FUNDAMENTALS OF SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE

FUND OF SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE

This course provides an introduction to the major themes of sustainability science with a focus on the application of science to the practice of sustainability.  Basic research, especially in the environmental and social sciences, explores the Earth as a system of systems, wherein the physical, chemical and biological systems interact with each other as well as human systems to affect our future.  The results of this research are often difficult to apply in practice unless the research in translated into actionable advice for individuals, governments and private enterprise.  Even so, the actual or perceived complexities of interactions between human and “natural” systems are often seen by decision makers as barriers to long-term planning, an essential element of pursuing sustainability.  A simple definition of sustainability is based on intergenerational equity.  Thus, the relationships between the here-and-now and possible global futures need to be understood.  Students enrolled in this course will discuss: Definitions of sustainability, including environmental, cultural and socio-economic components; Technologies for observing natural systems and their impacts on human systems; Summaries of scientific understanding of global-scale climate dynamics, natural hazards, biodiversity, environmental stressors and anthropogenic inputs to coupled human-natural systems; An overview of the strengths and weaknesses of science-based prediction; An introduction to geoengineering; Developing the evidence base for sustainability decisions; An introduction to risk assessment, perception and management; Decision making under uncertainty; General principles of sustainability management. An undergraduate background in any field of science or engineering and mathematics through statistical and time-series analysis is required.  An interest in coupled natural-human systems is desirable.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Robert Newton
  h-index: 9 Info
• 3 points

CLIMATE SCI FOR DEC MAK: MOD, ANL & AP

MODELING ANALYSIS AND APPLS

Both human and natural systems are growing more vulnerable to climate variability (e.g., the anomalous weather induced by the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, or the increase in hurricanes that occurs when ocean currents warm the Atlantic) and to human-induced climate change, which manifests itself primarily through increases in temperature, precipitation intensity, and sea level, but which can potentially affect all aspects of the global climate. This course will prepare you to estimate climate hazards in your field thereby accelerating the design and implementation of climate-smart, sustainable practices. Climate models are the primary tool for predicting global and regional climate variations, for assessing climate-related risks, and for guiding adaption to climate variability and change. Thus, a basic understanding of the strengths and limitations of such tools is necessary to decision makers and professionals in technical fields.

This course will provide a foundation in the dynamics of the physical climate system that underpin climate models and a full survey of what aspects of the climate system are well observed and understood and where quantitative uncertainties remain. Students will gain a fundamental understanding of the modeling design choices and approximations that distinguish Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)-class climate models from weather forecasting models and that create a diversity of state-of-the-art climate models and climate projections.

This course will provide an overview of the ways in which climate model output and observations can be merged into statistical models to support applications such as seasonal and decadal projections of climate extremes, global and regional climate impacts, and decision-making. Students will develop the skills to visualize, analyze, validate, and interpret climate model output, calculate impact-relevant indices such as duration of heat waves, severity of droughts, or probability of inundation, and the strategies to characterize strengths and uncertainties in projections of future climate change using ensembles of climate models and different emission scenarios.

• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Michael Previdi
  Info
• 3 points

PRED EFFCT CLIMATE CHNGE ON GLOB FORESTS

Forests are often called the lungs of the earth, for their role in converting atmospheric CO2 into the life-sustaining Oxygen that we all breathe. Collectively, the global forests contribute to roughly 40% of the annual global carbon sink, and yet little is known about the drivers of terrestrial carbon sequestration, and the processes involved in these systems response to changes in climate. Forested landscapes also comprise some of the most critical habitats on planet Earth, by serving as refuge to diverse and often endangered flora and fauna, and as regulators of water and soils. These services are particularly important for highland regions where forests are heavily exploited and are often the primary source of water and food for marginalized human populations. This course takes an in-depth look into the current, primary literature on the direct and indirect effects of climate change on forest ecosystems around the globe, and examines some of the primary policy solutions to forest loss mitigation and sustainability. Because the instructor is from the LDEO Tree Ring Lab there will be an emphasis on using dendrochronology for understanding changes in biomass for forest environments, with emphasis on the broadleaf forests of eastern North America and the largely coniferous, fire-prone forests of the American West. Students will have access to multiple sources of data, including satellite, forest inventory, tree rings and eddy-flux measurements. The course will have a field component that will take place at the Black Rock Forest (BRF), about two hours north of NYC. Students will conduct primary research for a final project, with the goal being to develop a set of group projects related to forests and climate change. This course will prepare students to assess the impacts of climate extremes on forest systems and to understand the complexities of response possibilities from diverse ecosystems.

