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Climate Change
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Climate Change Class with Coursera
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Julia - yes, I'm in that class as well! Hopefully we will cross paths.And that we can use some of that information in our discussion here as well.
BTW Julia - I wanted to send you a private email message here on Goodreads, but I can't because you have a private profile.I will send you a "friend" request, and then once you accept - if you want to accept - I can send you a private email.
Be glad to, Lynn--I'm not really clear on how to do all the goodreads "stuff", but I look forward to your "friend" request--thanks :-)
Julia - to accept the friend invite, scroll to the top of the page, and look for the "friends" button. (It is next to the email button. There should be a friend request in there from me.And not sure what the think about the class so far. I like the lectures, but I wasn't prepared for the disagreements on the discussion board. Not that disagreements are bad, but some people have kind of an aggressive stance. The only other course that I've taken was on postmodernism, and there wasn't that problem.
Also in my postmodern course, the professor interacted much more in the discussions. And he was just one person with a couple of graduate assistants helping him out. Here they have six professors, and I haven't seen them on the discussion boards at all.
Hmm, I clicked on the little people's heads next to the envelope, but nothing there alas. I'll keep checking :-)This is my fourth Coursera class, and what I've learned is to be VERY selective in those discussion forums. I used to post all the time, and it was fine when doing a literature class (or the ModPo class you took). It's great when the professors and TA's participate in the forums, but that only happened for me in Struck's class on Greek and Roman Mythology.
However, when I took Climate Literacy from the great professors of the Univ. of British Columbia, I gave up on the discussion boards entirely. The professors NEVER were present. Also, I learned the term "troll" for those people who simply love to foment discord--and in two days, I've seen plenty of them on the boards.
So I'm pretty much sticking to the video lectures, which have taught me a great deal so far. I managed to slow down Prof. Barnett's video enough to catch the terms that even the transcript missed :-) He's talking about Funafuti and Tuvalu--again, so much to learn about developing countries and what they are facing.
I posted this once I'd done some digging; for me, taking a course from the Univ. of Melbourne is giving me a new side to the Climate Change issues.
"Funafuti and the other eight tiny islands comprise the Pacific nation of Tuvalu ("Tuvalu" translates as "group of eight", the number of inhabited islands).
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011...
Tuvalu drought could be dry run for dealing with climate change
Tiny nation is suffering from severe La Niña pattern but its problems run deeper with the risk of being swallowed whole by the Pacific Ocean
Toby Manhire in Funafuti, Tuvalu, The Guardian, Monday 17 October 2011
The highest point on Tuvalu, which lies halfway between Australia and Hawaii, is less than five metres above sea level. Most of it is less than a metre above. From the air Funafuti appears as a sliver of unattached coastline. The atoll curls around a large lagoon, the widest stretch from one coast to the other measuring barely 400 metres. There are no streams or rivers. The land, unsuitable for farming, allows few crops to grow.
There is very little room for error. Should sea levels rise this beautiful, tiny country – the land area of all nine islands combined is 26 sq km (10 sq miles), 15 times smaller than the Isle of Wight – will become uninhabitable, swallowed whole by the Pacific Ocean....
The Tuvalu government has long called for industrialised countries to drastically curb carbon emissions, and to compensate parts of the world that are bearing the brunt of climate change.
Like the equally low-lying Maldives in the Indian Ocean, Tuvalu is a symbol of the human price of climate change. Tuvalu's 2008 environment act obliges ministries to "raise the level of understanding throughout the world about the implications of climate change".
Julia wrote: "Hmm, I clicked on the little people's heads next to the envelope, but nothing there alas. I'll keep checking :-)This is my fourth Coursera class, and what I've learned is to be VERY selective in ..."
I'm definitely going to be very selective as well. I'd like to join in on the conversations on alternative energies, fracking, and overconsumption. I'm also hoping that someone will start a thread on overpopulation at some point.
And I realized that I didn't finish the process for adding you as a friend. So hopefully you will see it now!
Thanks so much--all added :-)And I agree with the idea of a thread about "overconsumption". It would tie in perfectly with Prof. Barnett's lecture "Climate Change is a Social Problem." He obviously cares deeply about the social justice side of CC. At the end of his "Vulnerability" lecture, he says that we need to reduce not only greenhouse gases but also inequality.
