Carbon dioxide is the most important atmospheric greenhouse gas, and human activities are adding carbon to the atmosphere at unprecedented rates. Yet only half of the carbon we emit each year remains in the atmosphere because biological, geological, and chemical processes continually cycle carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean, to land plants and soils, and to sediments. The workings of the carbon cycle are at the center of many controversies surrounding the causes of past climate changes and the outcome of future global warming. How was the earth's climate steered by past changes in the carbon cycle, billions and millions of years ago? Will natural processes continue to take up such a high percentage of carbon emissions as emissions continue and climate changes? Can and should we coax natural systems to take up even more carbon? How might carbon emissions be reduced on the scale of the Williams campus? We will explore these issues through readings of current journal articles and reports, as well as participation in a national workshop on reducing carbon emissions on campuses.
Format: tutorial. Requirements: after an initial group meeting, students will meet in pairs for one hour each week with the instructor. Each student will orally present a written paper every other week for criticism during the tutorial session. Evaluation will be based on the five papers and each student's effectiveness as a critic. Prerequisites: one introductory course in Biology, Chemistry, or Geosciences or one course cross-listed in the Environmental Studies program. Enrollment limit: 10 (expected: 10). Preference given to sophomores and juniors. This course satisfies "The Natural World" requirement for the Environmental Studies concentration.