Syllabus
CC 30.09 Climate Change: Torn between Myth and Fact
Class Meeting: Fridays 1:00-3:40
Professor: Sophia Perdikaris
Office Hours: Friday or by appointment
Tech Fellow: Lauren Klein
Tech Fellow Office Hours: Thursdays 12-5; Fridays 2-5
Topics to be explored include: myths and facts of climate change with emphasis on global warming; basic atmospheric science and climate modeling; exploration of the nature of scientific knowledge; relationships between scientific knowledge and social and cultural values; contributions that the social sciences and humanities can make to public debates on climate change. This course will have an international, interdisciplinary approach with guest speakers, video conferencing, a think tank retreat, and a conference. Because of its interdisciplinary nature, this course should appeal to students in many disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. (Not open to students who are enrolled in or have completed Brooklyn College Core Curriculum Upper Tier 30.02.)
Sophia Perdikaris is an archaeologist specializing in the analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean. She has been excavating in Norway for the last twelve years, in Iceland for seven years, and in Barbuda for five years and takes students with her in the field, to both Iceland and Barbuda. Her particular research interests are in historical ecology and global climate change. Her most recent project, “Islands of Change” focuses on the three tiered approach defined by NABO (North Atlantic Biocultural Organization – www.nabohome.org) where scientific data are used to investigate how humans change the environment, how the environment affects human decision making, and in cross cultural interactions. Her early work concentrated on the transition from the Viking Age to medieval times in North Norway and how the early commercialization of the cod fisheries (AD 1200) affected the people and the economy of the area. She is currently involved in cooperative projects with institutions in the U.S. and the U.K. , Iceland, Greenland, Faroes, Canada and Barbuda.
Evaluation
Homework (readings and summaries) 20%
Attendance/Participation 10%
Scientific Poster 30%
Webpage and PSA 25%
Presentation 15%
Incompletes and make-ups will not be granted. Exception can be made for special circumstances. Please see me well ahead of time if you are having problems.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated and it will result in failure.
Readings: http://www.nabohome.org/meetings/glthec/participants.html
Suggested Readings
Climate Change: Picturing the Science, Gavin Schmidt and Joshua Wolfe (Norton, 2009).
The Archaeology of Global Change: The Impact of Humans on their Environment, Charles Redman (Smithsonian, 2004).
Climate Change and Cultural Dynamics: A Global Perspective on Mid-Holocene Transitions, David Anderson et al. (Academic, 2007).
Presentation: 8 minutes total (5 minutes presentation plus 3 minutes Q & A)
Class Participation/Homework: Responsible for talking about and discussing the readings due for each class meeting. Discussion leaders will be assigned.
Evaluation:
Homework (bibliography, readings, exercises) 20%
Class and Event Participation 10%
Poster 20%
PSA’s and website 30%
Book Reviews 10% (choose one for the list below or bring one to me for consideration)
Presentation 10%
