1-1: Overview of Global Change

1-1: En Español

1-1: Em Português

Importance of this Unit to the Course

In this unit we provide an overview of the changes occurring in the global environment and discuss the importance of understanding these issues in order to make informed choices in our patterns of personal use of earth's resources and to make informed choices in selecting political and economic leaders who are mindful of global change issues.

Objectives

To understand the importance of global environmental change.
To identify the general areas of our environment that are changing and explore the potential consequences of these changes.

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)

USGCRP Research Program Elements

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:

What distinguishes a "global change" environmental issue from other environmental issues?
Unit exam questions from previous years
Unit discussions from previous years, available from the current online discussion page

Additional Reading