Transcript Climate Change Science and Engineering

CE 401
Climate Change Science and Engineering
TuTh 9:10 – 10:25
Drs. George Mount, Tom Jobson, &
Farren Herron-Thorpe
TA: Ms. Eleanor Key (PE)
CEE Laboratory for Atmospheric Research
10 January 2012
• fairly new class in the CE department – we hope it will challenge you all
• senior elective to give you details on the science and engineering of climate change
• topic is polarizing and controversial – you read about it everywhere all the time
• the discussion and politics often have a “take no prisoners” flavor
• our job is to give you the facts as best we can, and let you come to your own
conclusions as regarding global warming and human influences on climate
• irregardless of where you come down on that controversial topic, engineers are
responding to current global discussions concerning sustainability, energy conservation,
and climate change  you need to
• be knowledgeable
• understand the physical concepts that underlie climate change
• understand the various pro/con arguments regarding climate change and
human influence and be able to separate fact from fiction and communicate that
to clients and the public
• understand how engineers can accommodate climate change in their designs
• at the end of the semester, you should be able bring analytical tools to bear on engineering
problems regarding climate change, and you will be capable of understanding and
criticizing popular and scientific articles about climate change and their influence
on your lives and your profession.
learning objectives:
•
•
•
•
•
•
intelligently and quantitatively discuss the pros/cons of climate change
critique popular and scholarly articles on climate change
understand the biases and uncertainties inherent in climate data and models
understand the impacts of climate change on humans and the natural world
understand how engineering tools can be applied to mitigate and adapt to climate change
understand policies put in place by decision makers, based on information and
misinformation
• evaluate the prospects for future management of climate change
• carry out team-based research projects and present in written and oral format
text(s):
• Sustainable Energy – without the hot air; David MacKay, 2009 – will be emailed
to you – please fill out email sheet circulating around the class
• frequent use of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports – these (and
other reports) will be placed onto the class web site:
http://courses.cee.wsu.edu/site/gmount/classes/climate-changescience-and-engineering-ce-401-george-mount-and-tom-jobson
class activities/assignments:
• homework – will be assigned all semester
• GHG poster project – 1st half of semester – small groups – 1 ½ class periods
• utilize NASA satellite data, surface data, and a climate modeling tool
• understand uncertainties in climate modeling and measurements
• work in a small group to share findings via a poster presentation
• due 23 February
• team term project – presentations starting 20 March, paper due at end of class
• teams of 3 students (assigned!!!!!!)
• project related to the engineering of climate change
• involves: lit search, possible observational data, models, mitigation/adaptation,
full-up discussion of an aspect of climate change engineering
• due last day of classes
assessment (grades):
• homework assignments: 25%
• poster project: 15%
• term project: 30% [15% written/15% oral]
• midterm exams: 15% 1 March, 15% 19 April
no final exam
term project: 30% of your grade
• 3-student teams
• choose a term project related to your interests on a topic related to the engineering
of climate change – study in depth related to engineering
• 10 pages double spaced
• oral presentation as a team starting 20 March (approx 20 min/presentation)
will involve:
• literature search (NOT just the web, also use journals and science/engineering articles)
• possible use of observational data
• climate science
• possible use of climate models
• engineering analysis
choose a topic by Thursday, 16 February
topic must be submitted to both instructors with a short paragraph describing what you
want to do and expect to accomplish as a team. Teams are assigned.
written term paper due 26 April, last day of class
oral reports starting 20 March (20 minutes each presentation)
schedule for the semester:
• get on the class website for details and reading assignments
http://courses.cee.wsu.edu/site/gmount/classes/climate-change-science-and-engineeringce-401-george-mount-and-tom-jobson
week
topic
1
introduction and science summary
2
solar input and variations, orbital effects, global mean energy budget
3
GHG survey; greenhouse gases, radiative forcings
4
poster group project; global carbon cycle
5
past evolution of climate, climate since the industrial revolution
6
detection of climate change; modeling of climate change
16 February term paper topic submittal
7
attribution of causes for climate change; predicted effects; poster project due
8
GHG/air quality module: posters and post survey; midterm exam
9
introduction to mitigation and adaptation; Kyoto and climate policy
spring break
10
team reports begin; wedges
11
downscaling calculations and analysis
12
building design/built environment; solar energy
13
agriculture and climate change
14
TBD
15
carbon trading; term paper due
homework assignment 1:
• read “Summary for Policymakers”, a report of working group I of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [on the class website]
• read Chapter 1 of MacKay
due: Thursday, 12 January 2012
what are class opinions about climate change?
-
not happening
overblown as an environmental issue
just nature at work
not human caused
just a bunch a scientists trying to keep their research going
the end of the world as we know it – the Earth is going to radically change
politics of CC is going to just tax us more
not understood well enough to make political decisions
should be a national policy on CC
should be a local issue
wayyyyyyyy overblown
too polarizing to see the real facts
an international conspiracy
climategate – the U. East Anglia email exchange
too complex an issue to make reliable predictions