Intro Hist of Climate Change

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Human greenhouse gas emissions are today transforming our world. The hot Earth of our imminent future will scarcely resemble that of our past. Yet natural forces have long changed Earth’s climate, often on smaller scales that nonetheless powerfully influenced human history. In the thirteenth century, for example, Earth’s climate cooled of its own accord, beginning a “Little Ice Age” that endured – with frequent interruptions – for roughly six centuries. Today, environmental historians work with scientists to understand how Earth’s weather changed during the Little Ice Age, and to identify the consequences for human history. In this course, we will discover why Earth’s climate changes, contemplate how these changes have influenced human beings, and reconstruct past climatic trends using interdisciplinary sources. We will use case studies to investigate why some societies were vulnerable and others more resilient to the Little Ice Age. We will evaluate how climate change influenced organized violence, social upheaval, technological progress, and artistic responses. Finally, we will consider what the new environmental histories of the Little Ice Age can tell us about our warmer future.