Climate Science: Realities & Risks of a Changing Climate

Catalog description

This course is the first term of a two-term sequence covering climate and energy. The first term will focus on climate science - the basics of the earth system, how it is observed and modeled, how has it changed in the recent and distant past, how it might change in the future under natural and human influences, and what impacts those changes might have on ecosystems and society. The most recent US government and UN assessment reports will serve as texts, supplemented by the original research literature and media coverage. This course should be of interest (and accessible) to students interested in climate science, sustainability, energy technologies, energy businesses, and energy policies. Prerequisites are only numeracy, simple algebra, basic calculus, and general science knowledge. | Prerequisite: Graduate standing or department permission