Here are some questions from past finals and/or possible future finals. The upcoming final will contain a mixture of 15-18 questions each worth 10, 15 or 20 points.

The total point value for the final exam is 210.

Specific Course Content Related Questions

1. Physically explain how the presence of a planetary atmosphere leads to a "greenhouse" effect.

2. Why does water vapour act as the primary greenhouse gas on the Earth?

3. Explain why, in the longer run (e.g. greater than 100 years) methane is likely to be the dominant greenhouse gas in the Earth's atmosphere

4. Explain why the "hockey stick" diagram is not particularly compelling evidence that supports the case for global warming.

5. What one piece of evidence that you have been exposed to in this class is most convincing to you that global climate change is actually occurring.

6. Explain what the two biggest sources of physical uncertainty are in our current climate modeling.

7. Draw a diagram/concept map of a situation that represents a positive feedback loop in global climate change.

8. Summarize the fundamental differences between the 4 main stories of the IPCC.

9. Describe some of the potentially difficulties associated with carbon emission space and a carbon market.

10. Describe the basic technology that can be used for the storage or sequestration of carbon. What are some of the potential problems associated with this/these methods?

11. Explain what the "wedge" approach is to achieving Carbon stabilization and provide examples of what practices or requirements are needed to secure one wedge.

12. Briefly explain why the emerging energy footprint of China is so threatening and why it compromises the ability to reach certain stabilization levels of CO₂.

13. Explain how Hubbert was able to accurately estimate when peak production of oil would occur in North America. What factors went into his analysis.

14. What is the best evidence that we are currently in a situation of "Peak Oil".

15. Summarize the principle sources of carbon emission and identify whether or not they are increasing with time and if so, what is driving the increase.

16. Summarize some of the difficulties associated with global population projections. Which kind of population model makes the most sense to you and why?

17. Explain some of the root causes of the current global food crises.

18. Explain why the oceans are tending to get more acidic as a result of increasing atmospheric concentration of C0₂

19. Explain how the rapid loss of summer sea ice in the Arctic effects the overall energy balance of the Earth

20. Explain why the Energy Policy Act of 2007 essentially has no balls.

21. Detail one example of what is predicted to be a large scale regional climate change that will occur in the US.

22. Explain what you think is missing in our current economic models of future climate change and why current models are largely inadequate.

23. Detail some reasons why the detection of actual, regional climate change, is very difficult to establish in a reliable manner.

    
    
    

    Open Ended Course Thematic Questions (for English Majors)

24. List or describe some of the factors that you believe render the US incapable of long term infrastructure planning.

25. Explain why Americans are emotionally wedded to the Business As Usual trajectory

26. Explain how a hierarchical world view naturally leads to humans treating nature as a consumable.

27. Argue for or against the following proposition:

    "Global Cooperation" is fundamentally against human nature.

28. Explain what Sam has to do to avoid Ralph discovering the iron axe.

29. Distill Cronon's message down to a bumper sticker of 7 words or less.

30. Explain how this course has increased your overall awareness and understanding of the current state of the world and its trajectory.
    
    
    
    
    
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