GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
OCN/OEST/MET 310

MWF, 12:30-1:20, MSB 100

Instructors:

Jane E. Schoonmaker, Associate Specialist of Oceanography, MSB 205; Tel. 956-9935; FAX: 956-9225; Email: jane@soest.hawaii.edu; office hours: by appointment.

Fred T. Mackenzie, Professor of Oceanography, MSB 524; Tel. 956-6344; FAX: 956-7112; Email: fredm@soest.hawaii.edu; office hours: by appointment.

TA: Anela Choy, MSB 227: Tel. 956-9864; Email: cachoy@hawaii.edu; office hours: T 10:30-11:45 and W 1:30-2:30.

Course Description: Global environmental change is a subject area of considerable interest today. Change can be rapid and threatening; thus, the subject has forced itself before the world and its citizenry. The subject matter is now being addressed regularly by scientists, teachers, policymakers, economists, sociologists, lawyers, and the general public. Global environmental change involves both the physiochemical and biological nature of change and the effects and consequences of natural and human-induced change for ecosystems, humans, and human infrastructures. The unifying theme of this course is consideration of both natural and human-induced environmental change, with emphasis on the latter. Earth’s ecosphere or exogenic system--the Earth surface system of land, water, biota, air, ice, and sediments—has always been in a dynamic state of change. Change is probably more characteristic of the planet than constancy.

Under the continuously changing umbrella of natural environmental change, human activities have become a force in the global environment. The growth of the human population, reaching six billion in 1999, and the consumption of natural resources to feed, house, clothe, and provide energy for this growing world population have resulted in a plethora of environmental issues. These include deforestation and consequent issues of land erosion, changes in regional water cycles, and nutrient cycling; freshwater usage and quality; eutrophication of water bodies; acid deposition; tropospheric ozone and photochemical smog; stratospheric ozone depletion and enhanced UV radiation; and global climatic change. In this course, we shall consider the scientific basis behind these problems and the economic, social, ethical, and policy questions that stem from these disturbances of the environment.

We recognize that there probably will always be a need for natural resources and for development, but not necessarily for growth. The mining, processing, and use of natural resources, the construction and maintenance of transportation systems and human structures, and the activities associated with the growing and distribution of food are some of the human enterprises that are prone to generating pollutants and inducing environmental change. Whenever these activities occur, there is an increase in the amount of waste material on the planet. This is an inexorable outcome of the fundamental laws of science. As a global civilization, we must decrease the rate of production of this waste that leads to degradation of the environment and learn to manage the global ecosystem in a sustainable way. This course will provide some of the knowledge required to accomplish this goal and for the student to become a wise environmental steward of the planet.

Prerequisite: One environmentally oriented course or consent of instructor; required of all Global Environmental Science degree majors.

Teaching Method: Lectures and discussions in special sessions; some time in each lecture will be devoted to questions on the lecture material (speak up!). The 7 discussion sessions will be devoted to discussion of supplemental readings related to lecture topics. For these discussions, the class will be divided into three groups; group assignments will be made in the first week of class. Students will be held responsible for reading and comprehending the articles, discussion of them at the discussion sessions, and writing short essays on assigned questions related to the articles. There will be several additional homework assignments that cover a variety of activities, including short essays, calculations, web-based exercises, and a sustainability project.

Means of Evaluation:

• 2 Midterms (20% each) 40%
• Final exam 25%
• Discussion groups 20%
• (attendance, participation, and essay assignments)
• Homework and in-class quizzes 15%

All exams will be cumulative, but will emphasize more recently presented information. Exams will cover information presented in lectures, discussions, or in the discussion papers.

Final Examination: Friday, Dec. 15, 12:00-2:00, MSB 100

Text for the Course: “Our Changing Planet: An Introduction to Earth System Science and Global Environmental Change” by Fred T. Mackenzie, 3 nd Edition; Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0-13-065172-9. Make sure you have the 3 rd edition and not an older edition! Supplemental readings will be provided.

Problems: Students should do problems at the end of each chapter on their own. The problems are designed to test knowledge of the chapter and to expand on concepts developed in the chapter. Answers are in the back of the textbook. If you do not understand a problem, please see the TA or instructor for help. These questions are prime source material for the examinations!

Discussion Groups: Your grade will be based on attendance, participation, and essays written in response to questions concerning assigned readings. Discussion papers and the essay questions will either be available online or will be handed out in class.

• Essay assignments must be handed in during discussion group meetings.
• Essay length should be ~1 page, typewritten, double-spaced.
• Essays will be graded on both content and writing style/grammar/spelling (proofread and spellcheck!).

Expectations: Students are expected to attend all class and discussion sessions. The information in Chapters 1-5 of the text is largely background material and will be review for many of you. Highlights from these chapters will be covered in lectures, but you will be responsible for all material in these chapters. Lectures will also include information supplemental to the text.

Class Syllabus:

Global Environmental Science, Department of Oceanography
Last modified: September 2006