Everybody needs to attend the lecture (every other Tuesday, 9-13) and one of the two alternative seminar (every other Tuesday, 9-13).
The lecture series „Earth as a Complex System“ given by Wolfgang Lucht teaches on the following topics:
* The role of biosphere, anthroposphere, technosphere and noosphere in the Earth system and their co-evolution, based on Earth's natural history and projected future in the Anthropocene
* Complexity and nonlinearity in the co-evolutionary processes of Earth and its subsystem (natural and human)
* Geo-cybernetic feedbacks, stabilisation and destabilisation processes, major system transitions, tipping points, co-evolutionary dynamics
* Earth system analysis for the Anthropocene: human-environment co-evolution, socio-ecological metabolism, planetary boundaries and their implications, sustainability science, control theory, sustainability governance, World-Earth modelling
* Diagrams of the Earth system, a short mental history of seeing Earth as a complex planet, and the development of Earth system science
* current challenges, international developments in planetary analysis, governance and politics
There are two alternative accompanying parallel seminars: one by Dieter Gerten with a focus on the water cycle and land surface, and one by Tobias Sauter with a focus on climate-system feedbacks and impacts. Within these seminars students present (max. 30 min.) on a selected topic.
Topics in either seminar will be, for example:
Water and land surface:
- Global water cycle in the Anthropocene
- Planetary boundary for freshwater use
- Water management in agriculture
- Water saving methods
- Water footprints
- Virtual water trade
- Water ethics, religion and gender issues
- Water conflicts
- Regional cases
Climate change and climate-system feedbacks and impacts:
- Stability and variability of the Indian Monsoon System
- Sea level variability in the past and future
- West Antarctic and Greenland Icesheets: beyond their points of no return?
- Urban climates and heat stress
- Air pollution and public health in metropolitan areas
- Extreme events
- Effects of land use changes in the global climate system
- The UN Sustainable Development Goals and global climate policy
- Interference of climate and the energy sector
- Teleconnections in the climate system
The modalities of the course and the format of presentations will be communicated in the first session(s). |
