tara: Climate change is a great examsnowiest winter on record in Boston. global implications ple of an issue that requires an interHow does that fit into the planet warmof climate change disciplinary approach. As an ecologist, ing up? We’ll look at climate change Brian Gareau I look at different parts of the ecothrough the perspective of past cycles assistant professor of sociology system—soil, plants, and other organover thousands of years. But I also want isms, humans included—to see how the class to understand that climate Tara Pisani Gareau they interact and function given climate change involves some big social juslecturer in earth change. Brian sees the world through a tice issues. These are most prominent and environmental sciences political and sociological lens. in areas where people live the lightest brian: For me, it’s fascinating that on the land. What is our responsibilpeople are still debating whether cliity as a developed country to people in mate change is effected by humans. I developing countries? We’ll study enviwant students to examine the role the media and other ronmental governance issues and global agreements; the economic entities play in that debate as well as the role of United Nations climate talks in Paris next December; and politics in creating a situation where science becomes conthe pope’s upcoming encyclical, which will address climate tested terrain. We’ll bring in guest speakers, from both the change—we’ll use that to discuss the role religious commuscience and the policy sides of the subject. We also want nities might have. to introduce a local perspective, so we’ll talk with the folks brian: We can’t teach everything in this course. But we who provide Boston College with energy. This is a class can open the door to possible futures at Boston College, where you’re going to participate in discussions every time in terms of the courses our students might take, the majors we meet—about what climate change is, and what we can they can form, even future senior theses. They’ll have a do about it. good understanding of where their education can go if they tara: I’m going to cover the basic science. We just saw the choose.
Brian Gareau
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bcm v sp ring 2015
Tara Pisani Gareau