Dr. Catherine Duckett, Associate Dean, School of Science
Dr. Heide Estes, Professor, Department of English
This course integrates perspectives from literature and biology in investigating contemporary climate issues. Students are challenged to understand the impacts of rising atmospheric and oceanic carbon concentrations in long-term ecological perspectives, to learn about the recent history of climate science debates, and to understand how literature can help to understand the development of current attitudes about environmental issues. Course assignments include a personal environmental project and letters to public officials or news media to encourage students to engage with civic engagement and the ethics of climate decisions.
Readings and Web Sites
Gaines, Susan M. Carbon Dreams. Creative Arts Press, 2001.
Hawken, Paul. Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global
Warming. Penguin Books, 2017.
Robert Frost, "A Brook in the City" (1923)
Earth System Science Partnership, Global Carbon Atlas. Global Carbon Project, 2001-2018.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, EarthViewer app. HHMI Biointeractive, 2012-2017.
Schmittner, Andreas. Introduction to Climate Change. Open Oregon State, no date.
Tallamy, Doug. Bringing Nature Home, 2007. “Why Insects Can’t Eat Alien Plants” and “Blending in
with the Neighbors.”
United Nations report No 2013/3: "Demographic Components of Future Population Growth," K. Andreev, V. Kontorova, J. Bongaarts.
“The Day the Mesozoic Died: The Asteroid that Killed the Dinosaurs.” Howard Hughes Medical
“How do greenhouse gases actually work?” @minuteearth, YouTube
“The Wolves of Yellowstone” BBC Natural World
“Some Animals Are More Equal than Others: Keystone Species and Trophic Cascades” HHMI
Assignments
Environmental Commitment Project
Ecological Restoration Project
Carbon Atlas Project
Final Project: What Should We Do?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment