QERM seminar
QERM 597 Autumn 2010 Course Moderator: Jim Anderson
Time: Wednesdays, 3:30 – 4:50 p.m.
Location: Loew Hall 310
HOW CLIMATE CHANGES ATTITUDE CHANGES CLIMATE
We will explore the nature of Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management thorough a class practicum on climate change and its affects on public attitude. Climate change, besides increasing mean annual temperature, has the potential to alter the prevalence and severity of extremes such as heat waves, cold waves, storms, floods and droughts. We will survey potential climate impacts, characterize the statistical properties of one or more impact and develop a model to explore how impacts might alter public attitudes on climate change.
The course will introduce the students to data analysis with the R statistical package and rudimentary theories in ecology and cognitive psychology. Over the quarter active discussions of issues and approaches are expected of the students.
Students present short papers and presentation at the end of the quarter
Suggested reading material
Climate change Science Compendium 2009
Feature article in Planetary Boundaries
NY times Global Warming articles
Arctic Sea Ice News and Analysis
USGS Water Resource Information
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
executive summary of the Washington Climate Change Impacts Assessment
Effects of climate change on agriculture, land use, water resources and biodiversity
The Effects of Climate Change on Water Resources in the United States
For additional resources see the full report
Livestock's Long Shadow: environmental issues and options
Historical Warnings of Future Food Insecurity with Unprecedented Seasonal Heat
class material
September 29 [1]
October 6
report on climate extremes [2]
Website for learning R courtesy of Chloe Bracis [3]
October 13
Weber (2010) What shapes perceptions of climate change? Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change 1(3): 332-342 [4]
Dunlap,and McCright (2008) A widening gap - Republican and Democratic views on climate change Environment: 50(5): 26-35.[5]
October 27
Script for Opinion model [6]
workspace for opinion model [7]
Suggestion:If you use the workspace you might want to change its directory from temp to something easier to find.
November 10
Data sources
Raw temperature data metadata [8]
Annual temperature anomaly in text format [9]
Monthly temperature anomaly in text format [10]
November 17
The article below gives neurological basis for temporal scales in the model
Decision making, impulsivity and time perception Wittmann & Paulus (2008)
[11]
December 1
Updated notes for opinion model - now includes external influences on opinion formation [12]
