Syllabus for LBST-D 503/HON H307, Environmental Science Seminar Fall
'09
Course description for D503/H307
The purpose of this course is to look at the application of physical principles
to environmental issues. In particular we will try to understand some of the
limits placed by scientific laws on humankind's use of environmental resources,
energy resources in particular. Although some mathematics will be used in the
course, students will not be responsible for mathematical applications on tests
or quizzes. Most assignments will be answered in the form of essays and
students are encouraged to discuss their answers will other students.
Topics we will discuss:
1. Based on current estimates of energy resources and energy consumption,
what can expect about future energy resources and consumption?
- Status of current sources of energy?
- Who uses how much energy? (Relative amounts used by various populations,
industries?)
- What are the known available reserves?
- How are projected reserves determined?
- What is the current status of alternative energy sources such as solar
heating, solar electric, geothermal, wind, nuclear, etc.
- What is the estimated possible total contribution of alternative
sources?
- Projections for the future: when will we have to switch from petroleum to
something else?
2. Where can we 'save' energy?
- What are the limits to energy efficiency imposed by the laws of
thermodynamics?
- Given the current energy content of gasoline, that is the theoretical
maximum gas mileage possible?
- What is the efficiency of various heat engines? (Gas, electric,
Stirling)
- Why are fuel cells not subject to the same efficiency rules as heat
engines?
- Where are the biggest savings in recycling and why?
- What are some reasonable estimates of the amount of energy that can be
'saved' by improvements in efficiency?
- Projections for the future: best case/worst case.
3. What do we know about global warming?
- What is the difference between weather and climate?
- What is blackbody radiation?
- What is the greenhouse effect? What would cause a global effect?
- What remote sensing data do we have access to and how is it gathered?
- What is the evidence that there is global warming (radio-isotope dating
methods)?
- How does the current warming trend fit in with natural temperature
fluctuations on a geological time scale?
- What is the difference between a weather model and a climate model?
- How accurate are current numerical climate models?
- What is the evidence that the current warming is caused by humans?
- What effect on human activity would a 3 degree Celsius temperature rise
cause?
4. What is pollution and how do we deal with it?
- What is noise pollution?
- How do we quantify pollution flow rates in solids, liquids and
gasses?
- What should be done with radioactive wastes?
- What are the relative risks of various pollutants (e.g. natural versus
human made)?
- What is radon and how should it be dealt with?
- Is there away to avoid thermal pollution?
5. How do we asses risk?
- What factors are involved in risk assessment?
- What psychological factors are involved?
- What is a fault tree analysis?
- Which is more risky, A or B?
Grading:
If there are only a few students (as I anticipate) the course will be run
something like a seminar. Your grade will be determined in the following
way:
- An assignment will be made for each week of class (you are responsible
for the assignment even if you do not attend class - see the assignment
page). The assignments may consist of an article or book chapter to read,
one or more homework problems, a web site to visit and take notes on or a
combination of the above.
- A discussion of the assignment will take place at the two class meetings
with each student presenting what they have learned regarding the
assignment. Your contribution to the discussion will constitute 20% of your
grade- please come prepared to answer questions and contribute information
on the assignment (I will be asking you questions, not presenting new
information- it is presumed that you can get the core information on your
own).
- The week following the discussion you will hand in the assignment for the
previous week. The handed in assignment may take the form of a short
summary essay, problem solutions or contributions to be posted on the
Environmental Physics Web page (graphs, definitions or discussions). In
some cases your assignment may be a detailed calculation (using referenced
sources) based on a homework problem. These will be graded and constitute
60% of your grade.
- Just before Thanksgiving I will hand out a take home final, due on the
day of the final. This will be a project which will require you to
summarize many of the topics we will discuss during the semester. You may
consult any source you wish, including other students (but please be aware
that students can be expelled from IU for plagiarism so use your own words
and/or reference directly quoted material). The final will count as 20% of
your grade.
- Some of the material we will be using will come from chapters of a book I
am writing. Extra credit can be obtained by a) Finding significant errors
in the material handed out and/or b) Finding original source material which
is included in the book. Please do NOT distribute the chapters to anyone
else- they are copywrited.
- I am putting the grades on Oncourse, please check and make sure I am not
making any mistakes.
Go To: IUS Physics Top Page.
Contact Dr. K.
Forinash, for comments/suggestions/corrections.