COURSE SCHEDULE

Week 1)          Introduction

 Tues 1/28) Course introduction.

Thurs 1/30) Why are we here? Why do we care?

Week 2)       Time and Scale

Tues 2/4) Temporal context of the current crisis.   

Thurs 2/6) The expansion of human ecological impacts.

Readings:

Pahl, Sabine, Stephen Shepard, Christine Boomsma and Christopher Groves. 2014. Perceptions of time in relation to climate change. WIREs Clim Change 2014. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.272

McNeil, J. R. and Peter Engelke. 2014. The Great Acceleration: An Environmental History of the Anthropocene Since 1945. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Ch 2 (PP 63-101)Login to BC Library to View: https://www-degruyter-com.brooklyn.ezproxy.cuny.edu/document/doi/10.4159/9780674970731/html

Video:

Earth and the American Dream: View on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vfznw67kAA

Week 3)       State of the Planet

Tues 2/11) Ecological change from WWII to the present. (Quiz #1)

Thur 2/13) Current ecological conditions.

Reading:

McNeil, J. R. and Peter Engelke. 2014. The Great Acceleration: An Environmental History of the Anthropocene Since 1945. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Ch 3 (PP 103-155) Login to BC Library to View: https://www-degruyter-com.brooklyn.ezproxy.cuny.edu/document/doi/10.4159/9780674970731/html

Websites: 

University of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute, Global Tipping Points 

(https://global-tipping-points.org)

Explanation of ecological boundaries that, once crossed, alter earth systems.

United Nations, Sustainable Development Goals

(https://sdgs.un.org/topics)

Explanation of UN objectives for achieving human well-being and ecological integrity. 

Week 4)       Socio-Environmental Dynamics

Tues 2/18) Conversion Day. Class does not meet.

Thur 2/20) The interaction of social systems and ecosystems. 

Readings:

Bell, Shannon. “‘Energy, Society, and the Environment.’” In Twenty Lessons in Environmental Sociology, edited by Kenneth Alan Gould and Tammy L. Lewis, Third edition., 157–96. New York: Oxford University Press, 2021. https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/ld.php?content_id=74918166.

Video: 

An Inconvenient Sequel 

https://video-alexanderstreet-com.brooklyn.ezproxy.cuny.edu/watch/an-inconvenient-sequel?utm_campaign=Video&utm_medium=MARC&utm_source=aspresolver

Week 5)       What is Climate Change?

Tues 2/25) The treadmill of production as climate change system.

                    [Climate Justice Hub Summit-Graduate Center]

Thur 2/27) Greenhouse gases emissions and sinks. (Quiz #2)

Readings:

Leguizamón, Amalia. “‘Treadmill of Production.’” In Handbook on Inequality and the Environment, edited by Michael A. Long, Michael J. Lynch, and Paul B. Stretesky, 11–27. Elgar Handbooks on Inequality. Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2023. View “Leguizamón” with password here.

.Leichenko, Robin and Karen O’Brien. 2019. Climate and Society: Transforming the Future. Cambridge: Polity Press. Ch 1-2 (PP 1-40). Password Protected at: View “Leichenko and O’Brian” with password here

Website:

NASA, Global Climate Change

(https://climate.nasa.gov)

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s interactive site for climate change explanation and information.  

Week 6)          Social Causes of Climate Change 

Tues 3/4) Carboniferous capitalism. (Quiz #3)

Thur 3/6) CONVERSION DAY (Wednesday Schedule) : See you next Tuesday.

Readings:

Leichenko, Robin and Karen O’Brien. 2019. Climate and Society: Transforming the Future. Cambridge: Polity Press. Ch 5 (PP 79-100) Password Protected at: View “Leichenko and O’Brian” with password here

McKinney, Laura. 2021. “Climate Change.” Pp. 271-292 in Twenty Lessons in Environmental Sociology, edited by Kenneth A. Gould and Tammy L. Lewis. Oxford University Press. https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/ld.php?content_id=75058970

Monbiot, George. 2021. “Capitalism is killing the planet: It’s time to stop buying into our own destruction.” In Guardian, October 30. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/30/capitalism-is-killing-the-planet-its-time-to-stop-buying-into-our-own-destruction

Website:

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change https://www.ipcc.ch

The website of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change including the key assessment reports.

Week 7)          Power and Denialism (Corporations)

Tues 3/11) The fossil fuel industry. (Quiz #4)

Thur 3/13) The climate denial network.

