ERT 222—Climate Futures

The Earth has an uncertain climate future. Although there is high confidence that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are changing and will continue to change Earth’s climate and alter our way of life, there are still large uncertainties in the exact effects. These include the projected magnitude and rate of sea level rise, where and how much precipitation will fall, and which global population centers will suffer under increasing natural disasters like heat waves, wildfires, floods, and hurricanes. By exploring the basic principles of climate science (Earth sciences, atmospheric science, oceanography) and applying socio-economic modeling (including the well-used SSP scenarios) to these, this forward-looking course aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools to anticipate and mitigate the challenges of our changing climate.