EPS 7, Introduction to Climate Change, Fall 2020

EPS 7 will be entirely virtual this fall, but just as much fun. Join the lectures live or watch them at your leisure. Unlike previous years, there will be no grading of in-class participation. Exams will be taken through bCourses. If you live in a very different time zone, you can request to take a different version of the exam 12 hours after the regular time.

Overview

This course covers the physical processes that determine Earth's past, present, and future climate, with a particular focus on the essentially irreversible climate change (a.k.a., global warming) caused by the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas. Topics will also include the estimation of future warming and impacts, the Earth resources that can be used to combat climate change, and the policies being used to shift towards the use of those resources.

Time

M W F, 2:00-3:00

Location

In the bCourses Media Gallery

Required text

None

Readings will be posted online

Prerequisites

None

Grading

Homework 30%, on bCourses, due weekly

Midterm I 20%, on bCourses, 9/30 14:00 (2 PM) Pacific or 10/1 2:00 (2 *AM*) Pacific

Midterm II 20%, on bCourses, 11/6 14:00 (2 PM) Pacific or 11/7 2:00 (2 *AM*) Pacific

Final 30%, on bCourses, 12/17, 15:00 (3 PM) Pacific or 12/18 3:00 (3 *AM*) Pacific

Letter grades are 90-100% for an A, 80-90% for a B, 70-80% for a C, etc.

Exams

Exams are closed-book

Taking of regularly scheduled exams is mandatory

Only exception is documented medical incapacitation

Do not enroll if unable to attend the exams

Copyright

All course materials are copyrighted

This includes lectures, slides, videos, homework, and exams

Course materials are for your own use; they may not be distributed

Distribution or posting of course material is a violation of law and University policy

Honor code

"As a member of the UCB community, I act with honesty, integrity, and respect for others."

The honor code is taken seriously in EPS 7

Academic misconduct or a violation of course policy will result in sanctions

Professor (romps@berkeley.edu)

David Romps

Readers (eps7help@gmail.com)

Nathaniel Tarshish

Chloe Lee

Reader office hours

Tuesdays, 10-11 Pacific, https://meet.google.com/vwd-sjrz-mht

Wednesdays, 1-2 Pacific, https://meet.google.com/wdz-ntsf-unf

Note: You must login to the Google Meet session using your @berkeley.edu account.

Professor office hours

Wednesdays, 3-4 Pacific, https://meet.google.com/xuv-zmbs-you

Note: You must login to the Google Meet session using your @berkeley.edu account.

Syllabus

08/26, Joule and Watt: A tale of two Jameses

08/28, Energy on the move: How it gets from A to B

08/31, Fun with units: Meters and thermometers

09/02, Wien's law: The color of light

09/04, Stefan-Boltzmann law: You are glowing, literally

09/09, Mercury: Warm and toasty

09/11, Mars: A little chilly

09/14, Earth's atmosphere: What is it?

09/16, Clausius-Clapeyron: Water, water, everywhere

09/18, Lapse rate: It is cold up here!

09/21, Radiative transfer: Gases glow, too

09/23, Greenhouse gases: The Earth's clothing

09/25, Discovery of global warming: A short history

09/28, Forcing and feedback: Your best life now

09/30, Midterm I

10/02, Earth's feedbacks: Calculating climate sensitivity

10/05, Cloud taxonomy: Name that cloud

10/07, Fossil fuels: Where did this stuff come from?

10/09, Drill baby drill: How much have we burned?

10/12, Evidence of warming: Is it getting hot in here?

10/14, Ocean acidification: Where does the carbon go?

10/16, Climate models: Supercomputers to the rescue

10/19, The IPCC: How to win a Nobel Prize

10/21, Other gases: Laughing gas and hairspray

10/23, Scary feedbacks: Stuff that could burn

10/26, Paleoclimate: The past as guide to the future

10/28, Ice and sea level: Where to invest in property

10/30, Superstorms: The revenge of Clausius-Clapeyron

11/02, Future Earth: Spacesuits required

11/04, Biomass power: Enough room for food and fuel?

11/06, Midterm II

11/09, Hydro power: What is left to harness?

11/13, Nuclear power: Too costly and dangerous?

11/16, Wind power: Mining the sky

11/18, Solar power: Ready to save the day?

11/20, Domestic policy: CPP, ITC, PTC, alphabet soup

11/23, International agreements: Rio, Kyoto, and Paris

11/30, Carbon tax: The simple policy solution

12/02, Who obstructs action: Follow the money

12/04, Climate rights movement: What will your role be?