This course will combine lectures and assigned course readings to develop the framework for understanding global forest response to climate change. Each class will begin with a 5-question mini-quiz based upon the assigned readings and the previous lecture. This class will discuss the questions asked, techniques used and key findings of the papers, with discussions led by the students. The class includes a field trip to Black Rock Forest (dates TBD) where students will collect data for use in a class project, thereby providing the opportunity to develop skills in field research and data analysis.

• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Brendan Buckley
  h-index: 40 Info
• 3 points

STATISTICS, DATA ANALYSIS, AND CODING FO

STATS, DATA, ANLYS&CODING

Students in the Master of Science in Sustainability Science will encounter a range of scientific problems throughout their Science-specific courses that require a strong foundational level of mathematical and statistical knowledge.  In addition, course-work will involve computer coding to read, analyze, and visualize data sets.  This course provides an overview of essential mathematical concepts, an introduction to new concepts in statistics and data analysis, and provides computer coding skills that will prepare students for coursework in the Master of Science in Sustainability Science program as well as to succeed in a career having a sustainability science component.  In addition to an overview of essential mathematical concepts, the skills gained in this course include statistics, and coding applied to data analysis in the Sustainability Sciences. Many of these skills are broadly applicable to science-related professions, and will be useful to those having careers involving interaction with scientists, managing projects utilizing scientific analysis, and developing science-based policy. Students enrolled in this course will learn through lectures, class discussion, and hands-on exercises that address the following topics: Review of mathematical concepts in calculus, trigonometry, and linear algebra; Mathematical concepts related to working on a spherical coordinate system (such as that for the Earth); Probability and statistics, including use of probability density functions to calculate expectations, hypothesis testing, and the concept of experimental uncertainty; Concepts in data analysis, including linear least squares, time-series analysis, parameter uncertainties, and analysis of fit; Computer coding skills, including precision of variables, arrays and data structures, input/output, flow control, and subroutines, and coding tools to produce basic X-Y plots as well as images of data fields on a global map.

• W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: James L Davis
  h-index: 57 Info
• 3 points

THE TECHNOLOGY OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

Students are expected to have completed a year of high school physics and chemistry.  It would be best to have also taken college level physics and chemistry.

Renewable energy is generated from natural processes that are continuously replenished.  Aside from geothermal and tidal power, solar radiation is the ultimate source of renewable energy.  In order to have a sustainable environment and economy, CO2 emissions must be reduced (and eventually stopped).  This requires that the fossil fuel based technologies underlying our present electricity generation and transportation systems be replaced by renewable energy.  In addition, the transition to renewable technologies will move nations closer to energy independence and thereby reduce geopolitical tensions associated with energy trading. This course begins with a review of the basics of electricity generation and the heat engines that are the foundation of our current energy systems.  This course will emphasize the inherent inefficiency associated with the conversion of thermal energy to electrical and mechanical energy. The course then covers the most important technologies employed to generate renewable energy.  These are hydroelectric, wind, solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, geothermal, biomass/biofuel, tidal and wave power. The course ends with a description of energy storage technologies, energy markets and possible pathways to a renewable energy future.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Jonathan Hollander
  Info
• 3 points

IMPRV HLTH THRU ENV MSR IN H20 & SOIL

This course will lead participants through a series of case studies of environmental contamination of water and soil, both natural and man-made, from a perspective of their contribution to the global burden of disease. Participants will critically examine datasets documenting toxic exposure in developing countries and around New York City. Participants will have the opportunity to deploy some field kits and compare their results to laboratory measurements. An emphasis on empowerment through measurement, mapping, and sharing of information will lead to a discussion of regulation, policies, and mitigation.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Lex Van Geen
  Info
• 3 points

ENV SUST INDICATORS: CONSTRUCTION & USE

CONSTRUCTION AND USE

This course will present students with the architecture, data, methods, and use cases of environmental indicators, from national-level indices to spatial indices. The course will draw on the instructor’s experience in developing environmental sustainability, vulnerability and risk indicators for the Yale/Columbia EPI as well as for a diverse range of clients including the Global Environmental Facility, UN Environment, and the US Agency for International Development. Guest lecturers will provide exposure to Lamont experience in monitoring the ecological and health impacts of environmental pollution and the use of environmental indicators in New York City government. Beyond lecture and discussion, classroom activities will include learning games, role play and case study methods.