Readings:

Mann, Michael E. 2021. The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet. New York: Public Affairs. Ch 1-3 (PP 9-62) View Mann, Michael E. “Chapters 1-3.” with password here.

Brulle, Robert J. 2021. Networks of Opposition: A Structural analysis of US climate change countermovement coalitions 1989-2015. In Sociological Inquiry. Login with BC Library credentials to view at https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.brooklyn.ezproxy.cuny.edu/doi/full/10.1111/soin.12333

Bohr, Jeremiah. “The Structure and Culture of Climate Change Denial.” In ASA Footnotes, 49 (3). https://www.asanet.org/footnotes-article/structure-and-culture-climate-change-denial/

Website:

Greenpeace USA https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/climate/exxons-climate-denial-history-a-timeline/

A timeline of Exxon’s efforts to deceive the public about climate change.

Week 8)          Policy (The State)

Tues 3/18) Workshop Group Projects. (Quiz #5)

Thur 3/20) Climate mitigation and adaptation policy.

Readings:

Speth, James Gustav. 2021. They Knew: The US Federal Government’s Fifty-Year Role in Causing the Climate Crisis. Cambridge: MIT Press. Ch 2 (PP 41-58) and Ch 8 (PP 133-150) https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/ld.php?content_id=75061154

Carlson, Kathleen, and Sabrina McCormick. 2015. American adaptation: Social factors affecting new developments to address climate change. In Global Environmental Change, Vol. 35 Pp 360-367. https://files.commons.gc.cuny.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/32160/files/2024/03/AmericanAdaptation.pdf

Website:

The White House, National Climate Task Force

https://www.whitehouse.gov/climate

Explanation of Biden Administration climate policies including the IRA and BIL https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/climate/

Week 9)       Social Consequences of Climate Change: Local

Tues 3/25) Flooding in NYC. (Quiz #6)

Thur 3/27) Heat in NYC. (Research Paper Proposals Due)

Readings:

Solecki, William, and Cynthia Rosenzweig. 2019. “New York City Panel on Climate Change 2019 Report Chapter 9: Perspectives on a City in a Changing Climate 2008-2018.” In Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1439(1), 280–305. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14017

Rosenzweig, Bernice, Benjamin L. Ruddell, Lauren McPhillips, Robert Hobbins, Timon McPhearson, Zhongqi Cheng, Heejun Chang, and Yeowon Kim. 2019. “Developing knowledge systems for urban resilience to cloudburst rain events.” In Environmental Science & Policy. Vol. 99, Pp 150-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.05.020

Gornitz, Vivian, Radley Horton, Daniel A. Bader, Philip Orton, and Cynthia Rosenzweig. 2017. “Coping with Higher Sea Levels and Increased Coastal Flooding in New York City.” In Climate Change in North America, edited by Walter Leal Fiho and Jesse M. Keenan. Pp 209-223. https://link-springer-com.brooklyn.ezproxy.cuny.edu/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-53742-9_13

Wilson, Bev. 2020. “Urban heat management and the legacy of redlining.” In Journal of the American Planning Association, 86(4), 443-457 DOI: 10.1080/01944363.2020.1759127

Websites:

NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, Adapt NYC:

https://climate.cityofnewyork.us/initiatives/adaptnyc/

Explanation of NYC vulnerability and policies for climate adaptation and mitigation.

United Nations, Habitat

https://unhabitat.org/topic/climate-change

UN recommendations for urban climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience.

US Environmental Protection Agency, Climate Change Impacts on the Built Environment

https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-built-environment

Explanation of urban climate risks and adaptation and mitigation actions.

Week 10)        Social Consequences of Climate Change: Global

Tues 4/1) Precarity. (Quiz #7)

Thur 4/3) Migration. (Public Education Project: Who is your audience? Due)

Readings:

Leichenko, Robin and Karen O’Brien. 2019. Climate and Society: Transforming the Future. Cambridge: Polity Press. Ch 7-8 (PP 124-157) Login with BC Library credentials at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/brooklyn-ebooks/detail.action?docID=5790519.

IPPC. 2023. Summary for Policymakers. In Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contributing Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Core writing team, H. Lee, and J. Romero (eds.). IPPC, Geneva, Switzerland, Pp 1-34. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_SPM.pdf

Websites:

Migration Policy Institute. Climate Migration 101: An Explainer

https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/climate-migration-101-explainer

The causes, consequences, social impacts, and policies regarding climate migration.

Natural Resources Defense Council, Climate Migration and Equity

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/climate-migration-equity

Brief overview of climate migration, social equity, and US policy.

