Global Change

Objectives

This course seeks to promote the understanding of all aspects of global environmental change, carefully looking at the drastic effect that human actions have on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (with a special focus on tropical ecosystems) and, on the Earth's atmosphere. We will examine the current sixth global mass extinction and global climate change as well as their causes and drivers. We will also scrutinise the urgent environmental policies needed to cope with the critical challenges of the sixth mass planetary extinction and the climate emergency.

Learning outcomes

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• LO1. Identify the factors that influence the Earth's climate.
• LO2. Identify the drivers of biodiversity loss.
• LO3. Calculate relevant variables in the physical processes of large air masses.
• LO4. Handle simple models for energy balance on Earth.
• LO5. Analyse and interpret weather and climate information (thermal regime, rainfall, winds, sunshine, relative humidity, surface maps, other climate data, etc.).
• LO6. Demonstrate the ability to assess the impact of human activities on air pollution.
• LO7. Manage dispersion models and pollution control networks.
• LO8. Describe the temporal and spatial dimensions of environmental processes.
• LO9. Outline the causes of global change and their consequences.
• LO10. Produce written and oral communication in English, with scientific and technical content for non-specialists.
• LO11. Consolidate and interrelate concepts of various subjects.

Competencies

Specific skills

• Identify and recognise the levels of organisation of organisms and biological diversity.
• Know about methods of analysis, modelling and prediction of ecosystem operation.

Basic skills

• Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their field of study) in order to make judgements that include reflection on relevant social, scientific and ethical issues.

Core skills

• Use oral, written and audiovisual forms of communication, in one's own language and in foreign languages, with a high standard of use, form and content.

Content

Module 1. Looking to the past: historical cycles

1.1. Introduction to global change

• Different hypothesis
• Human environmental impact: a pre-historical and historical view

1.2. Current global change

• The anthropocence and the great acceleration
• A safe operating space for humanity
  • Critical transitions, state shifts and tipping points
  • Planetary boundaries

1.3. Ultimate causes of current global change

• Population growth
• Ecological footprint

1.4. Climate system

Module 2. Looking at the present

2.1. Core Responses to Global Change Stressors:

• Move
• Adjust
• Adapt
• Die
  
  • Biodiversity loss
  • The dimensions of biodiversity
  • The Big Five and the background extinction rate
  • The 6th mass extinction
  • Direct causes of biodiversity loss

2.2. Complex Responses to Global Change Pressures

• Community level responses: species interactions & community structure
• Ecosystem level responses
• Large-scale Earth Systems
  • Interactions between the biosphere and other components of the earth's system
  • Synthetic chemicals as agents of global change

2.3. Planetary Health

Module 3. Looking to the future: projections and solutions

3.1. Conservation in the face of global change

3.2. Aligning the interests of biodiversity and human society

3.3. Global change reports, indicators and policies

• Creating policies: the role of the state
• UN Environment Programme
• European Green Deal
• IPCC
• IPBES
• Unburnable fuels and Yasunizar

3.4. Technology innovation

Evaluation

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in graded online discussions, take three midterm tests, and submit a final project. See below for more details. Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Grading and assessment

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

• Participation and engagement in class discussions and activities: 5%
• Midterm exam (Module 1) : 30%
• Midterm exam (Modules 2 & 3): 30%
• Written assignments, including essays and short responses (follow-up of completed work): 10%
• Final project: 25%

Students must pass both midterm exams to pass the course.

Methodology

Because of the complexity of environmental issues we have the challenging task ahead of us to integrate knowledge from numerous disciplines across the full spectrum of the natural and social sciences. The course also involves exploring and discussing environmental policies. This requires that we work together in an atmosphere of mutual learning, open to new information and creative approaches to addressing complex issues involving high levels of uncertainty and risk.

The course is designed to incorporate multiple teaching methods, differing perspectives and learning styles. These will include:

• online and face-to-face lectures
• class discussions
• working in groups
• documentary movies
• videos
• field trips
• written assignments
• readings
• quizzes
• tests

Class attendance and participation in this course are essential. Class sessions give you the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the material as a group. There will be days when we will have small group activities and discussions too.

We strongly encourage small and large group discussion as a main form of participation. You must prepare the assigned readings found in the course programme prior to coming to class. Some material will be covered only in class.

Bibliography

Bibliography

• Bree Rosenblum, Erica (2021). Global Change Biology: The study of Life on a Rapidly Changing Planet. Oxford University Press.
• G. Tyler Miller & Scott Spoolman (2021). Living in the Environment (20 ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Joan Martínez-Alier (2004). The Environmentalism of the Poor: A Study of Ecological Conflicts and Valuation. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
• Kolbert, E. (2014). The sixth extinction: Un unnatural history. Bloomsbury Publishing plc.

Reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.