2014-2015 Academic Catalog

Nov 15, 2024

2014-2015 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

EN 124 - Global Warming: How to Respond?

As global temperatures are increasing, sea level is rising, polar ice sheets are melting, and more intense storms are occurring, the mounting scientific evidence linking these changes to human activity has resulted in a shift in the global warming debate; rather than debating whether or not human activity is driving climate change current debate revolves around how society should respond. In this first-year seminar students will explore this debate by delving into the potential and the obstacles of various different societal actions that could be taken to reduce the risks and impacts of global warming, and explore how different countries and communities are responding. Shifting energy infrastructure toward renewable energy, designing transportation systems and community plans to reduce automobile reliance and associated emissions, and maximizing energy efficiency in buildings and industry are among the societal actions that will be investigated. An additional category of responses involves preparing for adaptation to inevitable or already occurring changes in climate. Students will learn about the many, complex technological, institutional, political, educational, and societal challenges associated with building the capacity for implementing the level of global change required to have an impact on minimizing the risks associated with our changing climate. Semester-long student projects will involve developing a proposal for implementing specific climate change response strategies at a specific scale, either local, regional, national, or international, emphasizing the connections between local action and global change.