That's been a special part of the Coursera world--meeting the minds of people around the globe. I want to learn more about developing nations and plans for adaptation for those in danger of becoming climage refugees.
A lot of the people are posting great comments. So I think that I will wade through now and again. And I agree that it is nice to hear from people all over the world!I'm really enjoying Professor Barnett's social justice lectures. You are right - he really does care. Right now I'm also reading Paul Hawken's "Blessed Unrest," and the entire book is a connection of the environment with social justice issues.
The other thing that I hope to discuss was the fact that I think that all countries are vulnerable to climate change - rich and poor and in between. Professor Barnett is right that the poor countries are more vulnerable, but wealthy nations lose a lot monetarily when climate change weather events occur, and they can't afford to year after year keeping pouring money into the system. We can see in the U.S. the monetary costs of Katrina and New Jersey. And I'm sure that in future weeks, he will mention Australia's problems - they've had extremely hot weather that has wreaked havoc on the country.
I just finished my first week quiz--glad I'm taking notes :-)I do think Barnett is considering the poorer population in developed nations--his heart seems to be that of a social worker. And when I went to the activities, there is so much additional good information.
I've found a few threads to follow, as well as some former fellow students--if you run into Kathleen Cook, she's great. It's just that there are so many climate change "deniers" who show up to start arguments--I saw the same names in the Climate Literacy class.
Let me know if you find some good discussion threads, and I'll reciprocate :-) For example, I just found this one, and went through to upvote EVERYONE. The thread was stared by Naysan Albaytar, who is from the Philippines! The thread title is "What specific changes are you doing in your personal life to address climate change?" in the Week One discussion forums. They were all so polite and interested--good to see.
Julia - I found that thread as well! Everyone is so polite, and I've posted a couple times there.I also just posted on the one about overconsumption, and saw that you did as well. :-) Hopefully, there will be a number of responses.
And definitely will let you know if I find others that are interesting ... and polite!
I was thinking of starting one on books: what environmental books are people reading? It would be interesting to see what the international students are reading. We might not be able to get copies in English, but just to hear what the books are about - what other nations are focusing on.
Ah, I just went back and found you--great comments. I think you should start a thread about the books--it would be very interesting to find out what others around the world are reading, and we could share some of them with this group as well.
I was thinking all the way through Prof. Barnett's lectures about whether or not Tuvalu has a library--I often have to remind myself how lucky we are in the U.S. to have so many public libraries.
I'm so humbled by the students who take these Coursera classes when English isn't their first language. Talk about overcoming challenges!
I just watched the first "Adaptation" video for week 2, and I'm feeling pretty down. Underneath all the lists lies the fact that I'm beginning to see as the major underlying factor, not just in climate change but in the viability of the human species on the planet.At every point in Prof. Barnett's lecture, I found myself thinking that the world now belongs to the wealthy. David John Hopcroft's thread "Can we adapt or do we just advise others on how to adapt?" speaks to this issue, and it was great to see Prof. Barnett participating in the discussion.
The top tier of the wealthy are simply too isolated to care about these issues, except for a few individuals. Their wealth provides a barrier between them and the needs of the larger population. I remember a statistic from the Climate Literacy class that stunned me: the top ten wealthiest people in the world have more than the bottom 1.3 BILLION people.
I need to watch the rest of the Week 2 lectures, but not tonight.
I watched the first two, and I was very annoyed at the end of the videos, especially the water example.You are right - the wealthy rule over everything - even water. Who gets the water? Is it big agriculture, small farmers, or the community? We already know the answer, and it isn't just in Australia, it is here in the U.S. I haven't had time to really read about it, but I briefly read about a twon in Texas where the drought is bad, and people don't have access to water, but guess who does? The oil companies.
People got upset a couple months ago when the CEO of Nestle said that access to water wasn't a human right. But that concept has been in play in the U.S. since the early 20s. All over the west, it is a fight for water. And the wealthy get it, and the poor (usually farmers) don't. (Good book/film on this - The Milagro Beanfield War. The movie Chinatown is on water rights as well.)
