General requirements for the course:
·
Written reports are NOT required
unless you are taking the course for W-credit (5 credits toward the Writing
requirement).
·
For W-credit, turn in one short
reports (about 5 pages of text).
·
The report due Wednesday, March 16 (date of the Final).
·
Reports will be based on articles
assigned by the instructor that closely follow the course subject matter. Students will have a selection of 20 or so
topics from which to chose.
Overview: The reports provide an opportunity to delve more deeply into
topics from the course that interest you.
You will read one or more supplementary article(s) and use this material
as the basis for a persuasive argument.
In order to satisfy the writing requirement, you will be graded
primarily on how well you demonstrate concise, logical writing.
Article list: Chose one or more articles
from the list below. (In some cases,
articles are in pairs and you must use them both. In all cases, you are free to choose multiple articles and blend
them both into your analysis.) These
articles have been chosen to complement the course material. You are welcome to bring in supplementary
information (other articles, web-based material, etc), but the focus of your
report must be on the article(s) you select from the list below.
Writing style suggestion: It is
recommended that you purchase a copy of Strunk and White, The Elements of Style if you do not already have it. This little
book costs only a few dollars and is filled with valuable advice on how to
write clearly. It is a bargain and a
jewel!
Argue a thesis: Your report must be organized around a central theme or question
and it must argue for a particular point of view. It is not sufficient to simply describe the article(s) you read.
Required format for reports: Write a 5 page typed, double-spaced paper
(approximately 1500 words). The paper
must include the following elements:
1. Title
2. Introduction: State the theme of the paper and how it is related to
the overall topic of climate and climate change. State what questions you will address and what sources and
methods of analysis you will use.
Finally, tell the reader in one or two sentences what conclusions you
intend to demonstrate with your analysis.
3. Main Body [divided into one or
more sections]: This section should not really be called "Main Body" -
come up with a name (or names) appropriate to your topic. Here you will summarize in your own words
the main points of the article(s), focusing on the theme raised in the Introduction. I will be looking for reasoned analysis that
grows out of the evidence and the reading material. Key points should be referenced to the article(s) and/or tied to a
figure(s) or table(s) that you provide at the end. (For example, "As we see in Figure 1,...") Be sure to critically evaluate the
information in the readings, not just rephrase it. (For example, how confident are you that the author's conclusions
are correct? In cases where two authors
give opposing points of view, which do you favor and why? Can you provide an alternate point of
view? Is the article inaccurate or
misleading in any way?)
4. Conclusions: Restate your theme and
your method of analysis in one or two sentences. Then tell the reader your conclusions, using a full paragraph or
two. Your goal in this section is to
draw together the key pieces of evidence and analysis from the Main Body to
form a concise, persuasive argument. A
good way to highlight your key points is to format them as a bulleted
list. (Such a list must have at least
two points and usually should not have more than 5 or 6.) If appropriate, mention what questions
remain and/or what future research you would recommend. If you wish to draw any broader implications
from your analysis (political, economic, philosophical, etc), this is the place
to do so.
5. References: List the source material cited in the report.
6. Figure(s) and Table(s)
[optional]: These are optional but desirable in
most cases because they help to focus your discussion. Hand-drawn figures are fine (you can also
use copies of figures directly from the articles/textbook if necessary). Each figure or table must be numbered, must
be cited in the Body of the paper, and should illustrate a key point or set of
points. Place them at the end in a
separate section. Note that Figures and
Tables do not count toward the required 5 pages.
Example format: Mann
and Jones (2003) "Global surface temperatures over the past two millennia". A very readable article that is highly
relevant to the subject of climate change and that also serves to illustrate
each of the above format elements.
[Note, however, that you can put figures and tables at the end of your
report, rather than integrated into the text.]
