ESCI 201
Climate Change and New Zealand's Future
The Antarctic Research Centre is offering this summer course. Designed for science and non-science students, this course provides a summary of current knowledge on climate change, the evidence and its uncertainties,d and possible climate scenarios for the next 50 to 100 years. The course also discusses the influence of climate change on NZ's society, economy and environment, and governmental strategies for adaptation and mitigation.
About this course
This course takes place in the first half of Trimester 3. To do well in this course, students participating online and in-person should be engaged every day. There will be daily quizzes based on lectures, tutorials most days, and time each day that should be spent preparing your research project and essay.
Please note, the lectures and tutorials for this course take place over the first 3 weeks of Trimester 3 (17 November - 5 December), with lectures and tutorials from 10 am - 3 pm each day for those 3 weeks, with most days looking like:
● 10-11 am lecture
● 11-12 pm tutorial or time to work on research project
● 12-12:30 pm break
● 12:30-1:30 pm lecture
● 1:30-3 pm tutorial or time to work on research project
A video project is then due on Thursday 11 December, and an essay due on Friday 19 December.
This course is optimised for in-person learning, however, the entire course can be completed remotely.
Course learning objectives
Students who pass this course should be able to:
1. Understand basic concepts, trends and issues in climate change science.
2. Describe how past climates contribute to our current understanding of climate change.
3. Understand the complementary nature of climate change mitigation and adaptation and the major strategies used in each.
4. Appreciate the ethical dimensions of climate change processes and their impacts.
5. Explain the consequences, risks, and uncertainties of climate change in a New Zealand context.
How this course is taught
This course is optimized for in-person learning, however, is available to be completed from home or remotely.
Assessment
Quizzes, tutorials, and weekly blog posts
Type: Individual Mark: 45%
Video project Mark: 25%
Essay
Type: Individual Mark: 30%