Focus on the real-world solutions available for avoiding climate change and for living with the climate change we can’t avoid. We will take an Earth system perspective, focusing on environmental impacts of various responses and physical barriers to their implementation or success. By the end of the course, students will have a broad understanding of options for mitigation, adaptation, and geoengineering.
Athena Title
Climate Change Solutions
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to understand the context for discussions around climate change mitigation and adaptation.
By the end of the course, students should be able to identify options for mitigation, adaptation, and geoengineering and the primary objective of each method.
By the end of the course, students should be able to understand potential effectiveness of each method, as well as its physical limitations and environmental impacts.
By the end of the course, students should be able to assess the benefits and drawbacks for the methods covered in the class.
By the end of the course, students should be able to discuss other aspects of feasibility for each method, including affordability, social acceptance, fairness, and policy.
By the end of the course, students should be able to demonstrate integrated knowledge of the Earth as a system, including linkages between the atmosphere and the hydrosphere, the geosphere, and the biosphere, as well as impacts of human interventions on the Earth system.
By the end of the course, students should be able to apply critical and analytical thinking to address problems and possible solutions to present-day concerns in individual and collaborative settings, to help students develop skills for lifelong learning.
By the end of the course, students should be able to effectively communicate information in oral and written form at an appropriate level for their audience.
Topical Outline
Foundations: Why is there a need to mitigate or adapt?
Historical context of climate change
Link between cumulative greenhouse gas emissions and global warming
Impacts of climate change and climate hazards
Global biogeochemical cycles and the motivation for carbon budgets
Mitigation
What are the sources of greenhouse gas emissions?
Mitigation options from key sectors (transportation, industry, commercial and residential energy use, agriculture and land use)
The environmental impact of mitigation
Wrap-up: weighing the options and exploring other facets of feasibility
Adaptation
Dimensions of risk: hazards, exposure, vulnerability
Reducing health risks
Reducing risks to food security
Protecting against floods, rising sea level, and storm surges
Wrap-up: trade-offs or synergies between mitigation and adaptation, and exploring other facets of feasibility
Geoengineering
Classes of geoengineering: greenhouse gas removal and solar radiation management
Enhancing carbon uptake by the land and oceans
Direct removal and storage of CO2 away from the atmosphere