 Week 11)       Climate Justice

Tues 4/8) Global inequality and climate vulnerability. (Quiz #8)

Thur 4/10) Domestic inequality and vulnerability. 

(Public Education Project: 5 Takeaways. Due)

Readings:

Harlan, Sharon L., David N. Pellow, and J. Timmons Roberts with Shannon E. Bell, William G. Holt, and Joane Nagel. 2015. “Climate justice and inequality.” In Climate Change and Society: Sociological Perspectives, edited by Riley E. Dunlap and Robert J. Brulle. Oxford University Press.

Password Protected at: https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/ld.php?content_id=76007829

Schlosberg, David, and Lisette B. Collins. 2014. “From environmental to climate justice: Climate change and the discourse of environmental justice.” In WIREs Climate Change,  5(3) Pp 359-374.

Login with BC Library Resources at: https://wires-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.brooklyn.ezproxy.cuny.edu/share/ZBIQ4XXMZWXZFTMWFYGJ?target=10.1002/wcc.275 OR Password Protected at: https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/ld.php?content_id=76007833

Websites:

Climate Justice Alliance 

https://climatejusticealliance.org

Interactive resource on climate justice, front line communities, and resistance. 

SPRING RECESS APRIL 12-20: NO CLASS MEETINGS

Week 12)        Climate Activism in the US

Tues 4/22) Consumer-based action. (Quiz #9)

Thur 4/24) Collective action. (Public Education Project: Assumed Knowledge? Due)

Readings:

Latkin, Carl. Lauren Dayton, Haley Bonneau, Ananya Bhaktaram, Jukia Ross, Jessica Pugel, and Megan Weil Latshw. 2023. “Perceived barriers to climate change activism behaviors in the United States among individuals highly concerned about climate change.” In Journal of Prevention, Vol. 44, Pp 389-407. Login with BC Library credentials to view at https://doi-org.brooklyn.ezproxy.cuny.edu/10.1007/s10935-022-00704-0

Fisher, Dana, and Sohana Nasrin. 2021.” Shifting coalitions within the youth climate movement in the US.” In Politics and Governance, 9(2), Pp 112-123. DOI:http://dx.doi.org.brooklyn.ezproxy.cuny.edu/10.17645/pag.v9i2.3801

LeQuesne, Theo. 2019. “From carbon democracy to carbon rebellion: Countering petro-hegemony on the frontlines of climate justice.” In Journal of World-Systems research,  25(1), Pp 15-27. https://jwsr.pitt.edu/ojs/jwsr/article/view/905/1256

Websites:

Extinction Rebellion (XR)

https://rebellion.global

The goals, tactics, and strategies of a leading direct action climate activism organization.

https://citizensclimatelobby.org

Citizens Climate Lobby

The goals, tactics, and strategies of a bipartisan climate lobbying organization.

Sunrise Movement

Youth climate activist organization promoting the Green New Deal

https://www.sunrisemovement.org

Week 13)     Global Climate Activism

Tues 4/29) Legitimate means of protest and advocacy. (Quiz #10)

Thur 5/1) Expanding the repertoire of contention. (Research Papers Due)

Readings:

de Moor, Joost, Michiel De Vydt, Katrin Uba, and Mattias Whalström. 2021. “New kids on the block: Taking stock of the recent cycle of climate activism.” In Social Movement Studies, 20(5), Pp 619-625 https://doi.org/10.1080/14742837.2020.1836617.

Malm, Andreas.  2021. How to Blow Up a Pipeline. New York: Verso. Ch 2 (PP 65-132)

      a link to the copy of chapter 2 of Malm, (password socy2222)

Websites:

Climate Action Network International

https://climatenetwork.org

Resources for a coalition of 1,900 climate organizations in 130 countries.

350.org

https://350.org/?r=US&c=NA

One of the largest international climate action organizations.

Fridays for Future

https://fridaysforfuture.org

International student climate strike organization founded by Greta Thunberg

Week 14)     Alternative Trajectories

Tues. 5/6) Group Public Education Presentation Workshop

Thur. 5/8) Decarbonizing or Degrowth?

Readings:

Leichenko, Robin and Karen O’Brien. 2019. Climate and Society: Transforming the Future. Cambridge: Polity Press. Climate and Society. Ch 9-10 (PP 159-195) https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/ld.php?content_id=75201989

Week 15)     Transitions

Tues. 5/13) Group Public Education Presentation, Group 1.

Thur. 5/15) Group Public Education Presentation, Group 2.