Climate Change and History

      Department of History Winter 2016
      Juan Cole History 497.005

      Climate and History

      Instructor: Juan Cole
      Office Hours: 1-2 Tuesdays, 2527 Haven
      Tel. 734 763 1599
      Course Description:

      Climate change has been a key element in earth's evolution from its inception. On two occasions biological organisms have been essential to transforming the atmosphere and climate. From about 1 billion years after the earth solidified, anaerobic bacteria endowed it with an oxygen-rich atmosphere. Since roughly 1800, human beings via the industrial revolution-- with its high carbon emissions -- have raised the parts per million of CO2 from 270 to over 400. This era has been dubbed the Anthropocene, a period when nature is powerfully shaped by the species of homo sapiens sapiens. Even in the era of recorded history before humans had a significant impact on climate, volcanic activity, sunspots and other phenomena caused climate change that had an impact on human history. This course will consider episodes where climate change affected the earth and then historical developments before and during the anthropocene. The course will also consider the discovery of human-induced climate change and its implications for contemporary history and economic systems.

      Readings

      Books at Barnes and Nobles, Wolverine Access outlets

      John L. Brooke, Climate Change and the Course of Global History: A Rough Journal (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014).

      Michael E. Mann and Lee R. Kump, Dire Predictions Understanding Climate Change (New York: DK/ Penguin, 2nd Edition, 2015).

      Christian Parenti, Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence (New York: Nation Books, 2012)

      Gaia Vince, Adventures in the Anthropocene: A Journey to the Heart of the Planet we Made (Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 2014).

      Course Pack at Dollar Bill's, 611 Church


      SYLLABUS

      January 12      Orientation: The Issue of Climate

      January 19      Climate Change Overview

      Mann & Kump, Dire Predictions, Parts 1 & 2

      January 26      Overview Part 2

      Mann & Kump, Dire Predictions, to end

      February 2      Early Modern Cooling Period

      Brooke, Climate Change, pp. 360-466

      February 9      Beginning of Anthropocene & Modern History

      Brooke, Climate Change, pp. 467-499

      FIRST FIVE-PAGE ANALYTICAL ARTICLE DUE FEB. 10

      February 16      Warming in the Twentieth Century

      Brooke, Climate Change, pp. 500-580
      February 23      Remaking our World

      Vince, Adventures in the Anthropocene, pp 1-149
      March 8      Changing Habitat

      Vince, Adventures in the Anthropocene, pp. 150-298
      March 11      Climate Change and Middle East Crisis (Conference at International Institute): Extra Credit.

      March 15      The Present and Future of Cities

      Vince, Adventures, pp. 338-390
      March 22      NO CLASS

      March 29      Climate and Contemporary Conflict

      Christian Parenti, Chapters 1-10
      SECOND FIVE-PAGE ANALYTICAL ARTICLE DUE MIDNIGHT MARCH 29

      April 5      Climate and Contemporary Conflict II

      Christian Parenti, Chapters 11-16
      April 12      Climate Change and Syria
      Juusola, Hannu. MARI, L., "The Internal Dimension of Water Security: The Drought Crisis in The Northeastern Syria." Managing (2010).

      Caitlin E. Werrell, Francesco Femia and Troy Sternberg "State Fragility, Climate Vulnerability, and the Uprisings in Syria and Egypt," SAIS Review of International Affairs Volume 35, Number 1, (Winter-Spring 2015): 29-46.

      FINAL 5-PAGE ANALYTICAL ARTICLE DUE APRIL 19


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      Academic Integrity Policy: History 498 follows the academic integrity guidelines set forth by the College of LSA and the History Department. Students should familiarize themselves with both of these documents, which explain the standards of academic integrity and clarify the prohibited forms of academic misconduct. Students in History 241 should utilize the Chicago Manual of Style Online for all issues of source citation, along with any specific guidelines provided in the course assignments. Clarifying the disciplinary standards of research ethics and source citation is part of the educational mission of this course, and students should consult the faculty instructor and/or GSI regarding any questions. The penalties for deliberate cases of plagiarism and/or other forms of academic misconduct are a failing grade on the assignment. Cases that the instructor judges to be particularly serious, or those in which the student contests the charge of academic misconduct, will be handled by the office of the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education. All cases of deliberate academic misconduct that result in formal sanctions of any kind will be reported to the dean’s office, as required by LSA policy, which also ensures due process rights of appeal for students.



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