Advice on how to prepare your reports: The overall report format
has a repetitive structure (Introduction: "tell them what you're going to
say"; Main Body: "say it"; Conclusions: "tell them what you
just said"). This structure is
known to be a highly effective method of communicating. However, it takes time and practice to craft
an argument along these lines. You
should begin by reading the article(s) and taking notes, paying special
attention to things you don't understand or don't agree with. Next, go to the textbook, lecture notes, and
other resources (other articles, the web, consultation with instructor or TA)
to provide background information and to clear up points of confusion. Now you are ready to draft an outline and
tentative conclusions. With that in
mind, begin to write the Main Body, putting together the detailed evidence and
logic that support each of your key conclusions. In most cases, your conclusions will change during this
process. That is, as you scrutinize the
evidence and think through the logic of your argument, you will find problems
with your initial understanding. That
is good - it means you are actually engaged in the process of critical
analysis! Continue in this fashion - proposing
conclusions and seeing if you can back them up - until you are satisfied that
you have a coherent and persuasive argument.
At this point, you are ready to step back and draft the Introduction -
explaining to the reader what your theme is, how you investigated it, and (very
briefly) what you found. Finally, go
over the entire report, honing the writing style and making the sections fit
together into a well-organized package (it is important for you to revise your
reports a few times before turning in).
Note the symmetry between the Introduction and the Conclusions. In the former, you spend a paragraph or two explaining your theme and your methods, then you very briefly state your conclusions. In the latter, you briefly state your theme and methods, then you spend a paragraph or two explaining your conclusions. Each of these sections should make sense if read all by itself - each should provide to the reader the gist of your report.
Target audience: Your report should be addressed to a target
audience of intelligent, interested non-scientists (for example, a fellow
student in this class.) Do not assume
that your reader has prior knowledge of the subject matter. In general, try to minimize the use of
technical terms and jargon and be sure to carefully define those terms that you
do use.
Grading: Reports will be evaluated in
terms of:
· Format (40%): follows assigned structure; proper citation of source material; grammar; style (report should be clear, concise, and persuasive; use complete sentences, check your spelling, avoid slang, and be sure to define all technical terms at first usage).
· Content (40%): accurate, fair use of sources; logic and completeness (e.g. how well does it address the questions raised in Introduction?); critical analysis (questioning, judging, balancing different arguments); focus on scientific, climate-related issues.
· Effort (20%): originality/enthusiasm; focus on scientific literature (web information counts for less); incorporation of concepts and vocabulary from the course; figures or tables that you make or annotate and that fit into your analysis (note: figures copied from web without annotation or careful explanation do not count for much).
Revising your report a few times would help greatly in all above items.
* indicates report for which pdf file
is not available (you have to go to the library!)
Articles labeled "Pair" must
be read together for the purpose of reports.
1*. Jones, P. D., and T. M. L. Wigley, Global warming trends, Scientific American, August, 84-90, 1990.
Is the Earth warming? What are the challenges to putting together thermometer records over the past 150 years from around the world?
2*. Hansen, J., Defusing the Global Warming Time Bomb, Scientific American, March, 1-11, 2004.
3. Skeptics of human-induced ozone
depletion (note: if you pick one of these, it must be paired with the WMO
report)
Sallie
Baliunas, 1994
International scientific assessments
of ozone depletion: WMO
(2002) Executive Summary
4. Mann
and Jones (2003) "Global surface temperatures over the past two
millennia".
A short, well-written article that serves as a good illustration of the report format required in this course (Introduction, Main Body, Conclusions, proper citations, use of figures, etc.). Mann and Jones examine the paleoclimate record to address a critical question: is the recent warming outside the range of natural variability?
5.*Lovelock, J. E., Geophysiology: a
new look at earth science, Bull. Amer. Meteo. Soc., 67, 392-397, 1986.
An early article describing the
"Gaia" hypothesis - that the biosphere (life) can regulate climate
for its own benefit.
6. Lorius
et al., 1990, Nature, The ice-core record: climate sensitivity and future
greenhouse warming.
An excellent example of using the
energy-balance theory of climate change.
Lorius and colleagues diagnose how sensitive the earth's climate is by
looking at temperature changes and greenhouse gas forcings associated with the
last ice-age.
