UNST 232 Global Environmental Change

e-mail: ruzickaa@pdx.edu
 
 

Earth's atmosphere and climate controls habitats on Earth, and prevents our planet from looking like our airless, bombarded moon (center) or the hothouse of Venus or firigid desert of Mars.  Global climate has changed in the past and will certainly change in the future, with major implications for life on Earth.  Important questions that need to be addressed include how Earth's climate system works, what we can expect for future changes in climate, and what we should do, if anything, about it.  [All images by the instructor except center, courtesy of NASA.]
 

Course information & resources
 

• Syllabus (PDF, Word) (posted 1/5/12)

• Figures from the book are available from the publisher.  These will be useful when you put together your oral presentations.  Click here for more information.  (posted 1/5/12) 

• Erica asked me to remind you to bring your rulers to mentor session so that you can work on the tree rings. (posted 1/18/12)

 

Mentor section and other assignments
 

• Introduction of yourself.  Due to mentor Jan. 18.  (posted 1/5/12)

• Scrapbook.  Due in lecture class, Jan. 25, Feb. 22, Mar. 13.  (posted 1/9/12)

• Tree ring excercise.   Due to mentor Feb. 6.  (posted 1/9/12)

Instructor presentations
 

• Chapter 1, Overview    [2.08 Mb Powerpoint]  (posted 1/5/12)

• Climate Today, part 1  (Chapter 2 from 1st Edition)  [4.9 Mb Powerpoint]  (posted 1/5/12)

• Climate Today, part 2  (Chapter 2 from 1st Edition)  [3.3 Mb Powerpoint]  (posted 1/5/12)

• Chapter 2, Climate archives   [5.1 Mb Powerpoint]  (posted 1/18/12)

• Chapters 3-6, Long term climate  [6.8 Mb Powerpoint]  (posted 1/23/12)

Student presentations

• Oral presentation assignment.  (posted 1/23/12)

• Oral presentation teams  (posted 1/30/12)

• Chapter 7: Astronomical Control of Solar Radiation, by Group I.  [5.1 Mb Powerpoint]   (posted 2/6/12)

• Chapter 10, Carbon Dioxide and Methane, by Group 2.  [3.0 Mb Powerpoint]   (posted 2/8/12)

Debates
 

• Potential debate topics. (posted 1/30/12)

• Debate topics and teams. (posted 2/1/12)  There are still a few slots available, so if you haven't yet signed up for a team, let me know which one you would like to join.

Exam score distributions and answer keys

Quiz 1.   (posted 2/8/12)

Who's who in the class
 

• Link to Bio pages.  (posted 1/9/12, revised 1/17/12, 1/23/12)