Course Description

Back to top

The Earth is a complex coupled human-natural system that is increasingly dominated by human activities. We will examine anthropogenic climate change as part of an integrated earth system that includes impacts on and feedbacks with human systems. We will consider the challenges and interactions between climate change and human societies by considering responses of current and past societies to climate change and environmental degradation. We will place anthropogenic climate change in the broader context of limits to growth, sustainability, and societal development. The class will emphasize readings, discussions, and construction of simple simulation models to understand the scientific and social basis of contemporary climate and sustainability. Students will use the graphical computer programming language Stella to develop a simplified model of the Earth system.

Course Goals

Back to top

1. To understand and engage key concepts and methodologies in climate change science and sustainability.
2. To use this knowledge to analyze the responses of current and past societies to climate change and environmental degradation.
3. To synthesize our understanding of climate change and resource limitations in a model of the Earth system using the computer language Stella.

Achieving these goals will require:

• Completion of assigned readings and exercises
• Attendance and participation in classroom discussions
• Research into components of the human and climate systems
• Writing and synthesis of research results
• Group work in integrating research results into both conceptual and simulation models

Grading

Back to top

Student grades will be based on the following four components:

1. A research project on some aspect of the coupled climate and human system. This paper will include development of and results from a simulation model built in Stella. This paper and model will be due at the end of the semester. (was 35% -> now 20% of final grade). This should now be an individual rather than group project.
2. A corresponding class presentation on your research project  during the final week of class. (5% of final grade)
3. In-class evaluations (quizzes) based on assigned readings.  These will be approximately weekly. (35% of final grade).
4. Homework assignments. These may be short essays or programming assignments in Stella. (20% of final grade).
5. Student attendance and participation in class discussions and activities. Students are expected to attend class and fully participate in class activities and discussions in Blackboard. (was 5% -> now 20% of final grade)
6. Assignments that are turned in late will be assessed a 10% penalty for each day late.

Books and Media

Back to top

This will be a reading-intensive, seminar-style course consisting of in-class discussions and  activities rather than lectures, and students are expected to participate actively in class. Students will also be assigned readings from the following set of books (below) as well as from the popular press and the scientific literature.

These books will be required for this class and are available in the university bookstore:

1. Emanuel, K., 2018. What we know about climate change. MIT Press. ISBN: 9780262535915 Link to book.
2. Meadows, D.H., 2008. Thinking in systems: A primer. Chelsea Green Publishing. ISBN: 9781603580557 Link to book.
3. Jared M. Diamond. 2011. Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed: Revised edition. Penguin. 608p. ISBN-10: 0143117009; ISBN-13: 978-0143117001 Link to book.
4. Chase-Dunn, C. and Lerro, B., 2016. Social change: Globalization from the Stone Age to the present. Routledge. ISBN: 9781612053288 Link to book.
5. Meadows, D.H., Meadows, D.L., Randers, J. and Behrens, W.W., 1972. The limits to growth. New York. Archive.org: Free online version of book.   Dartmouth College: Free online version of book.
6. Optional: Bruce Hannon and Matthias Ruth. 2014. Modeling dynamic biological systems. ISBN: 9783319056159 eBook ISBN: 9783319056142 Link to book. This book may be useful as you learn to build models in the software package Stella. See below.

We will also watch a variety of documentaries and other videos inside or outside of class: These include An Inconvenient Truth,  A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash, and The Great Global Warming Swindle.

Stella

Back to top

We will build system dynamics models in the graphical programming language Stella created by ISEE Systems. This will require a semester student license for the Stella software, which will cost approximately $59. see Semester Student License