EOSC 312 - THE EARTH SYSTEM & ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY

Instructor: Dr. Kurt Grimm; kgrimm@eos.ubc.ca — Office: EOS - South Rm. 260;  822-9258 — Course meets MWF@ 900 am, Biological Sciences 2449 —

Office hours- M and Tu, 1430-1630 or by appointment.

I. Overview of Course Concept — This course is about dynamic complexity, Earth systems science and the process of sustainability. We’ll explore Earth system processes — interconnected geological, oceanic, atmospheric and biological phenomena — to build our capacity to think creatively about planet Earth’s environmental past, present status and future possibilities. I anticipate that each student will develop a broad and integrated understanding of Earth systems operation and Earth’s environmental evolution, which provides a foundation for more deeply understanding and perhaps advancing the sustainability imperative. We will address these goals through lectures, readings, online resources, and student-directed service learning. In the final projects, student groups will execute and present student-directed service learning projects, manifesting an opportunity to integrate your understandings of complex systems concepts, by practically applying them to advancing a group-selectedfacet of the sustainability challenge.

The study of Earth systems crosses classical boundaries in the natural and social sciences. For example, we will discuss aspects of oceanography, atmospheric science, paleontology and geology, as well as economic, political and societal aspects of global issues and the challenge of sustainability. The course targets “non-scientists” and is structured accordingly.

Course description in the 2003-04 UBC Calendar

EOSC 312: (3) The Earth System and Environmental History: Earth’s environmental history and aspects of contemporary global change. Plate tectonics, mass extinction and the Gaia Hypothesis.  Not for credit for students in the Faculties of Science and Applied Science. [3-0-0].  

Updated description for 2004 (not yet submitted to Faculty of Science)

EOSC 312: (3) The Earth System and Environmental Evolution: Complex systems, coevolution of Life and environment on planet Earth and the sustainability imperative. Plate tectonics, Gaia Theory; biophysical, social and personal sustainability.  Not for credit for students in the Faculties of Science and Applied Science. [3-0-0].

Note: EOSC 312 satisifies the science requirement for the B.A., B.F.A. and B. Mus. in the Faculty of Arts.

II. Course content: After a brief introduction to complex (self-organizing and self-regulating) systems (such as Life), we will survey the origin and operation of the Earth system. Once this interconnected, coevolutionary perspective has been established and reinforced with a midterm exam, we will move forward into exploring Gaia Theory — a somewhat unconventional view of Planet Earth as “alive” — and review examples of global environmental change. From here, we will explore some aspects of global/regional/local issues linked to human activities. The trajectory of the course is responsive to student inputs and the instructors discretion. The course is different each year; students generally work hard, learn alot and truly have a great time.

III. Required Work and Assessment

Course lectures and readings (paper and online resources) are complementary, and are generally not redundant. Successful mastery of course material will require integration of concepts and specific material covered in class, in readings and limited web resources.

A. Quiz on course text: 5% (Worldwatch Institute, 2003. State of the World 2003; http://www.worldwatch.org/press/news/2003/01/09/) on Friday January 23 (This is an essential day to be in class, for we will also establish groupings for student final projects in class on this day. If you miss class on January 23, you must present a doctor’s note; in addition, I may assign you to an existing group or establish an additional group.

B. Midterm exam: 20% (Monday, February 23, = the first day back from reading break).

C. Final Project: 50% 

General Flow of tasks for Final Projects:

 

D. Final Exam: 25%

Exams will consist of short answer, true/false, multiple choice, short essay, and perhaps longer essay questions. Materials covered will be drawn from lectures and readings, including online resources. Lectures and readings are generally complementary, but are commonly non-redundant. Some rock samples, projected images and film/animations shown in lecture will likely be redisplayed in the midterm and final exams, as a starting point for substantive factual and conceptual questions. I will provide specific examples in class.

V.   Course Readings

1.   State of the World 2003.The Worldwatch Institute, WW Norton & Company, 256 p. (ISBN: 0393323862 )

2.   I may distribute several short articles in class as the term progresses.

3.   Online resources: see below and perhaps additional sites announced in class.                              

VI. General Overview of Major Topics (this list is a target, not a “ball and chain”....)

  1. Survey of Major Themes: Earth systems, Complexity and Sustainability
  2. What is Science?
  3. Introduction to Complex systems (including: Self-organization, feedbacks, emergence,  leverage points and the phenomeonon of Life
  4. Earth System Science
    1. Origin of the Solar System and Planet Earth: Self organizing phenomena
    2. The Geosphere: “Solid” Earth processes
    3. Earth’s Environmental Evolution: Coevolution of Life and environment
    4. Earth’s Lifeblood: Components and Operation of the Hydrosphere
    5. Earth’s Atmosphere : A Living Membrane
    6. Global Biogeochemical Cycles and Sedimentary Rocks
  5. The Architecture of Nature and Gaia Theory
  6. What is Sustainability?

