Global climate change is the environmental issue that will define the 21st century. Addresses the intricacies of the science, environmental and human impacts, economics, amelioration technologies, and regulatory solutions to climate change from a public health perspective. Comparison of information from the mass media and the scientific literature.
Athena Title
Glob Clim Change Pub Health
Pre or Corequisite
BIOL 1107 or BIOL 1107E or BIOL 2107H
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will be able to examine historical evidence from natural and model experiments that illustrate the cause and consequences of global climate change.
Students will be able to compile the evidence for anthropogenically induced climate change.
Students will be able to assess the environmental consequences to date on public health due to global climate change.
Students will be able to describe and quantify the impacts of climate change on human health, the environment, public health, and societies.
Students will be able to delineate IPCC working group II assessments (impacts, adaptations, and vulnerability).
Students will be able to develop a plan using current technology combined with regulations (nationally and internationally) for reducing emissions that lead to global climate change.
Students will be able to analyze successful and failed efforts to address climate change in the U.S. and abroad.
Students will be able to determine the inequitable effects and environmental justice issues associated with climate change and their effects on public health.
Students will be able to describe the role of climate change as an environmental determinant of health.
Students will be able to organize scientific information to communicate actions to be taken to reduce climate change to a variety of stakeholders, especially those related to public health impacts; compare information from the mass media and the scientific literature to increase the understanding of climate change and its effects on public health.
Students will be able to predict the feasibility of proposed technologies to combat climate change.
Students will be able to compare and contrast mitigation efforts versus adaptation with regard to climate change and their effects on health.
Students will be able to explore environmental activism from a historical perspective and determine its effectiveness, as well as the disparity in human health effects from climate change from an environmental justice perspective.
Topical Outline
Overview of climate change science (definition, early discoveries, history of paleoclimate)
Natural and Anthropogenic causes of climate change, greenhouse gases, radiative forcing, biogeochemical cycling of carbon
Climate modeling and climate change feedbacks: linking atmosphere, oceans, biosphere, and cryosphere to human health, consequences of climate change on the environmental and human health
Impacts of climate change on health: food safety/quality, water resources, air quality, extreme events and disasters, human migration, mental health, and well-being (following IPCC working group II assessments)
Environmental justice and differential effect of climate change on the health of underserved populations
Mechanisms to slow climate change, solutions on the horizon, and mechanisms for adaptation and resilience to existing and predicted climate change
National and international treaties that address climate change (United Nations Framework), summary for policymakers
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