 

The course will explore alternative framings of sustainability, vulnerability and performance, as well as design approaches and aggregation techniques for creating composite indicators (e.g., hierarchical approaches vs. data reduction methods such as principal components analysis). The course will examine data sources from both in-situ monitoring and satellite remote sensing, and issues with their evaluation and appropriateness for use cases and end users. In lab sessions, the students will use pre-packaged data and basic statistical packages to understand the factors that influence index and ranking results, and will construct their own simple comparative index for a thematic area and region or country of their choice. They will learn to critically assess existing indicators and indices, and to construct their own. In addition, students will assess the impacts of environmental performance in several developing and developed countries using available data (e.g., pollutant levels in soils and air in Beijing and NYC), and project future changes based on the trends they see in their assessments. The course will also examine theories that describe the role of scientific information in decision-making processes, and factors that influence the uptake of information in those processes. The course will present best practices for designing effective indicators that can drive policy decisions.

Advising Note:
Students are required to have had prior coursework in descriptive and inferential statistics.

• R 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• 3 points

MANAGING DIVERGING STAKEHOLDER INTERESTS

RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANG

This course will explore ways in which a changing climate drives divergent, often conflicting, responses from different segments of society: distinct economic classes, industries, communities, countries, etc. This course takes a case study approach, looking at how specific socio-economic impacts of global warming are changing alignments and/or deepening stakeholder entrenchment. It has become common to say that “society lacks political will” to implement effective climate policy; but a closer look indicates that it might be more accurate to say that strong, but conflicting, interests delay action. Further, when the costs of climate change and other environmental risks accrue to one social group while the benefits of new opportunities to another, regulatory policy can be badly distorted. To address this set of problems students will start with science-based projections of change in the Arctic and North America, and will look at how different stakeholders have already responded to change. The course will include a segment on modeling stakeholder conflict. Several types of models will be described and students will have access to a version of the Human and Nature Dynamics (HANDY) model that has been modified to include delays in policy implementation. The HANDY model runs quickly enough to try out scenarios in class to test possible impacts of conflict and delay on environmental sustainability.

• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Robert Newton
  h-index: 9 Info
• 3 points

Internship In SUSC

This course requires you to experience firsthand a program-related job in a real working environment. You will engage in personal, environmental and organizational reflection. The ideal Internship will provide you an opportunity to gain tangible and practical knowledge in your chosen field by taking on a position that is closely aligned with your coursework and professional interests. Before registering for this course, you must have completed the Internship Application Form in which you will describe your internship sponsor and provide details about the work that you will be doing. This form must be signed by your internship supervisor and approved by your program director BEFORE you register for this course.

 

To receive instructor approval, the internship:

● Must provide an opportunity for the student to apply course concepts, either at the organizational or team level

● Must fit into the planned future program-related career path of the student

You must identify your own internship opportunities. The internship must involve a commitment to completing a minimum of 210 hours over the semester.

 

At the end of your course, you will submit an evaluation form to your internship supervisor. The evaluation form should be returned directly to the instructor

• Instructor: Gonzalo Miranda Madrigal
  Info
• 3 points

INDEPENDENT STUDY

• Instructor: Maria L Gray
  Info
• 3 points

CAPSTONE WORKSHOP IN SUSTAINABLE SCIENCE

Students study the sustainability science behind a particular sustainability problem, collect and analyze data using scientific tools, and make recommendations for solving the problem. The capstone course is a client-based workshop that will integrate each element of the curriculum into an applied project, giving students hands-on experience.

• T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Joseph Paul
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points