GG102 Quantifying Global & Environmental Change Every Semester

Class meetings: Lecture (Twice per week 50 minutes) &

Discussion section ≤30 students (One per week 50 minutes) Location TBA
Instructor: Greg Ravizza, POST 712, ravizza@hawaii.edu
Office hours: TBA.

Text: Two “textbooks” are required for this course.

(1) Dire Predictions; Understanding Climate Change (DP) by Mann

& Kump is available either as an electronic text subscription:
(https://www.vitalsource.com/referral?term=9780134343143) or as a
hard copy through a vendor of your choice. This text is not too
expensive. Physical copies are available used for less than $15. The
electronic subscription above is $11.99. I suggest the electronic
subscription because it provides easy access to many helpful videos via
“clickable links”. However be aware that I have found viewing these
videos on a phone does not always work.

(2) Thinking Quantitatively (TQ) by Gaze is only available as an e-

text through Pearson publishers and purchasing access to this e-text
also provides access to My Math Lab. This is required for the
course because homework assignments and some quizzes are
administered via My Math Lab.

Why use two textbooks? DP introduces the major findings of the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in a way that is
accessible to non-scientists. While it includes many informative
graphs and charts, the discussion is mainly qualitative. TQ is
essentially a math text that uses spreadsheets as a tool to teach students to become proficient in
many practical applications of math. Topics in the TQ text that are important in this class include:
ratios, basic statistics, units and conversion, linear functions, exponential functions, and fitting
lines. In this class you will be provided with some of the fundamental data relevant to
understanding climate change formatted as tables of numbers in spreadsheets. This semester you
will apply the mathematical concepts and spreadsheet skills gained from the TQ text to
environmental data and projections to make quantitative analyses of content in the DP text.

Content by week: Primary topics are listed by week, below. Reading assignments for Thinking
Quantitatively are given as chapter and section number (for example TQ: Ch1.2). For Dire
Predictions, page numbers are used (DP: p.15-18)
By Week Topic & Reading
1 Global patterns in energy consumption & introduction to spreadsheets.
Formula entry, fixed and relative references, working with data in tabular form.
(TQ: No text reading, TQ Ch1 electronic resources view videos that provide step-
by-step instructions on how to navigate and utilize the basics of a spreadsheet. DP
Energy consumption & “greening energy supply” p. 92-93 & p.170-179) Context:
Where does our energy come from and which nations use the most energy?

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2 Simple models of population growth & greenhouse warming to introduce
functions and equations. TQ: Ch1.1 (Functions) & Ch1.2 (Equations). DP:
Climate Change Basics p.10-29.
Context: How can population change affect energy demand and what are the
implications for our climate?
3 Environmental Data: Making Graphs and paying attention to scales. TQ:
Ch1.3 (Numerical & Graphical Representations) & Ch8.1 (Correlation &
Causation) DP: Greenhouse gas records from ice cores (p. 30-31) and surface
temperature observations (p.34-35).
Context: Visualizing resource consumption and environmental change as a
function of time.
4 Ratios fractional & absolute change: “per capita” representations of
consumption and emissions, TQ: Ch2.1-2.2 (Ratios, proportions & weighted
averages) DP: More information about documenting Earth’s warming (p.37-44).
Context: “Who is responsible?” and the challenge of changing behaviors that
emit greenhouse gases.
5 The challenge of quantifying temperature change and the concept of
comparison to a “base line”. TQ: Ch1.4 (Descriptive statistics & histograms) Ch
2.5 (Normal distributions and z-scores). DP: The Anthropocene: What is the
evidence of broader changes in our environment? (p.48-65 & p,148-149).
Context: Why it is hard to quantify absolute changes in average global
temperature over time.
6 MTOE, Teragrams and ppm: Mysterious units to quantify environmental
change. TQ: Ch2.3 (Ratios as lines with zero intercept) Ch 3.1-3.2 (Unit
Conversions & Scales). DP: None
Context: Atmospheric CO2 has increased about 20% since 1980. Have we burned
enough fossil fuel to cause that big an increase?
7 Times scales of atmospheric CO2 variation. TQ:, Ch 4.3 (Relative percentage
change as growth/decay factor.) & Ch5.2-5.4 (Linear equations and best fit lines)
DP: Carbon Cycle Feedbacks p. 106-109.
Context: Clues to the global carbon cycle embedded in atmospheric CO2 records
8 Earth’s climate history: Taking the temperature of ancient oceans. TQ:
Review Ch5.2 – 5.3 (Linear equations and best fit lines) & Ch 8.2 (Least squares
and regression lines.) DP: Last interglacial p. 66-67 & Climate change projections
p. 82-91
Context: Linear modeling of sedimentation rate and fossil shell chemistry as a
function of temperature.
9 Vulnerability to sea-level rise. TQ: No new reading. Proving the Pythagorean
theorem & putting it to work (Pdf online) DP: Melting ice & rising sea-level p.
110-111 & Is it time to sell that beach house? p. 122-123
Context: Using linear modeling to understand how rising temperatures influence
the oxygen content of seawater and its density.
10 Ocean Deoygenation: An emerging concern. TQ: No new reading. DP:
Suffocating the ocean p. 44-45.
Context: Using linear modeling to understand how rising temperatures influence
the oxygen content of seawater and its density.

