California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

RS 599:  Methods and Applications in Regenerative Systems
Winter Quarter, 2008

Instructors:
Kyle D. Brown
Richard Willson
 

Regenerative Responses to Climate Change at Cal Poly Pomona University

Climate change is one of the most complex issues that the world is facing in this century. Overwhelming research suggests that concentrations of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have already reached unprecedented levels, causing changes in global temperature and observable impacts throughout the world and these changes are happening more quickly than expected.  In response to this crisis, President Ortiz has signed the Presidents Climate Commitment, a voluntary pledge to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions on campus over time.  In 2007, this course was instrumental in informing this decision by the President and in guiding the preliminary work of the President’s Climate Task Force.

The focus of this year’s course will be to examine the implications of regenerative responses to climate change for Cal Poly Pomona University.  Building on inventory work conducted by last year’s class, this course emphasizes more detailed modeling of emissions characteristics and alternative scenarios for reduction and mitigation.  Students will develop proposals for physical interventions, policy programs and/or community development strategies that address one or more aspect of climate change.  The course will explore the administrative and political dimensions of effectuating change, enhancing students’ effectiveness in developing initiatives that will be implemented.

This course serves as the required methods course for MSRS students, and is also open to interested graduate students in other programs, or undergraduate students eligible for 500-level courses.  Co-current enrollment in both the Lab and Lecture component is required.

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• Syllabus
• GHG Emissions Model for Cal Poly Pomona (Excel File based on Clean Air-Cool Planet's Campus Carbon Calculator)

• 2030 GHG Emissions Projections for Cal Poly Pomona, assuming moderate growth
  • Sumary of assumptions in projections (PDF)
  • GHG Emissions model for projections (XLS)
    

Online Course Readings

Week 1

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007) Working Group I Report "The Physical Science Basis - A Summary for Policy Makers."
• US Environmental Protection Agency (2007) Inventory Of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Sinks: 1990-2005 USEPA #430-R-07-002. Executive Summary.
• US Department of Energy, (2007) Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2006. Executive Summary.

Week 2

• Rusina, Heidi, et. al. (2007). California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report, 1995-2005.

Week 4

• U.S. Department of Energy, et al (2004). Guide to Purchasing Green Power.
  
  

Week 6

• Clean Air-Cool Planet (2006). A Consumer's Guide to Retail Carbon Offset Providers.
• Gorte, Ross (2007). Carbon Sequestration in Forests. CRS Report for Congress.

Other Useful Links for Class (by no means exhaustive)

• Clean Air-Cool Planet Campus Climate Action Toolkit. A web site focused on greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction for college campuses in the Northeast, USA. Provides the model for conducting a GHG inventory that will be used in this course.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Emissions site. Provides an overview of greenhouse gas emissions research and annual nationwide inventory (latest report is for 2004).
  • Visit the EPA's Broader Climate Change site. Includes basic science behind all aspects of climate change.
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). IPCC has been established by WMO and UNEP to assess scientific, technical and socio- economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. Has developed standards for conducting GHG inventories, which are used by many organizations, including Clean Air-Cool Planet.
  • IPCC Publications. Includes a comprehensive assessment report from 2001 (next one due out in 2007), and many other special reports and technical papers.
• Energy Information Administration. A division of the Department of Energy. Compiles statistics related to energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions.