Author Archives: Jonathan Isham

Writing Assignment 2

Writing Assignment 2 FYSE 1239 (Global Warming Solutions)

First draft due on Tuesday, September 30th by 5:00 PM (email to mlefrak AT middlebury.edu)

Final draft due on Wednesday, October 8th in class.

Parts 2 – 4 of Dire Predictions — Projections of Future Climate Change, The Impacts of Climate Change, and Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change – shed light on the world’s future: what may happen as greenhouse gas emissions accelerate.

Imagine that you are working for Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations. He has asked you to write a 3-4 page (double-spaced) report on the following question: should we encourage our UN member countries to adapt to climate change, to try to mitigate climate change, or to do both?

Write a report intended for Secretary Moon and his staff that addresses this question, Your report should include properly documented references from at least five independent sources, one of which can be Dire Predictions. The evaluation of your report will be partially based on the credibility of your sources.

And here’s a link to get started with resources at the Middlebury library.

And see this helpful link: the 9 steps in the writing process.

Finally, a key link on style and citation

Is there a scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change?

As class ended on Monday, we were presented with a hypothesis about the nature of the scientific consensus about anthropogenic climate change: many scientists feel that humans are the main cause behind recent global warming, but many scientists do not, and a large number are in the middle. (Jerry, please correct this hypothesis, as necessary: this is my paraphrase of what you stated ..)  Please come to class with evidence that either refutes or supports this hypothesis.

Wrapping up The Discovery of Global Warming

As noted on our schedule, please bring in on Monday (a) a good exam question that focuses on chapters 7-8 of Discovery and (b) the answer to your question.  And please post your question here (as a comment) before class so we can all get a sense of what we think is most important in the last part of this reading.

Writing Assigment 1: ‘What Can I Do to Fight Global Warming?”

You’re finishing an elevator ride with a stranger who has just heard your pitch about why she should care about global warming.  As the ride ends, she hands you her business card and says: “OK, you’ve convinced me that I should care.  Now I’ve got to run, but could you please send me an answer to my next question ‘What can I do to fight global warming?’”  And as she dashes off, she yells “And please, DON”t talk to met about better lightbulbs ….!”

For your first assignment, compose an answer for her.  Your answer should be succinct, no more than 600 words. It should also be authoritative, based on your developing expertise.   It certainly should be insightful: don’t bore her with ideas that she is likely to already know.  And finally, it must be a pleasure to read: dull writing rarely persuades.  AND PLEASE BRING IN 2 COPIES OF YOUR DRAFT.

Our first day … and choosing your classes.

1.  I was pleased with the start of our course (except for the fact that not one of you spoke up when the wrong image was on the screen!)  And many thanks for the blog posts about China going green; we will use some of that material in class on Monday.  Please feel free to use the comments section below to share your thoughts on how we got started — and even your ideas for next steps.

2.  Keep me posted (at x3238) as pre-advising, the academic forum and other aspects of your course selection continue.  And — sorry I didn’t have a better answer for this today – more information about placement tests and AP exams can be found on pp. 28 – 31 of the First year Registration guide (blue cover).  Please feel free to use the comments section below to share questions or suggestions about the process of choosing courses.

Welcome to this First Year Seminar at Middlebury

Welcome.  This is the first post for “Global Warming Solutions,” our First Year Seminar at Middlebury College. This blog will serve as the central meeting place for those of us in the class – and perhaps others who are interested in being part of our process of ‘open-source learning.’

I have sent send the URL of this blog to the new students – Go class of 2012! – and asked them to read the following article in our del.icio.us roll: In the face of environmental disaster, more Chinese are going green Using the comments section below, please address and discuss the following questions:

In what ways, if any, is the fact that Chinese citizens are ‘going green’ related to China’s level of economic development? To what degree should non-Chinese citizens help the Chinese economy more sustainable? How would you assess which are the best means to offer such help?  Be specific.

We will discuss your responses on the first day of class – Thursday, September 4th, from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM in Munroe 314.