Abstract

This subject aims to give a comprehensive overview of the science and policy issues surrounding current and likely global Climate Change.

Syllabus

Basic Climatology and weather patterns influencing Australia ENSOIODSAM Paleoclimates Evidence for glacial/interglacial environmentsGeomorphological evidenceIce coresSpecies extinctions etc. Factors influencing climate fluctuations at varying scales Milankovitch Cycles and planetary scale impactsGlacial/interglacialHoloceneLast 1000 years (eg. medieval warm period, Little Ice Age)Post industrial era The Greenhouse Effect Natural forcingWater vapourSolar inputsCO2 and its … For more content click the Read More button below. The Global Carbon Balance Carbon pools and their relative significanceOceanAtmosphereTerrestrial pools eg. soils, vegetationResidence times and fluxes between pools Climate modelling and GCMs Scope, parameters and limitations of currently used GCMsModel skill (how well do these models explain current climate)Scenario building ? (likely input parameters)Realisations (different model runs and their limitations) Evidence for Recent Climate Change Global air temperature records (ground based and satellite)Sea level risesArctic sea ice declineGlobal glacial retreatAnimal behavioural modificationsChanges in floral timings, eg. flowering, fruit set, harvest timesSpecies extinctions and vulnerabilitiesIncreases in extreme events eg. heatwaves, fires, drought severity, hurricanesOcean acidification Future Climate Scenarios and the IPCC Likely climates in 50, 100 yearsPositive and negative feedbacks as the climate warmsEg. permafrost melting Impacts of impending climate change Rates of change, magnitude of change and their implications for humans and natural resourcesLikely risks and their magnitudesPotential threshold events and the likelihood of exceedanceScale of impacts Adaptation and Mitigation Responses PolicyIPCC and global responsesAustralian policy responses (AGO, NCAS etc.)Emissions trading/carbon credit schemesScienceRole of soil and land management etc.Monitoring natural resource conditionCarbon accounting Change management theory and practice What is change, and how do we manage it?Monitoring climate changeManaging climatic variability in agriculture The role of Governments, Business, NGOs, other Institutions and the general populace in adapting to, and mitigating climate change Sustainability auditsRecycling (closing the resource use loop)Environmental educationRenewable energy technologies (solar, wind, waves, tides)New industry opportunities (eg. biochar) Impact of climate change on fundamentals in science (ie. Does a trending climate change the basis of many scientific assumptions? Are there opportunities for new scientific endeavours as a result of rethinking these assumptions?) Future Research opportunities

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
1.
Be able to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of past and present climates, the science behind anthropogenic global warming, the current state of knowledge on likely Climate Change scenarios, and mitigation and adaptation efforts.
2.
be able to demonstrate broad skills in climatology, geomorphology, soil science, landscape history and environmental science as they affect climate change issues.
3.
be able to demonstrate an understanding of current Government policy and management systems and develop problemsolving skills as applied to Climate Change adaptation and mitigation options.
4.
be able to accurately assess the significance of new Climate Change research and will gain sufficient knowledge to be able to adjudicate between conflicting evidence and theories on anthropogenic global warming.