Climate Change-Resil/Adap/Mit

Catalog description

Building upon the science presented in Earth Systems and Climate Change, this course is to increase student’s breadth and depth of understanding of, and discourse in, adaptation and mitigation strategies that span changes to technologies, management strategies and communication techniques that allow municipalities and organizations to effectively respond to a changing climate. The course will specifically build skills to recognize a community’s vulnerability and to locate resource, tools, expertize and case studies to assist local decision-makers to take actions to build a community’s resilience. Additional skill development includes operating under, and communicating uncertainty and risk in a manner that still allows actions to be taken. Students are also introduced to framing an economic argument that supports any adaptation or mitigation effort that is being recommended for a community. Finally, components of utilizing social media and development of a social marketing approach will be touched upon in the context of the psychological foundations of effectively communicating climate change to decision-makers and the general public.