Global Warming:
Problems and Solutions
Geography 98/198
Fall 2007
www.decal.org/globalwarming
What is Global Warming?
What do you think when you hear
“global warming”?
CO2 emission
Melting glaciers
Rising sea level
Greenhouse effect
Floods / droughts
Heat waves
Oil addiction
Decreasing biodiversity
Polar bears dying
Severe hurricanes
An Inconvenient Truth
Hockey stick figure
Ice cores records
Kyoto Protocol
IPCC
Alternative Energy: solar
panels; windmills; hydroelectric; hydrogen power
Compact florescent bulbs
Hybrid cars
Buying carbon credit
Emission standards
Introduction
Valerie Jaffee
Major / Minors:
Political Science
Spanish & Conservation and
Resources Studies
Background/Interest:
*environmental policy
*governmental mitigation
*sustainable living
Angie Lee
Majors:
Forestry; Conservation and
Resources Study
Background/Interest:
*trees … duh
*city planning for sustainable
development
*cross-dating increment cores
*love to ☺
Lan Ma
Majors:
Atmospheric Science;
Integrative Biology
Background/Interest:
*atmosphere-biosphere
interactions (trace gases
and energy fluxes)
*atmospheric dynamics
*hydro-meteorology
Prof. John Chiang
Assistant Professor
(Dept. of Geography)
Classes:
*Climate Dynamics
*Global Warming
*Atmospheric Physics and
Dynamics
*Global Environmental Change
*Topics in Climatology
About this class
Course Structure
First part:
* Instruction on the scheduled topics by
course facilitators or guest speakers
* Movie screening
Second part:
* Group and class discussion
* Hands-on experiments
Course Description
This course will be divided into three parts:
1) Physical science and ecological impact
2) Governmental mitigation
3) Individual action; green business, and
environmental organizations
Course Description
This course will be divided into three parts:
1) Physical science and ecological impact
* How do we calculate the Earth’s surface temperature?
* What makes a gas a greenhouse gas and how does the
greenhouse effect make us warm?
* What are the sources, the fate, and sinks of carbon?
* How is GW affecting the biosphere?
* Compare with climate skeptics – what are the facts and
controversies?
Course Description
This course will be divided into three parts:
2) Governmental mitigation
* What is the Kyoto Protocol and should developing
countries follow the same standard?
* What is in the IPCC report?
* What are some US environmental policies / regulations?
* How do Europeans live more sustainably?
Course Description
This course will be divided into three parts:
3) Individual action; green business, and
environmental organizations
* What are some simple and effective ways to reduce your
carbon footprint- from daily habits to living more green?
* What are some examples of green business?
* How you can get involved in your community?
Reading
Reading for the course will be available in
electronic format on the course website
Please do the assigned reading before coming
to class and be prepared for discussion
Assignments
Discussion write-up
Photo Journal
survey your friends about global warming
play with a climate model
calculate your carbon footprint
Plant a Tree (extra credit)
Assignments
Discussion write-up
The small group discussion during the second half of each
class meeting is targeted for students to develop their
intuition on either the topic introduced in the first half of
the class or the previous homework assignment. Students
will be in groups of 5 or 6 and one of them will be a reporter
for the group. The reporter will summarize the group
discussion to the class as well as writing up a one-page
report due the following week. The role of the reporter will
rotate and in the end each student will be the reporter at
least once.
Assignments
Photo Journal
Students will take or draw pictures that reflect the different
aspects of global warming as we cover them in class. Each
picture should also have short description (less than 100
words). Be creative!
Here are some examples…
Making Global Warming Visible
Angie Lee
Sample Photo Journal
Global Warming: Problems and Solutions
Addressing global warming
through the use of art.
The image of polar bear looking
for a resting place makes people
think about the impact of global
warming.
Eco-art festival, Berkeley City College
Alternative renewable
energy produces lower
carbon emission and
reduces the use of fossil
fuels.
Also, alternative energy
infrastructures are visible
and serve the purpose of
raising people’s
awareness of the
environment.
Black Forest/ Public Transportation Building
Freiburg, Germany
ClimateChangeEducation.Org
educating people about the
science of climate change at
EarthWeek.
Educating the public is
important. When people are
aware of the problem, they want
to be part of the solution.
Earth Week 07’, UC Berkeley
Cal Forestry Club distributing
seedlings at Cal Day, encouraging
people to plant trees.
Perhaps planting a tree yourself is
the best way to learn about the
importance of protecting our
environment. Besides, trees can
perform carbon sequestration,
reduce pollution and make our world
beautiful.
Cal Day 06’ & 07’, UC Berkeley
A typical class day at Forestry
Camp. Professor Joe McBride
teaching the class about the
ecology of the Sierra Nevada
It is through seeing that we
understand our environment.
Global warming is not only
affecting human beings, but
also plants, insects, and
animals.
Forestry Camp 06’, Sierra Nevada
Numerous campus groups tabling at
Earth Week. The common goal is to
make people aware of the
environmental issues that we are
currently facing.
