Global Change, Water, & Energy

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

In this course we will study the main mechanisms governing climate change in the past, the present, and the future. The motivation is that recent trends of climate and other environmental changes, whether due to human activity or natural variability, have focused societal attention on their potential negative impacts on human and environmental health. An understanding of past climate variability and its underlying causes and mechanisms is the basis for separating natural and anthropogenic climate change and for making useful projections of future climate and assessing its impacts. To get to this understanding, the course takes a journey from deep time through to the present describing periods when the climate was strikingly different than it is today and revealing the mechanisms and feedbacks that govern the climate system. Students will travel to Iceland, where they will explore the glaciers, the volcanoes and the landscape in Southern Iceland, hike on an outlet glacier and experience first-hand the amazing interaction between ice and geothermal activity. They will experience the local culture and language, delve into the history of Iceland and investigate the links between changes in climate and in society in the past. Furthermore, they will learn how geothermal energy can be harnessed in a renewable way, and maybe take a relaxing swim in the outdoor thermal pools. CU GEOG 2167 description: This course focuses on the formation, production, transportation, utilization/consumption of fossil fuels (i.e., petroleum, natural gas, and coal) and alternative energy sources (i.e., solar, hydro, wind, nuclear and geothermal). It also provides students with up-to-date knowledge and techniques for understanding and assessing effects of both conventional and alternative energy sources on human health, climate change, and the contamination of soil, water, and atmosphere at various scales. This course is intended for students having limited background in science or mathematics.