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)

• In case you are interested, there is a new book on climate change that emphasizes the "hockey stick" that I mentioned in class.  It is by a well known researcher/author.   The ad for this book is available here.   (posted 2/28/12)

• Some students have wondered what grade they received on oral presentations, but emails have been sent to all of you except the last presentation group.  Make sure you check your PDX email accounts.  (posted 2/28/12) 

 

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)

• Annotated bibliography.  Due to mentor Feb. 27.   (posted 2/13/12)

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)

• Chapters 17-18, Climate Since the 1800s.   [7.6 Mb]   (posted 2/28/12)

• Chapter 19, Future Climate.  [5.0 Mb]  (posted 2/28/12)

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)

• Chapter 12, Last Glacial Maximum, by Group 3.  [12.8 Mb Powerpoint]   (posted 2/13/12)

• Chapter 13, Climate During Last Deglaciation, by Group 4.   [15.6 Mb]    (posted 2/15/12)

• Chapter 15, Humans and Pre-Industrial Climate, by Group 5.   [15.8 Mb]   (posted 2/20/12)

• Chapter 16,  Climate During the Last 1000 years,  by Group 6.  [6 Mb]  (posted 2/23/12)

Debates
 

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

• Debate topics and teams.  (posted 2/1/12, revised 2/15/12 and 3/6/12) 

• Debate assignment.   (posted 2/13/12). 

Exam score distributions and answer keys
 

• Quiz 1.   (posted 2/8/12)

• Quiz 2.   (posted 3/7/12)

• Final scores & grades.  (posted 3/27/12)

Who's who in the class
 

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