Spring 2023 - GEOG 104 OL01

Climate Change, Water, and Society (3)

Class Number: 7655

Delivery Method: Remote

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Online

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Apr 19, 2023
    Wed, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Leanne Roderick
    leanne_roderick@sfu.ca
    Office: RCB7138
    Office Hours: Office hours will be conducted online through Zoom. Book via www.calendly.com/leanne_roderick

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An examination of climate change, its interaction with water availability, and how humans cope with these altered circumstances. Students who have completed GEOG 102 prior to the fall 2011 term may not complete this course for further credit. Breadth-Social Sci/Science.

COURSE DETAILS:

Format: Online, Asynchronous.

Several optional, synchronous, drop-in Q&A sessions will be held on Wednesdays at 4:30pm via Zoom. Attendance is optional.

This course begins by introducing students to the climate system and controls on Earth!s climate. We then examine the causes of climate change and how future climate pathways are modelled before considering the impacts on natural and human systems and exploring options to mitigate and/or adapt to changing climatic conditions. We also discuss the governance of climate change, and investigate why this issue is still a controversial topic in politics and the

media, despite overwhelming scientific consensus that Earth!s climate system is warming. The Spring 2022 iteration of the course will also focus on the topics of climate justice and   ecological debt. We will work towards understanding who benefits and who pays the cost of burning fossil fuels, and analyze these impacts in a way that is intersectional and multi-scalar.

Climate change can be a heavy topic. Students will be encouraged throughout the course to reflect on their learning, but also their feelings, emotional responses, and pathways forward.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

By the end of this course students should be able to:

  • Explain the complexity of the climate system and identify linkages between its components, including stocks, flows, and feedback processes;
  • Think critically about the science behind natural and human disruptions to the climate system;
  • Explore the impacts of climate change on natural and human systems;
  • Examine human responses to climate change, including adaptation, mitigation, and governance;
  • Differentiate between evidence-based claims and pseudo-science, and debunk common misconceptions about climate change;
  • Practice diverse modes of communication of climate change causes, impacts, and solutions, demonstrating awareness of audience;
  • Demonstrate improved climate literacy;
  • Critically reflect on climate cultures, environmental subjectivities, and politico-ethical responses to climate change in

Grading

  • Graph interpretation assignment 5%
  • Class engagement activities 10%
  • Climate change communication project (2 assignments 24%
  • Climate Justice Project 12%
  • Module Quizzes (x 4) 24%
  • Final exam (in-person) 25%

REQUIREMENTS:

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Access to a computer with reliable internet connection and working microphone
  • Microsoft Office software (can be downloaded for free from SFU)

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Burch, Sarah L., and Sara E. Harris. Understanding climate change: Science, policy, and practice. University of Toronto Press, 2021. Digital Version available via VitalSource.

All other readings and materials are available via SFU Library.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html