VII. Optional film screenings: WHEN and where?

VIII. Learning outcomes:

  1. A reconnaissance understanding of Earth system science — the interconnected, coevolutionary roles of the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere — and how these systems govern Earth’s climate and Earth system evolution.
  2. A richer appreciation of planet Earth and our local bioregion, that will enrich your experiences “outdoors”, and provide a foundation for a lifetime of enjoyment and appreciation.
  3. Ability to distinguish between complicated and complex systems, and experience with using of leverage points within a complex system.
  4. Experience with concept maps, community service learning and engaged group process, including consensus decision making.
  5. Ability to confidently and clearly communicate a clear response to the question ”What is sustainability?”, in a manner that encompasses the complexity and simplicity of the sustainability concept.
  6. Ability to communicate a definition of personal sustainability and activate personal changes that shift your own lifestyle towards the goasl that you set for yourself.

IX. Some resources for final projects

A. Concept mapping Resources: The following questions, which are fair game for the midterm exam. What is a concept map? How are they constructed and used? How are they useful? What types of concept maps are there? Please provide an example drawn from your own life experience.

http://www.graphic.org/concept.html (excellent simple introduction)

http://classes.aces.uiuc.edu/ACES100/Mind/CMap.html (review and see at bottom: click on “Kinds of Concept Maps” and “Concept Map Bank”)

http://www.inspiration.com/vlearning/index.cfm (click “example diagrams” and explore)

http://www.smartdraw.com/specials/mindmapping.asp?id=13054 (examples and free software)

http://www.thebrain.com/LPS/PBMM/ (really wild “3-D” software)

B. SERVICE LEARNING RESOURCES: What is a service learning? How is service learning implemented? What are the potential benefits to all involved? How can the effectiveness of service learning be assessed? 

http://www.learningexchange.ubc.ca/trek_program/community_learn/index.html

http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/ins/serv/ (replace “young person” with “students”

http://www.asu.edu/duas/servlearn/

http://www-gse.berkeley.edu/research/slc/about.html

http://www.servicelearning.msu.edu//students.html

I am still on a step learning curve as a facilitator of service learning; I anticipate we will all be challenged and will learn a lot while making a useful and satisfying contribution.

X. Websites to review (These are fair game for exam questions)

http://www.earth.nasa.gov/science/index.html (Earth System Science)

http://www.2think.org/keeling_curve.shtml (Keeling Curve)

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/tectonics.html ; click on history, mechanism and animations);

http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/dynamic.html

XI. Quotes to ponder

Whenever any society perishes, there is one thing in common... they forget where they come from.                 Carl Sandberg

When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it is hitched to everything else in the Universe.

                John Muir

                Eminent American Naturalist and Founder of the Sierra Club

In the end, we will only conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.

                Baba Diowan

Data is not information, Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not understanding, Understanding is not wisdom.

                source unknown

Vocation is where the heart’s deep gladness meets the world’s deep hunger.

                Paul Gorman

Hope has two beautiful daughters — Anger and Courage.

    Anger at the way things are

    Courage to work to make things other than they are.

                                     St. Augustine

“Thus, the task is not so much to see what no one has yet seen, but to think what no one has yet thought about that which everybody sees”.

                Schopenhauer

Go where you’re sent.

Wait and see what  you are supposed to do.

Do it; stay until complete, no longer.

Leave with empty hands.

                Unknown

To Be of Use

The people I love the best

jump into work head first

without dallying in the shallows

and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.

They seem to become natives of that element …

I love people who harness themselves,

an ox to a heavy cart,

who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,

who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,

who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge

in the task, who go into the fields to harvest

and work in a row and pass the bags along …

The work of the world is common as mud …

But the thing worth doing well

has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.

Greek amphorae for wine or oil,

Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums

but you know they were made to be used.

The pitcher cries for water to carry

and a person for work that is real.

Marge Piercy