ATMS 311 / ESE 311 Environmental Issues Today

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Overview

Format

Schedule

Assigned Readings & Questions
Topic 1
Topic 2
Topic 3

Schedule for Introductions

Grading

Jan 18

Atul Jain

Introduction.


Topic 1: Science and Socio-Economics Aspects of Climate Change
January 20 - February 10

Jan 20

Donald J. Wuebbles

Science of climate change.

Assignment:

"Global Climate Impacts in the United States. A State of Knowledge Report from the US Global Change Research Program.", Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, (eds.). Cambridge University Press (2009).
The full report can be found online at www.globalchange.gov/usimpacts
Read especially: Sections Global Climate Change (Pages 13-26) and National Climate Change (Pages 27-40)

Questions:

Assigned Questions.

Jan 25

Scott Denning

climate change.

Assignment:

Socolow, R.H. & S.W.Pacala "A plan to keep carbon in check", Scientific America, Sept 2006,50-57 (2006).

Questions:

Assigned Questions.

Jan 27

Atul Jain

Carbon Cycle and Climate Change.

Assignment:

Prentice et. al. The carbon cycle and atmospheric carbon dioxide. In: “Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis. Contributions of Working Group I to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change”. pp. 183-238. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2001).
See especially Sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.7

Questions:

Assigned Questions.

Feb 1

Chandera Giri

Climate Change and Forestry.

Assignment:

Giri et al. "Status and distribution of mangrove forests of the world using earth observation satellite data". Global Ecology & Biogeography, 20, 154-159 (2011).

Questions:

Assigned Questions.

Feb 3

Madhu Khanna

Energy and Economic aspects of Climate Change.

Assignment:

Khanna et. al. "Sustainability of food,energy and environment and biofuels." CAB Reviews: Perspective in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources, vol. 4 nos. 028 (2009).

Questions:

Assigned Questions.

Feb 8

Steve Nesbitt

Hydrological Cycle Response to Climate Change.

Assignment:

R. Allan and B. Soden Atmospheric Warming and the Amplification of Precipitation Extremes. Science, 321, pp 1481-1484 (2008).

Questions:

Assigned Questions.

Feb 10

Students

Synthesis papers due. Discussion of student synthesis papers for Topic 1.