And when we scream about the wealthy getting everything, we are accused of class warfare. But really, the wealthy have been winning the war for all of civilized time.
It is very discouraging.
Although with that said, I think that the wealthy and wealthy nations such as our own are fooling themselves when they think that they can buy their way out of climate change. Wealth isn't infinite. And we have more to lose.
Especially when we have the knowledge now about climate change but are refusing to act. There is a reason why knowledge is at the bottom of Bloom's Taxonomy...because knowledge isn't enough. You have to comprehend, synthesis, analyze, evaluate, and APPLY.
Yes, it is discouraging, Lynn--I'm 72 and have been at various peace/justice issues for 50 years. When we sang "We Shall Overcome" at an Iraq vigil, all of us looked around, and we were the same ones who had sung it 30 years earlier during Vietnam.The water issue is the ultimate test. Here's a picture that put it in perspective for me. Anyone who doesn't think there will be water wars in the future is very naïve.
"Not such a wet planet: Picture shows how all the water on Earth would fit into one 860-mile-wide ball"
By Rob Waugh, 8 May 2012, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetec...
"When people talk about our water supply running out, it's often difficult to imagine - but according to the U.S. government's Geological Survey, all the water on Earth would fit into an 860-mile-wide bubble.
Around 70% of Earth's surface IS water-covered - but it's a very, very thin layer. Every sea, river and underground lake would fit into what looks like a tiny blue 'blister' on the side of our planet.
'As you know, the Earth is a watery place - but all the water on, in, and above the Earth would fill a ball the size of that tiny blue sphere sitting on the United States, reaching from about Salt Lake City, Utah to Topeka, Kansas,' says a USGS release.
The oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth's water. Water also exists on Earth in the air as clouds and water vapour, in lakes and rivers, in icecaps and glaciers, and in living creatures - but all of that would fit into the tiny ball.
'The vast majority of water on the Earth's surface, over 96 percent, is saline water in the oceans,' says the USGS."
That image is really brings the issue to light - and had no idea it was that little in relation to the rest of the planet. Going to have to show that to my students this semester.
I'm a bit behind this week in coursera. I am going to get caught up today and tomorrow.This past week was the last week before school begins this upcoming week so I was engaging in less intellectually stressful things - reading light literature, watching films on Netflix, and watching tennis.
Going to miss the summer... :-(
Ah, I well remember that week before Labor Day, when the butterflies started in my stomach. Glad you're relaxing a bit--I taught high school English, so wish you the best with your classes. I still have one video lecture for week 2--will try to get to that tomorrow. I like Prof. Barnett, but some of the information began to seem repetitive. And underlying everything is, once again, the issue of money.
Take care--hope you're having the lovely moonlight we've been getting here in MI :-)
Just finished the second week's lectures and quiz--and I'm really considering not just the role of overconsumption in all this, but also the role of overpopulation. I have no solutions, but in my own lifetime the planet has gone from 2 billion people to over 7 billion today.http://www.census.gov/popclock/I'm not sure if this issue will be brought up in the class, but it's certainly coming up in the discussion forums. And it's overwhelming, imho--I can't imagine what the future holds with ever more humans creating demands on the planet.
Much to ponder--especially when Prof. Barnett very clearly sees this as a "have-have not" type of problem, where the very wealthy are insulated from the types of challenges faced in the Pacific Islands (or by those in poverty in the U.S. and other developed nations).
I like Professor Barnett just for that reason - it is a "have"-"have not" problem.But it is also overpopulation. I've been working on overpopulation issues since the early 1990s. Actually, it was in high school in the 70s when my biology teacher talked about it that I first became away of the problem.
I grassroots lobbied in Washington with the Sierra Club and Population Connection in the late 90s, trying to get funding for reproductive services for women overseas via the UN. Very difficult, because the GOP can't seem to figure out the difference between abortion and birth control (no money from the U.S. can be used for abortions overseas, but they couldn't seem to grasp on to that fact - that we were only talking about birth control). And then when Bush came into office, there was absolutely no funding for anything for women overseas.
We know that the smaller the family size, teh better for women. Because in big families in poorer nations, the money for education goes to the boys rather than the girls. In smaller families, girls get to go to school as well.
