3-8: Assessment of Impacts of Climate Change
Importance of this Unit to the Course
We now have discussed the first four key
climate change questions, and we now need to focus on what to do about it. To better inform
such decisions we need to know the societal impacts of climate change, which are given an
overview in this unit.
Objectives
- To understand how assessment
of future climate change are used to evaluate potential future
impacts on basic economic and social structures.
- To understand the concept of intergenerational
equity and how choices made today relate to environmental, economic, and
social consequences for future generations.
Preparation for
Discussion (You must complete this section before class.)
- Read the
summary information.
(Print text for offline
review; images only.)
- Take the
Quiz over the summary information. (see your portfolio)
- Review additional reading material (this material is not covered in the
quiz, but offers more ideas for online discussion)
Discussion (online /
face-to-face) (See your portfolio for due dates and times)
A major component of the course is participation in the online dialog.
The following types of comments are required:
- Social Comments
- Knowledge-building Comments
- Ethical Comments
The following may be used as discussion starters for the online dialog:
- Unit Problem to Ponder:
Why is increased climate variability, which leads to more
floods and droughts, accompanied by increases in rodent-borne diseases?
Hint: See
Climate, Ecology, and Human Health, by Paul Epstein.
- Unit exam questions
from previous years
- Unit discussions from previous years, available from
the current online
discussion page
Additional Reading
