Energy and Climate: Science for Citizens in the Age of Global Warming [TTC Audio]
English | 1996 | 7 hrs and 40 mins | MP3 | 158 MB
Richard Wolfson
Middlebury College
Ph.D., Dartmouth College
Richard Wolfson is the Benjamin F. Wissler Professor of Physics at Middlebury College, where he has taught for over 25 years. He did undergraduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Swarthmore College, graduating from Swarthmore with a double major in physics and philosophy. He holds a Master s degree in environmental studies from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in physics from Dartmouth College.
Professor Wolfson has spent sabbatical years as Visiting Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado; at St. Andrews University in Scotland; and at Stanford University.
Professor Wolfson s research is published widely in scientific journals and includes such diverse fields as medical physics, plasma physics, solar energy engineering, electronic circuit design, observational astronomy, and theoretical astrophysics. He is the author of several books including an introductory physics textbook, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, currently in its third edition.
Professor Wolfson is also an interpreter of science for the non-specialist, a contributor to Scientific American, and author of the books Nuclear Choices: A Citizen s Guide to Nuclear Technology and Simply Einstein: Relativity Demystified.
Courses by this professor:
Einstein s Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists, 2nd Edition >
Energy and Climate: Science for Citizens in the Age of Global Warming >
Joy of Science/Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution (SET) >
Physics in Your Life >
Physics in Your Life/Einstein s Relativity and the Quantum Revolution (Set) >
General Information
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Title:
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Energy And Climate; Science For Citizens In The Age Of Global Warming-
Author: The Teaching Company
Read By: Richard Wolfson
Genre: Lecture
Publisher: The Teaching Company
Abridged: No
Original Media Information
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Media: Tape
Number: 5
Source: Downloaded
File Information
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Number of MP3s: 10
Total Duration: 7:55:42
Total MP3 Size: 222.59
Parity Archive: No
Ripped By: Unknown
Encoded With: FhG
Encoded At:
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CBR 64 kbit/s 44100 Hz Mono; CBR 80 kbit/s 44100 Hz Mono
ID3 Tags: Set, v1.1, v2.3
Book Description
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Energy and Climate: Science for Citizens in the Age of Global Warming-
(10 lectures, 45 minutes/lecture)
Course No. 154
Taught by Richard Wolfson
Middlebury College
Ph.D., Dartmouth College
Is global warming actually happening? Could it really threaten civilization?
How much money are we willing to spend on alternate fuels? Should we
use technologies that involve other risks (like nuclear power)?
Professor and physicist Richard Wolfson's course will allow you to form
answers to those questions answers that are grounded in scientific facts.
You do not need a background in science to understand these issues as
he presents them.
Using simple diagrams and graphics, Professor Wolfson makes his subject
both lively and accessible as he explains how the Earth's climate regulates
temperature, how human activity can unbalance this system, how scientists
predict the extent and impact of global warming, and what we can do
about it.
This course examines human energy use and global warming and offers
a basic literacy in the science of climate. Lectures cover:
how the Earth's climate regulates temperature
the basic sources of energy available on Earth
the alternatives to fossil fuels; the workings of nuclear fission and
fusion, and
some of the controversies surrounding nuclear energy.
Discover the Facts About Global Warming from an Award-Winning Physicist
Richard Wolfson is Benjamin F. Wissler Professor of Physics at Middlebury
College, where he has taught for more than 25 years. He has received
the Perkins Award for outstanding teaching at Middlebury and served
as chair of the physics department.
Author of numerous articles and books, Professor Wolfson is also a research
physicist. He has spent sabbatical years as Visiting Scientist at the
National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, and in
1993 was Visiting Scientist at St. Andrews University in Scotland.
He has crafted this 10-lecture series to examine human use of energy
and global warming, which he refers to as "one of the more controversial
environmental issues of recent decades."
"Concerns about the warming of Earth's climate have been with us for
some time. How serious is this concern? Recent newspaper headlines indicate
a real concern about the increasing global temperature," he continues.
What is actually happening?
Is the Earth undergoing a warming? If so, what are the consequences?
Are they dire?
Will the increasing temperatures cause the sea level to rise and inundate
coastal cities?
Will the warming render the world's major breadbaskets less productive?
Could the warming have beneficial effects?