Fortunately, family size is going down all over the world, but still, overall population is still going up. Thankfully, not as quickly as in the past.
That's why people are looking at consumption as related to population. Because as family sizes decrease, the more money families have to spend on material goods.
But we have to keep talking about overpopulation. Lots of obstacles though - it is a sensitive issue because of people ideas regarding freedom of choice in family size and religious beliefs.
Oh, Lynn--how well I know the sensitivity of these issues. I just posted the following, and wonder what you think--I know my ideas are a shock to some, even in my own family. But just as I think birth control should be offered as a choice for one end of life, I also think the "Death with Dignity" movement seeks to make choice a part of life's final stages.Here's what I posted; needless to say, the post has pretty much been ignored in the forum, since "Death with Dignity" is presently in the position that abortion was in the past--a topic that is very uncomfortable for many:
"While I appreciate all that hospice has done for my age group as we face end-of-life choices, I'm surprised that people shy away from discussing the idea of Death with Dignity.
Three states have enacted Death with Dignity laws: Oregon, Washington, and Vermont. These laws allow mentally competent, terminally-ill adult state residents to voluntarily request and receive a prescription medication to hasten their death. This is one of many end-of-life care options available in Oregon, Washington, and Vermont. Oregon voters approved of their Death with Dignity Act in 1994 and confirmed their support in 1997. Oregon's law went into effect in 1998. The voters of Washington passed their law in 2008 and it was implemented in 2009 after no credible legal challenges. Vermont became the third state with a Death with Dignity law in 2013, and the law went into effect immediately after Governor Shumlin signed it on May 20." http://www.deathwithdignity.org/acts Montana is considering the act, which was sent to committee.
Switzerland has had such a choice available since 1942, and is the only country where foreigners may seek help in making their choice. I have found reference to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg as also allowing for this choice. http://www.economist.com/news/interna......
To be a responsible human being requires that I have a CHOICE, whether it be at the beginning of life or the end. In the U.S., we need a legal decision that lets that end-of-life choice be made by each individual, just as Roe VS Wade allowed for choice in terms of abortion. So far a very limited number of countries and states allow that choice."
Julia wrote: "Oh, Lynn--how well I know the sensitivity of these issues. I just posted the following, and wonder what you think--I know my ideas are a shock to some, even in my own family. But just as I think bi..."Great post! Definitely something that needs to be talked about more.
Although I can understand the arguments against: people will feel that they are a financial burden on their loved ones, or that they will be pressured by their loved ones.
Sadly, it would never happen in the U.S., but one way to reduce the number of children people have is to take away financial "incentives."For example, only allow for tax deductions for 2 dependents. Or the public schools will only educate 2 children for free; after that, parents have to pay for the cost of their child's education in a public school (where I live, about $8,000 per year).
Nothing speaks louder than money. ;)
Good points, Lynn--but we live in this society where "freedom" means "I can do whatever I want", whether it's having babies or using energy. And it doesn't help to have shows like "Teen Mom" on TV! You are so right when you say, "Nothing speaks louder than money." It certainly is shouting its head off these days!
Julia wrote: "Oh, Lynn--how well I know the sensitivity of these issues. I just posted the following, and wonder what you think--I know my ideas are a shock to some, even in my own family. But just as I think bi..."Hello, Julia. I read your post on "Death with Dignity" with interest. This is something that I am 100% behind, and wish that it could be enacted by more states. Like you, I believe it important that I have the ability to make a choice when it comes to end of life decisions. I appreciate your willingness to take a position on a controversial issue.
Thanks, Sara--I try to remember how long it took for Roe VS Wade to happen, but at least a few more states have joined Oregon. I just found this article by a doctor: http://www.theguardian.com/society/20...
"Almost all medical professionals have seen what we call "futile care" being performed on people. That's when doctors bring the cutting edge of technology to bear on a grievously ill person near the end of life. The patient will be cut open, perforated with tubes, hooked up to machines, and assaulted with drugs. All of this occurs in the intensive care unit at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars a day. What it buys is misery we would not inflict on a terrorist. I cannot count the number of times fellow physicians have told me, in words that vary only slightly: "Promise me that if you find me like this you'll kill me." They mean it. Some medical personnel wear medallions stamped "NO CODE" to tell physicians not to perform CPR on them. I have even seen it as a tattoo."
