ice-sheet and its outlet glaciers have been responding to regional
climate change, especially during the past decade or so. Briefly say why this has greater
implications for the rest of the world than does the related melting of Arctic sea ice. (10 points)
5. Explain how projected climate change during the 21st Century climate is likely to intensify the
Lehigh Valley’s flooding problem, and describe strategies identified by the Nurture Nature
Center that could increase local resilience. (10 points)
6. Explain how projected climate change in our region and similar regions (i.e. those that are
middle latitude, urban, and affluent) is likely to affect those who suffer from respiratory allergies
and diseases. (10 points)
-------------------------------------The following questions were used during the previous semester when different student
research presentations were made:
5. Explain how the increasing emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere is changing the
chemistry and threatening the ecology of the ocean. Identify the resulting impacts on human
society, taking note of the kinds of places or groups of people that are particularly vulnerable.
(10 points)
6. Where is the world’s largest concentration of alpine glaciers? How does the accelerated
melting of these glaciers during the remainder of the century pose an increasing threat to human
society in locations many hundreds of miles away in entirely different climate zones? Where do
the greatest numbers of these vulnerable people live? (10 points)
7. Use the example of the Gulf Coast – and, in particular, the damage from Hurricane Katrina –
to illustrate the proposition it may be less valid to view climate change as some new type of
catastrophe than as a “threat multiplier” (i.e. as an intensifier of serious problems that already
exist and have multiple causes other than climate change). (10 Points)
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GEOG 140 – UNIT 3 EXAM
GENERAL DIRECTIONS:
Find the information you need to write clear and specific essays that address the following
topics. Search through the assigned readings, class handouts, your notes, and the PowerPoint
files posted at Blackboard. During the exam period you will be required to write the essays in a
bluebook without consulting any sources or notes (other than the clean copy of the essay topics
that I will give you at that time).
DATES/DEADLINES:
Find the information before W 5/3, which is our final class meeting. Since your time is very
limited, just make a list containing the location of each piece of information you need for each
numbered topic. Instead of starting to write your essays, just read the information you plan to
include and write any questions you have about that information so we can discuss them in
class.
Your exam is scheduled for R 5/11 at 2:45-4:45. Between 5/3 and 5/11, write your essays and,
if needed, seek assistance from me at the following times:
During regular office hours from now through M 5/8
On Reading Day (T 5/9) from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in my office
NOTE: For 50 points on your course grade, please submit the printout of your carbon
footprint analysis (using www.carbonfootprint.com) and your 1-2-page response paper
when you come to take your Unit 3 exam.
ESSAY EXAM TOPICS
1. Identify the two major schools (or ideologies) of economics that clash over climate change,
and specify the fundamental differences in what they assume or assert about the relationship
between human society and the natural environment. Describe the resulting differences in their
(1) concept of economic growth, (2) way of measuring economic activity, and (3) assessment of
American economic activity since 1980. (15 points)
2. Describe the laissez-faire or free-market economists’ view of the best way to determine the
value of a good or service. Describe the ecological economists’ distinction between cost and
price, and use this to explain how they think prices should be determined in order that price
correspond to value. Briefly describe the changes that would most likely occur in American
energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions if changes in our laws led to pricing practices
consistent with ecological economics.
(15 points)
OVER
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3. In this questions choose EITHER subsidies OR taxes, not both.
Describe how a program of subsidy shifting or tax shifting would differ from subsidy reduction
or tax increase. Use an example or two to explain how this could lead to substantial progress in
reducing greenhouse gas emissions and stabilizing the climate. Then identify the political
obstacles that would have to be overcome in order to implement such a program. (10 points)
4. Describe the broad conceptual evolution of America’s system of regulating pollution from the
initial “command-and-control” approach of the 1970s toward the increasing use of tradable
environmental permits. Explain how the latter would work in a “cap-and-trade” regulatory
system for carbon-dioxide emissions, and specify the precedent from the 1990s for thinking that
such as system would be effective. (12 points)
5. Describe the carbon tax advocated by James Hansen for reducing climate change, and discuss
why he considers it superior to the tradable permits approach. (12 points)
6. State what the Stern Review recommended about the future atmospheric concentration of CO2
and what it identifies as the economic cause of global warming and related changes in climate.
Discuss the reasons why it failed to generate the kind of widespread agreement and forceful
action that Prime Minister Blair (in his October 2006 remarks) appeared to assume it would. (Be
sure to do this with an awareness that a cost-benefit analysis of climate change by any other team
of economists would also fail in a similar manner; that is, you need to stress the generic problems
of C/B analysis rather than the presumed faults of individuals such as Nicholas Stern.) (12
points)
7. Distinguish between adaptation and mitigation. Briefly describe the IPCC’s 2007 find-ings
concerning the adaptation and mitigation that are needed by the year 2100 in order to avoid
“extreme” and “severe” vulnerability to climate change among large populations in Asia and
Africa. Also specify what news reports have said about the 2010 global carbon-dioxide
emissions, and briefly note the significance of this in relation to the IPCC’s scenarios for
greenhouse gas emissions and projected climate change. (12 points)
8. Discuss the question of why we disagree about climate change, giving particular attention to
the matter of distinguishing between reasons that you judge to be grounds for honest or
legitimate disagreement and those that you judge to be dishonest or illegitimate. (12 points)
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