Past Actions, Present Woes, Future Potential: Rethinking History in the Light of Anthropogenic Climate Change A Model University Syllabus for History and Related Subjects (HEA) INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................ 4 WHO IS THIS SYLLABUS FOR: WHAT IS IT INTENDED TO DO? .................................................................................................... 7 HOW HAVE WE ORGANISED THIS COURSE? .......................................................................................................................... 9 WHAT SORTS OF QUESTIONS ARE IMPLICIT IN THIS COURSE? ................................................................................................. 10 RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................................................ 11 CONTRIBUTORS ........................................................................................................................................................... 15 UNIT 1: HOW DO WE KNOW THE CLIMATE IS CHANGING? AN HISTORICAL OUTLINE ............................................ 16 GENERAL THEME ......................................................................................................................................................... 16 CASE STUDY - MODELLING ............................................................................................................................................ 19 STUDENT-CENTRED EXERCISE ......................................................................................................................................... 21 RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................................................ 23 UNIT 2: CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE EMERGENCE OF HUMAN ‘HISTORY’ THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN THE OLD WORLD .................................................................................................................................................... 27 INTRODUCTION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES ...................................................................................................................... 27 CASE STUDY–JERICHO AND CATAL HÖYÜK, PROTO-CITIES OF THE NEOLITHIC? ......................................................................... 30 STUDENT-CENTRED EXERCISE ......................................................................................................................................... 34 RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................................................ 36 UNIT 3: CLIMATE CHANGE AS HARBINGER OF DISASTER: POPULATION, FAMINE AND DISEASE IN THE 14TH CENTURY..................................................................................................................................................................... 38 INTRODUCTION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES ...................................................................................................................... 38 CASE STUDY–THE COMING OF THE BLACK DEATH .............................................................................................................. 40 STUDENT-CENTERED EXERCISES ...................................................................................................................................... 42 RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................................................ 45 UNIT 4: THE COMING OF THE ANTHROPOCENCE ...................................................................................................... 47 INTRODUCTION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES ...................................................................................................................... 47 CASE STUDY–LONDON’S TRANSITION FROM BIOFUEL TO FOSSIL FUEL CITY ............................................................................. 52 STUDENT-CENTERED EXERCISE ....................................................................................................................................... 55 RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................................................ 56 UNIT 5: CAPITALISM AND THE ORGANIZATION OF NATURE .................................................................................... 58 INTRODUCTION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES ...................................................................................................................... 58 CASE STUDY ............................................................................................................................................................... 61 STUDENT-CENTERED EXERCISE (VIDEO) ........................................................................................................................... 63 RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................................................ 65 UNIT 6: THE ACCELERATION OF THE ‘ANTHROPOCENE’: ‘OIL’.................................................................................. 67 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................... 67 CASE STUDY ............................................................................................................................................................... 76 STUDENT-CENTERED EXERCISES ...................................................................................................................................... 80 RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................................................ 82 UNIT 7: DEALING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE: THE ECONOMIC DIMENSION ............................................................... 85 INTRODUCTION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES ...................................................................................................................... 85 CASE STUDY–CLIMATE AS ECONOMIC AGENCY .................................................................................................................. 88 STUDENT-CENTRED EXERCISE ......................................................................................................................................... 90 RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................................................ 92 UNIT 8: DEALING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE: THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARENA .................................... 95 INTRODUCTION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES ....................................................................................................................... 95 STUDENT-CENTRED EXERCISE ....................................................................................................................................... 103 RESOURCES .............................................................................................................................................................. 105 UNIT 9: DEALING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE: THE DRIVE TO TECHNOLOGICAL ‘SOLUTIONS’ .................................. 107 INTRODUCTION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES .................................................................................................................... 107 THE TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND THE 'TECHNOLOGICAL FIX' ........................................................................................... 107 CASE STUDIES ........................................................................................................................................................... 110 GEOENGINEERING OUR WAY OUT OF CLIMATE CRISIS? ..................................................................................................... 113 TOPICS FOR STUDENT DISCUSSION AND FURTHER RESEARCH .............................................................................................. 115 RESOURCES .............................................................................................................................................................. 117 UNIT 10: DISCOURSES OF DENIAL ............................................................................................................................ 119 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................... 119 STUDENT-CENTRED EXERCISE: THE ORTHODOX ESTABLISHMENT VERSUS THE DENIERS ............................................................. 124 RESOURCES .............................................................................................................................................................. 126 APPENDIX 1 .............................................................................................................................................................. 129 UNIT 11: TRANSCENDING CLIMATE CHANGE? RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY AND REDEFINING THE HUMAN-NATURE RELATIONSHIP .........................................................................................................................................................