Between the growth of hospice and these types of responses in the medical community, I'm hoping more states will join VT, WA, and OR in passing an actual DWD act.
Julia - I thought of you the other day. I can't remember which political show that I was watching, but they were talking about mercy killings. In many cases, death with dignity involves another person.The expert on the topic was saying that most people don't have an issue with death with dignity. They agree on principle. But what holds them back is that they worry that it will be abused. An excuse basically for murder by another person.
I know that is what I worry about even though I agree in principle with death with dignity.
Going along with the above article in The Guardian, it should be something that would be regulated by the medical community and not left up to one doctor - a panel of doctors would have to okay the decision. That would also stop individuals from taking drastic steps themselves.
Back to the course - I'm finding the discussion boards more and more annoying. If I read one more post criticizing the Professor, I'll weep. There are good threads, but you have to wade through so much junk to get to them - I just don't have the time for that.I'm going to focus on the lectures and quizzes.
I'm not even sure that I'll do the papers - although the first one is incredibly simple - because I don't want to get involved in the peer assessments. I've heard there is a lot of disagreements - again, don't have the time for that.
Lynn, you're speaking for me as well. This is my fourth Coursera class, and I've given up doing any papers due to the peer assessment process as well as the plagiarism. Invariably, after the first paper gets peer reviews, the forums clog up with people complaining. I'm just learning a great deal from Prof. Barnett and thanking him when I do happen to see any negative comments.
Tomorrow I'm starting The Ancient Greeks as well, so with Climate Change, I'll be taking notes on the videos.
Coursera was a steep learning curve for me, but I've realized that even these supposedly "college" courses can be undermined by "trolls" (learned that term in the first course!)
I figure at this point we can simply learn--although Barnett's lecture on the UNFCCC made me deeply aware of how red tape gets in the way of ANY attempts to really help.
I also thanked Professor Barnett - and saw your post. I especially loved this last set of lectures. Excellent discussion on the workings of the UNFCCC, the connection between emissions reduction and the economy, etc.
Also, at the very end, the idea that it is really to the people. We look to government, but government takes its cues from the people. President Obama said as much earlier in the year; the people aren't demanding action on climate change. Even corporations. Yes, they are controlling our government more and more, but the people are allowing it. Only a handful of people are yelling because they are terrified that their lifestyles would take a hit if corporations weren't allowed to seek massive economic gains.
(Can't wait to read the book "Enough is Enough." If I like it, I am planning on using it in my Spring classes).
Good luck with The Ancient Greeks! I looked at that as well but just don't have time with school beginning again. I have to check to see that if I enroll in a class, I can do it when the time suits my schedule (just listen to the lectures, but don't do the quizzes, papers, etc.) I know that my modern/postmodernist class is still up - I can view the lectures now so I'm assuming that is true for any of the courses.
Thanks, Lynn--I decided to hold off on the Ancient Greeks, since I'm going for Modern and Contemporary Poetry instead. Seamus Heaney's death really stuck me; I've always loved his translation of Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. I agree with you on Prof. Barnett--I've learned so much, and his sincerity really comes across. I do think we have groups of people speaking out on climate change--but I'm not seeing much hope that even Bill McKibben's 350.org and all the other vocal organizations will be able to stop the deterioration. However, I loved his last lecture, where he put the responsibility right back on the individual. I'll miss him.
We're hearing from people as we collect signatures to get a ballot initiative in place for banning fracking in MI--and part of the issue is that no one wants to make sacrifices, even those who support the idea. I think often of your idea on overconsumption--so that even good-hearted people just can't get off their addiction to oil.
Have a great start to the year--I do miss the students and classroom. Right now I'd have my bulletin boards all set--and then not sleep a wink before the first day! :-)
I was behind in the Coursera class because of the start of my own semester teaching, but finally caught up. I like the new professor, although I miss Professor Barnett.I was a bit worried about the 4th quiz. All that science! Normally the quizzes take me about 5 minutes. Not the 4th quiz - took 35 minutes, and I had to rewatch some of the videos. But I was pleased - got the questions all correct.
