Course description

Carbon dioxide and methane are the most potent atmospheric greenhouse gases and human activities are adding both to the atmosphere at unprecedented rates. The climatological and social consequences of dramatic alterations of atmospheric CO2 and methane concentrations are likely to be significant. However, there are important uncertainties and controversies about the natural geological, biological, and chemical processes which modulate the concentrations of these gases in the atmosphere. These uncertainties influence our assessment of the magnitude of future risk from climate change and our decisions about the best policy to minimize detrimental climate changes. We will explore the science behind these debates, looking both at what is understood and disputed about past natural changes in greenhouse gases, and what is known and disputed about recent and future uptake of anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases.