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Average Course Rating

In this interdisciplinary seminar class, we will discuss past, present, and future climate change. We will do so through several case studies on California; Eastern California is a hub of research on past climate change, and arguably few states are being more heavily impacted by current climate change than California. Throughout the first half of the course, we will learn how climate has changed in the past, the magnitude of those changes, the possible causes, and the physical and ecological impacts of past climate change. In the second half of the course, we will contrast past climate change with the impacts and severity of contemporary climate change. We will explore how climate change is stressing water resources, air quality, and ecological resilience across California, and we will critically evaluate how the state’s recent policy initiatives are ameliorating (or exacerbating) these stresses. The course will include a week-long spring break field trip to Eastern California where we will explore how climate change is stressing water resources, air quality, and ecological resilience across the state. Do not hesitate to email the instructor (smill191@jhu.edu) for more information about the field trip.