And now I have a lot of material when I'm debating someone over climate change! Plus, since I use the environment as a theme many times in my classes, I can also use the information there as well.
Hope you are enjoying the Modern and Contemporary Poetry class! And I loved loved loved Heaney's translation of Beowulf. I had always had trouble with Beowulf, but not with his translation.
When the climate change class is over, I definitely would like to take another course. I just love the learning process, and with Coursera, you can do it in your own time without the homework. I just want the information from experts.
I've been behind as well, Lynn--and since I'm auditing, I don't do the quizzes or papers after all the controversy about them in my other Coursera classes.That's the beauty of it for me--that each of us can learn at our own pace and in ways that are meaningful to us. As an academic world, Coursera has much to figure out, especially about plagiarism--but the chance to learn from good professors is always a joy:-)
I decided NOT to do ModPo after watching the opening 20 minute video--Dr. Al has rave reviews from everyone who has taken the course, but when he read his "favorite" poem, I knew we had entirely different tastes in poetry!
So I still have Dr. Peter Struck's Greek and Roman Mythology on my wait list--I LOVED him and the class, but a fellow student was put off by my many posts and so the harassment began. Sigh. I'm learning that I have to not get so carried away, and also that anonymous posters can be really cruel.
I'm signed up for two courses in February: "Soul Beliefs: Causes and Consequences" from Rutgers and "Reason and Persuasion: Thinking Through Three Dialogues By Plato" from the Univ. of Singapore.
I also miss Professor Barnett; he put a human face on this whole issue. We had tons of the science in the "Climate Literacy" class from two excellent professors at the Univ. of British Columbia, so I've been doing other reading during this part.
Coursera is a wonderful tool--glad you're enjoying it as well :-)
Julia - I'm taking another class! Environmental law. Since I'm only listening to the lectures now and taking the quizzes, the classes don't take much time each week. But loving the information that I'm receiving from the professors. And really like the professor for the env. law class.
Good for you! I'll be taking the courses on "Soul Beliefs" and three of Plato's dialogues in February. Take care and enjoy--it's nice to just gather information and, for the most part, skip the "angst" of the discussion forums :-)
Plato...how cool!!! :-)I'm thinking of taking an easier class next: Rock Music II.
But then again, I might take the historical fiction class - Plagues, Witches, and War: The Worlds of Historical Fiction - Scott's Waverley, Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and William Wells Brown’s Clotel.
Julia,What did you think about the lectures on wind and solar? He was clear that wind and solar couldn't generate enough power for the base load. Also, he pushed nuclear, which I found surprising. It isn't as safe as he made it sound (Russia, Japan).
But I also want to go with science. Don't want to be one of the science deniers.
As I was listening, I thought that we need to go back to the idea of reducing consumption. He never mentioned it, but if fossil fuels generate too much CO2 and alternative energies won't adequately meet our needs, that is the only option. Plus, creating products that are far less energy intensive (i.e., solar powered laptops, etc.).
Lynn, I've thought all along that not enough is being said about REDUCING our consumption! So glad we'll be looking into that topic in this group. However, reducing consumption can ONLY happen in a meaningful way if the people of the U.S. are willing to make some sacrifices--and I'm just not seeing that happening on a broad scale. In fact, as I was working on the ballot initiative to ban fracking, I realized fracking would never have happened without the demand for more energy. Yet Americans are still building McMansions and buying SUV's.
Alternative energies CAN meet our needs--if we just stop needing so much. In GASLAND II, I recall a Stanford professor being interviewed who said that we could develop the needed alternative energy sources right now--but those with the wealth will fight that tooth and nail.
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You can check out the course at https://class.coursera.org/climatecha...
I've found that I can just follow the lectures and discussion threads without doing the quizzes or writing the papers. I tried to be a "good student" and do all the work in the first course from UofM, but the issue of plagiarism is constant in these courses, as well as arguments during the peer review process. However, some people do want the certificate of completion, so Coursera lets us choose how to approach the class.
The professors come from around the world, as do the students--and being in a discussion thread with people from China, Portugal, Africa, etc. is an eye-opener in the world of environmental concerns.
I think you said you'd be in the class, Lynn--hope to cross paths as we delve more deeply into this crucial issue.