ASLE 2018-2019: Climate Change

In the 2018-2019 academic year, our All-School Learning Experience will focus on the local and global implications of climate change. The ASLE will be led by physics and mathematics instructor Dr. Travis Bain in conjunction with a group of students who will help determine content and facilitate discussions. Using BU’s Climate Action Plan and its extensive research about the implication of climate change on BU’s campus as a resource, we will examine climate change from a variety of angles – scientific, social, and political. We will explore the implications of climate change near and far, from flood maps along Commonwealth Avenue to drought and food security across the globe.

The required summer reading for this year’s All-School Learning Experience is the 28-page “Summary for Policymakers” chapter of the 5th Assessment Report of The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC is an international group of scientists and government officials charged by the United Nations to investigate, assess, and report on all aspects of climate change and its global implications. The IPCC has issued five reports since its formation in 1988, the latest released in 2014, and the next expected in 2022 or 2023. Every report contains a Summary for Policymakers chapter that is subject to line-by-line edits by all contributing governments to ensure accuracy and clarity. All BUA students are expected to have completed this reading by the first day of classes (September 4, 2018). Dr. Bain is also working with a small group of BUA students to put together an ASLE Media List comprising books, films, podcasts, and articles relevant to climate change. This list will be posted on our website and will be updated periodically throughout the academic year.

Resources:

Summary for Policy Makers (required reading)
IPCC homepage
5th Assessment Report
Boston University Climate Action Plan