Now that we know global warming is
happening, are we ready to do
something?
EarthWeek 07’, UC Berkeley
A Little Earth
Love
Valerie Jaffee
Sample Photo Journal
Global Warming: Problems and Solutions
Significantly reducing our
greenhouse gas emissions
will require dramatic
changes in the American
lifestyle. Some of the
privileges we now enjoy,
such as driving half a mile
to the grocery store, must
be reduced, abandoned, or
made more efficient by
advanced technologies.
Road sign with graffiti in Southside Berkeley
San Francisco Chronicle front page headline from
September 8, 2007
Global warming threatens countless species who will be unable to
adapt to warmer temperatures, reduced habitats, and altered
food sources. Polar bears face Endangered Species status and
possible extinction as a result of melting Arctic sea ice.
Reusable plastic and
stainless steel water
bottles
While recycling practices
are gaining in popularity,
we can reduce waste and
fossil fuels used in
recycling by avoiding
purchasing disposable
plastic water bottles.
Instead, reusable stainless
steel or plastic water
bottles can be filled with
tap water and enjoyed
indefinitely!
While a huge majority
of scientists agree that
global warming is a real
phenomenon caused by
anthropogenic
greenhouse gas
emissions, skeptics
claim that there is no
scientific consensus.
No more time can be
wasted contesting the
scientific evidence of
climate change. We
need to act now.
Flyer on Upper Sproul Plaza, September 8, 2007
An advertisement on a
BART train, encouraging
people to take public
transit to work instead of
driving. You can save
money and spare the air!
BART train, 2007
If you do not have access to
a camera, you can still
show off your artistic talent
with this photo journal.
Lan’s birthday gift! (Aug. 07’)
Assignments
Survey your friends about global warming
How well is public educated about GW?
Play with a climate model
What is the warming trend regionally and globally? What
governs such trends?
Calculate your carbon footprint
What is your carbon contribution and what can you do to
reduce that?
Assignments
Plant a Tree (extra credit & FUN!)
On two weekends we will partner up with either Friends of
the Urban Forest (SF) or Urban Releaf (Oakland) to plant
some trees in the city neighborhood. Participation is
voluntary but strongly encouraged; this will be a fun-filled
event as well as a great learning experience.
Evaluation Procedure
Attendance
No more than two absences allowed
Assignments
Must be turned in on time so to stay active with class
material and discussion
Participation
Expectation
Respect
allow everyone to have the right to speak; engage in
peaceful and respectful debates
Good work ethics
keep your works original
Genuine interest
be interested; come in with a positive attitude
INTERVIEWEE INFORMATION
Survey
Age group:
<20
20-30
30-40
40-50
>50
Occupation:
_____________________________
When did you first hear the term “global warming”?
>20 years ago
>10 years ago
> 5 years ago
A couple of years ago
This year
Never heard of it
I have heard of “global cooling”
What is your main source of information about global warming?
Scientific articles / magazines
General news media (specify: _____________________)
Friends / family
Classroom (what institute: ___________________________ )
Others (specify: ________________________ )
1. 20th century global warming is (Check all that apply):
The natural variation of the earth’s surface temperature due to Earth’s orbit around the sun
A warming trend of temperature increase due human input of greenhouse gases
Propaganda by environmental hippies (or a hoax)
2. What are some examples of greenhouse gases (GHGs)? How important do you think
they are to the Earth’s surface temperature? (Check all that apply)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH4)
Chloroflorocarbons (CFCs)
Water Vapor (H2O)
Oxygen gas (O2)
Nitrogen gas (N2) – 78% of atmosphere
GHGs are extremely important to maintain a sustainable temperature (can’t live without it)
GHGs are moderately important; might be a little cooler without it, but we’ll do
GHGs are bad for the environment; we should completely get rid of them!
4. What are some direct consequences of global warming? (Check all that apply)
Rising sea level
Retreating glaciers
More sunspots
Population growth
Redistribution of precipitation
Ice age (“Day After
Dying polar bears
Increased volcanic activity
Tomorrow”)
3. What is the IPCC?
The Initiative to Prevent Climate Catastrophe
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The International Partnership for Carbon Consumption
5. Which of the following is not powered by fossil fuels?
Television
Gas stove
Automobile
All are powered by fossil fuels.
6. What are some possible ways to reduce your carbon footprint (to reduce your
greenhouse gas emissions)? _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Application
Name __________________ SID _____________
Year _______
Major__________
Contact Phone # ____________
E-mail ______________
Taking the class as Geography 98 or 198? (You get 2 units for either one)
_________
1. Why do you want to take this class? What do you hope to learn from
this class?
Note: It’s perfectly fine if you currently do not know anything about
global warming.
2. List any class or organization-based experience you have had with
environmental issues such as global warming.
¿Questions?
Something to chew on…
If we cannot predict the weather for more
than 10 days, why should believe in models
that predict our climate 50 years from now?