What will be the economic consequences of global warming?
What costs would be involved in mitigating its effects?
Is global warming as serious as we originally thought, or has it been
exaggerated?
According to Dr. Wolfson, the purpose of this course is not to answer
all of these questions, or even the question of whether global warming
will occur, but to provide a basic literacy in the science of climate.
This improved literacy, he maintains, will allow us to examine more
effectively the issues involved and to gain better understanding of
why it is generally thought that global warming might occur and what
role human energy use plays in the problem.
Consider the Problem: What is the Greenhouse Effect?
In his opening presentation, Professor Wolfson attempts to provide the
scientific background necessary to understand how Earth's climate is
established. Major topics of discussion include:
Earth's energy balance
the greenhouse effect
greenhouse gas emissions
past climate changes, and
climate projections for the future.
The establishment of Earth's temperature became conducive to the existence
of life more than 3 billion years ago. By understanding how Earth's
climate was established, we are able to predict future climates and
the effect of global warming upon these climates.
Dr. Wolfson uses the warming of a house in winter as a model to demonstrate
the energy equation of energy input with energy loss. The Natural Greenhouse
Effect is discussed as the major factor in the discrepancy between the
mathematically determined temperature of Earth, which should be about
-18 C (0 Fahrenheit), and its actual temperature of 15 C or 59
F.
The absorption of outgoing infrared radiation by atmospheric water vapor
and CO2 causes the greenhouse effect, which warms Earth's atmosphere
by about 33 C.
In order to demonstrate the validity of the greenhouse effect on Earth,
we look at Venus and Mars as models. On Mars we see almost no greenhouse
effect, but on Venus we see the other extreme the "runaway greenhouse"
effect.
Mars and Venus both have temperatures that are warmer than they would
be without this effect. The natural carbon cycle on Earth is considered.
Although the presence of some CO2 in the atmosphere is desirable, the
increase is more than 30 percent since the beginning of the industrial
age.
"Unless some corrective measures are taken, it will double the preindustrial
level by the year 2100," says Professor Wolfson.
Looking into the past, Professor Wolfson describes the cyclic climate
changes that cause ice ages. He notes that the temperature difference
between now and an ice age is only about 10 F.
A Focus on Human Energy
Dr. Wolfson considers the use of computer models to predict future climate,
the limitations of these models, and their consistency in terms of broad
suggestions they make regarding future climates.
"The use of human energy is the dominant cause of the problem of global
warming as well as the enabling factor in many of the environmental
problems we face today," says Professor Wolfson.
"Problems like resource depletion and overpopulation are the consequence
in part of energy-intensive agriculture, pollution, and other environmental
problems. We have at our disposal a tremendous amount of energy much
more than our bodies alone can produce. This available energy and the
patterns of its use by human beings affect the terrestrial environment,
the atmosphere, and the climate."
The human use of energy, particularly in the industrialized world, is
a major topic of consideration in this series.
You will learn about statistics on energy use and global energy issues,
and examine the composition and measurement of energy, nuclear and renewable
energy alternatives, the continued use of our present dominant energy
source (which is the burning of fossil fuels), and possible means of
mitigating the negative impact of energy use upon our atmosphere. What
are the prospects for more efficient use of energy?
What Can Be Done?
There is potential for considerable energy savings both by individuals
and industry. Dr. Wolfson reviews trends in energy consumption and reduction
and discusses some of the possibilities for increased efficiency He
presents scenarios prepared by the American Council for an Energy Efficient
Economy (ACEEE) for specific reductions in energy.
"If we gain an appropriate level of scientific literacy and an understanding
of the relationship between issues of human energy consumption patterns
and global warming, we will be better able to make responsible decisions
in our individual, business, and political lives regarding the issues
of global warming," says Professor Wolfson.
Finally, Professor Wolfson suggests ways our energy use could be more
efficient. But do we have the will to make the necessary changes, or
will we be forced to adapt to the uncertainties of human-caused climate
change?
Course Lecture Titles
Keeping Warm
A Tale of Three Planets
Climates Past, Climates Future
Computing the Climate
Energy Cheap and Plentiful
Energy What It Does, Where It's From
Fossil Fuels
Nuclear Options
Renewable Energy
Energy Efficiency More from Less
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