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11 Ocean Acidification: CO2 affects more than temperature. TQ: Ch7.1 & 7.4
(Logarithms). DP: Coral Reefs, will ocean acidification be their demise. p.126-
127.
Context: Carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater and reacts with water to make
carbonic acid. The resulting increase in acidity affects the growth of shells and
coral skeletons.
12 Radioactive & stable isotopes of carbon: Powerful tracers of Earth’s carbon
cycle. TQ: Ch6.1-6.2 (Exponential Functions) & Ch7-2 (Doubling time and half
lives). DP: Is the increase in atmospheric CO2 the result of natural cycles? p.32-33
Context: Can we really know that humans are the primary cause of increasing
CO2 levels?
13 Forecasting future CO2 levels: curve fitting vs carbon cycle models. TQ: Ch
6.4 (Exponential Forecasting) & review line fitting (Ch5.4 and Ch8.2). DP: How
to build a climate model. p.68-69 & tipping points p. 104-105. Also review
Carbon Cycle feedbacks. P.106-107
Context: How can we use available atmospheric CO2 data to forecast future
change in atmospheric CO2?
14 Steady State: A quantifiable concept of sustainability. TQ: No new reading
DP: Review Feedback loops (p.24-25).

15 Student assessment projects presented in class.

To succeed in this course you will:

1. Learn to recast written formulae as equations in spreadsheets, understanding both the

inputs and outputs. This will be accomplished by comparing real environmental data to
simple models.
2. Learn how to make, read and interpret charts and graphs.
3. Demonstrate your ability to describe and explain graphs, and the associated data, using
words.
4. Become proficient at converting among the varied units of measure used in Earth and
environmental science so that meaningful comparisons can be made. (This is analogous
to converting between different types of currency.)
5. Learn the main ways in which human population, human activities (with energy use
emphasized in this course), Earth’s carbon cycle and Earth’s climate system are
interconnected.

Relationship to student learning objectives (SLO): The primary goal of this course is give
students a strong foundation in quantitative reasoning, meeting the UHM FQ (Quantitative
Reasoning Foundations) hallmarks (http://blog.hawaii.edu/quantitativereasoning/definition-
hallmarks/). This course is designed primarily for students who are currently pursuing a non-
science/non-technical degree and this course does not count for credit toward a Geology and
Geophysics major or minor.

The examples used to develop quantitative reasoning skills will familiarize students with
observations of Earth and environmental change using graphics, tables and text-based
presentations. Students will also gain an appreciation for the various ways in which human

GG102 Syllabus 3 of 5
 activities impact the Earth system and develop quantitative skills to better evaluate the many
societal issues that intersect with Earth and environmental science. This is one of our own
GG SLOs. At many points through out the course and in the TQ text you will see that the
quantitative skills you are learning are broadly applicable to making informed choices in
every day life. In addition if you successfully complete this course you will be proficient in
the use of spreadsheets, an ability that is valued in a wide array of jobs.

Testing & Grading: Student grades will be determined as follows.

Online & Spreadsheet Homework 25%

In class & online quizzes 30%
5 Spreadsheet Projects @ 5% each
2 exams @ 10% each

On-line Homework will be completed using MyMathLab. Students will have the
opportunity to repeat homework questions until they successfully answer all questions
correctly. The lowest homework score will be dropped from the average. Spreadsheet
homework assignment will be short, designed to take 30 to 45 minutes to complete.
These assignments will typically consist of a computation reinforcing text concepts,
making one table or graph, and a single short answer question

On line quizzes will also be administered on MyMathLab students will have a single
opportunity to answer these questions. This approach is intended to help students judge
their readiness in exams. In class quizzes will be pop quizzes. These will be posted on
line as spreadsheet files just before class and but must be completed and posted on
Laulima during the class period. The lowest quiz score will be dropped from the average.
Students caught cheating on any quiz will zero credit for the quiz.

Spreadsheet projects will be started in discussion sections, but completed on the students
own time. While students are encouraged to work together during class, all students are
required to complete and understand their own spreadsheet. While it is possible that
copied files will not be detected students showed be aware that they will likely fail in
class quizzes &/or exams if they do not learn the content required to complete
spreadsheet projects. All spreadsheet projects will be part of the course grade. Projects
turned in late will be marked down.

Exams: There will be one midterm exam and one final exam. The final exam will be
comprehensive. Make-up exams will only be given in unusual circumstances. Students
caught cheating on any exam will zero credit for the exam.
.
Attendance: Attendance in all class meetings is required and counts as part of your grade.
This includes both lecture and discussion section because unannounced quizzes can be
given at any time. Students are required to bring a laptop or tablet to all classes.

Lecture images: Lecture images (as .pdf) will be posted on the Laulima course web site.
You are encouraged to download these files before lecture an bring either printed or
electronic version to class. Taking notes directly on these images can be very helpful.

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Title IX: The University of Hawai’i is committed to providing a learning, working and
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free of all forms of sex discrimination and gender-based violence, including sexual
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If you wish to directly REPORT an incident of sex discrimination or gender-based

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