EAS 4441 - Controversies in Global Climate Change Science and Policy

(CU-SBY)

Fall. 1.5 credits. Student option grading.

Co-meets with EAS 4443/EAS 5443/ENVS 4443/GDEV 4443/GDEV 5443.

A. Chatrchyan, N. Mahowald.

Climate change is one of the most important and yet most difficult international problems to address. This course will introduce students to the interface between global climate change science and policy, with a focus on how science factors into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and how negotiations take place leading up to and at the annual Conference of the Parties (COP). Students will critically analyze contemporary climate change science and global environmental policy-making; develop and addresses pertinent research questions; engage with experts in the field and help them with policy-relevant research; and develop experience with communications and social media. The course will meet once a week and will involve lectures, discussions, and debates on important topics.

Outcome 1: Understand climate change science, impacts, mitigation, and adaptation and the technical, scientific, economic and political challenges and opportunities that solving climate change represents.

Outcome 2: Explain the global climate change negotiations process, and articulate different viewpoints and north/south perspectives on the politically charged topics associated with climate change.

Outcome 3: Evaluate future developments in light of the complex political and ethical issues behind climate negotiations.

Outcome 4: Communicate effectively through writing, speech and visual information.

Outcome 5: Learn to integrate quantitative and qualitative sources of information about climate change.