An outstanding overview of global warming science and prediction of what is to come. As it is now more than 20 years later, the predictions can be tested to a great extent. How well did they do?
8. Gleick,
1994, Water, War and Peace in Middle East
How do climate and geography influence
water supplies in the Middle East? How
do water supplies, in turn, play into the conflicts that have plagued this
region for thousands of years?
9. Hoffman,
P. F., and D. P. Schrag, Snowball Earth, Scientific American, January, 2000.
Has the ice-albedo feedback ever gone
to its logical extreme - a completely ice-covered planet? Only a decade ago, this was thought to be
impossible (because, it was thought, it would have extinguished life and there
would have been no way for the earth to recover from this state.) Recent geological evidence, however, has led
most scientists to agree that this did in fact happen. This article describes the evidence for and
implications of this theory in an engaging fashion.
10. Shaviv
and Veizer, 2003, Celestial driver?
Our text (KKC) presents an overarching
theory that greenhouse gases (CO2 and sometimes methane) are the main drivers
of the earth's climate over its 4.5 billion year history. This article presents an alternate theory -
that major climatic shifts are associated with changes in the amount of cosmic
rays impinging upon the earth. These
cosmic ray changes, in turn, occur on a 140 million year cycle as the solar
system passes through the spiral arms of the galaxy. A creative and well-written piece.
11*. Ruddiman and Kutzbach, Scientific
American, March, 1991, p.66-75, Plateau uplift and climatic change.
The formation of giant plateaus in
Tibet and the American West may explain why the earth’s climate has grown
markedly cooler and more regionally diverse in the past 40 million years.
12. Laut,
2003, sun/climate correlations: graphical errors
Do scientists ever fool themselves? A string of researchers over the years have claimed to see striking correlations between solar variations and climate. This has led to claims that solar variations (and not humans) are the cause of most of the climate variations we have seen over the past century. But are the correlations real - or the result of 'seeing what you want to see'? This article takes some time to read and understand, but tells an important story. If you like thinking carefully about numbers and graphs, you will find it richly rewarding.
13. Levitus,
2001, global heat accumulation in oceans and other reservoirs
A fairly technical article that
expands upon the course theme of planetary heat balance as the fundamental
driver of climate change. The author
assesses the earth's major heat reservoirs (oceans, glaciers, atmosphere, etc)
and how they appear to have changed over the industrial era.
14. IPCC
2001 Summary for Policymakers
The latest international scientific
assessment. The entire report (some 500
pages) is the authoritative statement of current scientific knowledge. Why?
Because it is written, discussed, and reviewed by the leading scientists
in the field. It is a cautious document
that incorporates all legitimate criticisms and uncertainties. Here, in the executive summary for
policymakers, we see what findings were considered most important.
15. Azar
and Rodhe, 1997, Science, targets for CO2 stabilization
thoughtful discussion of how to define "dangerous interference with the climate system"
16. Seattle Times Pro/Con Debate: Does human activity affect climate?
Should this question be debated by
non-scientists? at all?
17. Pair: Article cited extensively by "skeptics" and
review of it
Mann
et al. on Soon and Baliunas, 2003
18. Pair: extreme arguments by
non-scientists
Congressman
Inhoff Speech in US Senate, 2003
Monbiot,
Sleepwalking to Extinction, Guardian, 2003
19*. Hoffert, et al., Advanced technology paths to global climate stability: Energy for a greenhouse planet, Science, 298, 981-987, 2002.
Careful, quantitative discussion of
society's energy options over the next century
20. Pair: (i) List of geoengineering
plans from National Academy of Sciences report and (ii) extensive discussion of
the various options from a textbook. A
good report would discuss the geoengineering concept in general and look in
detail at one or two of the specific proposals.
Geoengineering
options as listed in NAS report
Turco Chapter on Geoengineering
(download in two parts): part
1 part
2
21*. Global Warming: Why business is taking it so seriously?
Carey, J., Special report on global
warming. Business Week, August 16,
2004, 60-69, 2004.