MPhys Physics with Astrophysics / Course details

Why does climate change policy, despite attracting a worldwide interest, remain a disappointment? Is it because the world is not working hard enough to implement decisions, or because the issue is so extraordinarily difficult that no amount of good will be sufficient to control the rising greenhouse emissions? This unit is a meeting place of climate optimists and climate pessimists: the unit’s readings, research assignments, and weekly group debates will help you see a bigger picture, clear a fog of media clichés and platitudes, and help you scratch under the surface of generic policy buzz words: IPCC, consensus, mitigation, sustainability, clean development mechanism, climate governance, COP, green investments, climate policy, geongineering etc. 

Students will be able to understand the scientific information and key concepts that

underlie climate change, and incorporate current events and new scientific information into what they

have learned to foster critical thinking on future global climate change. They will:

• understand the basic scientific foundation, key concepts and current scenarios that underlie global climate change science
• Have an appreciation for the effect of climate variability and change on society throughout history
• Become aware of climate change impacts, including possible meanings for both the
• natural and the social world
• incorporate current events (eg Brexit, Trump, Climate Finance) into the greater context of climate change impacts and policy
• recognize the limits of current science-policy nexus, in particular of the use of modelling techniques in predicting and acting on climate change.
• analyze climate change from multiple perspectives including analysis of stakeholders
• analyze climate change from the perspectives of other people and nations
• learn how to make explicit their own personal views regarding climate change 

This course is also available as a 20-credit version as HSTM33501.

• The Greatest Empire
• The Grand Experiment 
• Science Triumphant
• Politics: What Works
• Ethics: What Gives 
• Economics: The Showdown
• Security: Tropic of Chaos
• The City: The Asphalt Jungle
• The Media: Tyranny of News
• Futures: The Apocalypse? 
• Overview and mock exam

This unit offers blended learning:

• 11 x online lectures
• 11 x face-to-face group debates

Be conversant with theories, methods and skills to study climate change from different historical, cultural and social perspectives.

Possess knowledge about the varieties of interactions between climate, science and social organisations (publics, government, private sector, indigenous communities)

Understand key elements of climate policy and the politics of climate negotiation

Possess the language and knowledge-base necessary to discuss the science, history and policy of climate change with their peers

Be able to close-read statements on climate change and interpret the policy implications

Think contextually: understand how environmental issues emerge as social problems that require policy measures

Be able to evaluate the nature of information presented in policy documents and the media

To pilot original proposals applicable to local climate governance policies from behavioral, educational or infrastructural perspectives

Have conceptual skills to understand the policy, public and economic statements regarding the climate change regime 

The unit requires that students critically read and analyse select academic and media materials, research original topics, prepare for oral presentations, argue opposing views in real-time. Skills include: team work in preparation and presentation of research, critical and policy-oriented thinking, skills to understand the ‘hidden’ framings of climate change statements; writing skills: academic and for specific audiences.

• Essay 1500 words 50%
• Expedition Photo Essay 1000 words 50%

Students will receive to formative feedbacks during the course of the unit: (1) individual feedback to their presentations and debate and (2) individual feedback on their essay assignment. They will also have access to full feedback on their projects and exams. All submitted coursework will be returned with annotations and comments on Blackboard explaining the rationale for the marks given. All feedback on written coursework will be given within two weeks time, unless otherwise specified

• Mike Hulme (2009), Why We Disagree about Climate Change. Cambridge.
• John Urry (2011). Climate Change and Society. Polity.
• Anthony Giddens (2006). The Politics of Climate Change. Cambridge
• Candis Callison (2014). How Climate Change Comes to Matter: the Communal Life of Facts. Duke University Press.
• Roger A. Pielke Jr (2011). The Climate Fix: What Scientists and Politicians Won’t tell you About Global Warming. Basic Books.
• Maxwell Boykoff (2011). Who Speaks for the Climate: Making Sense on Media Reporting on Climate Change. Cambridge
• Christian Parenti (2011). Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence. Nation Books.