4 essay question from lectures
Il002
week1.pptxHot earth people and climate change
Week 1 – June 22nd
Announcements
Be sure you explore the course Canvas page so you know were all course materials are located.
Contact me via email at [email protected] or via Canvas messenger.
As I’m sure you’ve heard from your professors before, we get a lot of emails haha. If you don’t get a response from me with 72 hours, don’t hesitate to send me another message. Your first message may have gotten lost in my inbox so no worries on checking in for an update!
Discussion #1 is this week
Lecture Outline
Introduction to geologic time (deep time)
The Anthropocene – what is it and when did it start?
Indisputable data sources that show change
Opinions and Misunderstandings
Readings With Lecture
Week 1 Readings:
Syllabus and term schedule
Browse through Chps. 1 & 2 in your textbook.
Notice that each chapter has suggested readings at the end and activities you can work through with data. These are great resources for further learning if climate science is a passion!
Climate change isn’t just a global threat – it’s a public health emergency Adrienne Hollis (2019)
link here: https://time.com/5672636/climate-change-public-health/
And we’re off! Let’s start with concepts of deep time and the Geologic Time Scale…
Geologic Time Scale
The Quaternary
Roughly last 2.5 million years
MOST of the Quaternary was the Pleistocene
last ~10-12K years is Holocene
We are now in what is called the anthropocene
How do we track geologic time?
Two main criteria:
Clear evidence for the transition in strat record
Geographically extensive (can be found everywhere)
The Anthropocene
Anthro- prefix means “of human origin”
This is the epoch of humans -- in essence, the human population has increased to such a size, and humans individually have such large ecological footprints, that it is now virtually impossible to find a place on Earth not touched by humans.
This is truly shocking when you think no other species in the history of the Earth (that we know of) has ever had such an impact…
The Anthropocene
Comprehension and Critical Thinking Break!
What are some lines of evidence you think are strongest in support of the end of the Holocene and the beginning of the Anthropocene?
What are some things humans have done to permanently and pervasively impact Earth?
Want to discuss these with me? Just give a shout!
Evidence for The Anthropocene
Check out this series of graphs that shows increases in various metrics through the end of the 20th century. The “great acceleration” is a common theme in ecological studies related to human impacts on the environment.
Evidence for The Anthropocene
Here are additional examples. Check out the graph on radioactive fallout! To me, this is one of the strongest lines of evidence for the presence of the Anthropocene. Radioactive fallout from the mid 1900s can be found in soil all over the Earth.
What does it mean?
Global-scale impacts by humans have been great enough to designate a new epoch in geologic history
Change in dynamical systems can lead to feedback loops. Research what these are if you are unfamiliar…
Indisputable Data for Climate Change
Sea level is rising due to global ice melt
Atmospheric and sea surface temperatures are increasing each year
Wildfire activity is increasing due to increasing aridity and changing local climate dynamics
Ecosystem changes occur each year, sometimes in ways without analogs to the past
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
The Keeling Curve
408.5 ppm
Opinion often trumps science
Personal experiences often dilutes facts
Weather is OFTEN confused with climate
Climate Data
Critical Thinking and Comprehension Check!
So what gives? What are some reasons you can think of that prevent progress on climate action?
What might be some misconceptions that people have that contribute to a lack of understanding?
Links to Check Out!
The Keeling Curve in real time
https://scripps.ucsd.edu/programs/keelingcurve/
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
350.org Climate Reform
Intersectional Environmentalism
https://www.intersectionalenvironmentalist.com/
NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice
Looking Ahead…
Next week we’ll dig deeper into the differences between weather and climate
You’ll gain exposure on different types of weather and climate observations
You’ll learn how to plot weather data for certain dates in history using a well-known meteorology and climatology website.
