This course is now taught through Zoom and Canvas. Please refer to our Canvas page for major announcements, quizzes, discussions, and more. This site provides assignment instructions, a grading guide, and group work prompts.
Course News:
April 16: Here are instructions for today's group work:
We’re living through a unique historical moment in which governments and ordinary people are forced to grapple with dire scientific projections. I’m talking, of course, about the COVID-19 pandemic. But it goes without saying that there are uncanny parallels between today’s pandemic and tomorrow’s climate crises.
Take 20 minutes to consider what we can learn from the public and political response to COVID-19 that can help us motivate action on climate change. Consider, for example:
After 20 minutes, please provide short summary of your conclusions. You can select a representative, or summarize as a group.
April 7: For today's group work, have a look at the Water, Peace, and Security Partnership website.
This is largely Dutch effort that is supposed to provide a handy tool for policymakers. It is a very powerful resource that lets you add datasets to a map of the world. These datasets provide data on water availability, drought, socioeconomic stress, and either current or projected conflict.
I would like you to play around with this dataset, especially in light of the article we read, “Did We See It Coming?”. Each group should attempt to answer the following questions:
April 6: Click here to read Kuei-Hsien Liao, “Living with Floods: Ecological Wisdom in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta.”
April 2: Here are instructions for today's group work:
Group 1 will draw on our readings to argue that climate change was a major cause of the Syrian Civil War.
Group 2 will argue that in fact, climate change played no role in the war.
Please provide at least three points to support your position. Pay special attention to the purported sequence of events - the chain of connections between climate change and the civil war - that you're attempting to prove or disprove.
I will give you each group twenty minutes, and I will pop into both breakout rooms. You will be able to see announcements that I broadcast to both groups. After twenty minutes, I will ask you to return to the main session.
When you return, one group representative will present your case. That representative can share their screen if they have any visuals they want to use.
March 15: I have uploaded a new, adjusted syllabus. See the announcement above and on Canvas.
March 11: We are transitioning to a virtual learning environment. See the announcement above and on Canvas.
March 2: I've uploaded a new and improved draft of our syllabus.
October 30: the draft syllabus for our Spring 2020 module is now online. Have a look!
We’re living through a unique historical moment in which governments and ordinary people are forced to grapple with dire scientific projections. I’m talking, of course, about the COVID-19 pandemic. But it goes without saying that there are uncanny parallels between today’s pandemic and tomorrow’s climate crises.
Take 20 minutes to consider what we can learn from the public and political response to COVID-19 that can help us motivate action on climate change. Consider, for example:
- What do we need politicians and the public to do in order to “mitigate” – that is, reduce – climate change, and to adapt to it?
- Why has it been easier, overall, to motivate politicians and the public to respond to COVID-19 than climate change?
- Where has the public and political response to COVID-19 been especially effective?
- Is anyone trying to prevent action on COVID-19? Have they been successful – why or why not?
After 20 minutes, please provide short summary of your conclusions. You can select a representative, or summarize as a group.
April 7: For today's group work, have a look at the Water, Peace, and Security Partnership website.
This is largely Dutch effort that is supposed to provide a handy tool for policymakers. It is a very powerful resource that lets you add datasets to a map of the world. These datasets provide data on water availability, drought, socioeconomic stress, and either current or projected conflict.
I would like you to play around with this dataset, especially in light of the article we read, “Did We See It Coming?”. Each group should attempt to answer the following questions:
- What assumptions are built into this dataset?
- What areas seem especially vulnerable to conflict, according to the dataset?
April 6: Click here to read Kuei-Hsien Liao, “Living with Floods: Ecological Wisdom in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta.”
April 2: Here are instructions for today's group work:
Group 1 will draw on our readings to argue that climate change was a major cause of the Syrian Civil War.
Group 2 will argue that in fact, climate change played no role in the war.
Please provide at least three points to support your position. Pay special attention to the purported sequence of events - the chain of connections between climate change and the civil war - that you're attempting to prove or disprove.
I will give you each group twenty minutes, and I will pop into both breakout rooms. You will be able to see announcements that I broadcast to both groups. After twenty minutes, I will ask you to return to the main session.
When you return, one group representative will present your case. That representative can share their screen if they have any visuals they want to use.
March 15: I have uploaded a new, adjusted syllabus. See the announcement above and on Canvas.
March 11: We are transitioning to a virtual learning environment. See the announcement above and on Canvas.
March 2: I've uploaded a new and improved draft of our syllabus.
October 30: the draft syllabus for our Spring 2020 module is now online. Have a look!
