CLIM 101   Global Warming: Weather, Climate and Society

FALL 2024 CLASSES WILL BE HELD F2F (Sec 001) & ONLINE (Sec DL1)

CLIM 101 Catalog page: Registration information here

INSTRUCTORS

Dr. Jim Kinter (ikinter at gmu dot edu), 284 Research Hall
Dr. J. Shukla (jshukla at gmu dot edu), 105 Research Hall

Sec DL1 (online) Complete Syllabus

Sec 001 (face-to-face) Complete Syllabus

Lectures:
Sec DL1: Tue & Thu, 10:30-11:45 am,  (online) Blackboard Collaborate
Sec 001: Tue & Thu, 10:30-11:45 am,  (in person)Lecture Hall 1
 

Goals of Course:
Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time. This course provides a survey of weather and climate processes, and the global and regional impacts of human-induced changes in concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The course will focus on the phenomena of climate variability and change, both observed in the past and projected for the next century, that have impacts on human society and natural ecosystems. The course provides sufficient scientific background to enable students to critically examine arguments about climate change and possible solutions being discussed by policymakers and the public at large.

This Mason Core course satisfying the Natural Science requirement will also review the roles of science, politics, international negotiations and the media in the current debate on what to do about climate change. The classes will consist of lectures, guest lectures, movies, in-class discussion and student debates. Students will have an opportunity to survey recent literature on the impacts of climate change in Virginia and beyond, the risks and strategies for adaptation, and the various policy alternatives and technical solutions for mitigating the harmful effects of climate change. Students also will have an opportunity to formally debate whether humans are really causing Earth's climate to change and whether reducing greenhouse gas emissions will save the planet or kill jobs.


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Last modified: July 2022