Climate Change Science at RWU

Although Roger Williams U is a small, liberal arts school, we have an active research program that produces some amazing science. The most recent example of this, I am proud to share, is the result of a friend of mine's work on climate change in the Antarctic. Dr. Scott Rutherford is one of the co-authors of the cover story in the Jan 22 issue of Nature (abstract here). Essentially, the work shows that "significant warming extends well beyond the Antarctic Peninsula to cover most of West Antarctica, an area of warming much larger than previously reported. West Antarctic warming exceeds 0.1 °C per decade over the past 50 years..." As could be expected, especially given the high-profile publication, this new work has made something of a splash and is already under attack by the climate change skeptic, Steve McIntyre.

So, congrats to Scott (and the other authors), even if it's bad news for the rest of us, and good luck dealing with the climate change skeptics - this has the possibility to become a remaking of the other Climate Change hullabaloo we had on campus a few semesters ago. Hopefully, the new PResident will work quickly to "restore Science to its rightful place".

RWU starting to get it?

A couple of weeks ago, I expressed in passing my hope that Roger Williams University would someday join the ranks of Bowdoin and Penn State (and a slew of others) in "greening" the campus. Looks like folks here were ahead of me on this and in recent weeks the University has brought sustainability to the forefront with the unveiling of the campus shuttle converted to run almost entirely on used canola oil. It's name is still up in that air (or rather stuck in committee), but I've heard two possibilities I like - 'The Canola Rolla' and 'Deep Fried Ride'.

This isn't biodiesel - it runs on straight vegetable oil (SVO) left over from campus dining. Unlike biodiesel, which can be used straight or mixed with conventional diesel in a diesel engine, SVO vehicles require an engine conversion to run properly. In addition to an engine conversion, SVO fueled vehicles generally preheat the oil before running it through the engine since it is more viscous than biodiesel, so most conversions include a two-tank system - one for PVO and one for diesel that will be used at start up and shut down to heat the PVO and clear it out of the engine so it doesn't gum up the works.

The PVO is recovered from dining service, filtered, and then stored in drums. The 'Canola Rolla' burns the PVO cleanly - releasing CO₂ of course, but CO₂ that was only recently removed from the atmosphere (via photosynthesis). Thus, burning PVO results in little net addition of CO₂ to the present atmospheric carbon cycle, unlike burning fossil fuels which takes CO₂ that had been sequestered away from the atmosphere for millions of years (and would have stayed there for millions more).


As an added benefit, I don't feel guilty about eating french fries. In fact, if I don't eat french fries, I'm being irresponsible, depriving RWU of a clean, renewable fuel source! Time for lunch.

Here's a short video on this project by The Feed:

Seeking advice on showing "An Inconvenient Truth"

Next week in my Core Science lab we will be watching "An Inconvenient Truth". Core Science is the general science requirement for all non-science majors here at RWU and there are 15 sections of the lab. Lab is a "common experience" for all Core students so the curriculum is already planned out. However there is no real curriculum for this "lab" period other that to show the movie. Obviously, there has to be more to it than this. I'm going to poke around the educational resources over at ClimateCrisis.net and plan on attempting to generate some discussion both before and after the movie, particularly about the science-opinion-fact-politics-business-media quagmire.

I'd like the students to see that there is a litany of scientific data about global climate change; that certain trends are evident despite the natural variation inherent in any complex system; that all the science, taken together, point to a particular conclusion. I'd like to have my students attempt to see past the politics as best they can and see the science. I'd like for them to begin to understand that the scientific data is not a matter of opinion, but that how we respond to this data is (e.g. the fact that it is 85 degrees outside isn't debatable, but whether it is better to stay inside with your air conditioner or go to the beach is). I'd like for my students to understand that they shouldn't throw out the facts because they don't like the message (or the messenger!).

I don't know if resistance is going to be an issue this semester (it was last semester), but I've already heard one of my students refer to "An Inconvenient Truth" as "that Democrat movie" and I'd like to be as prepared as I can be going in. So, if anyone out there has any experience with showing this movie, especially to non-science majors, I would welcome any advice. I'd also appreciate being directed to any good resources on using AIT as a teaching tool or to any sites that discuss some of the common misconceptions/issues in the global warming "debate".

Thanks!

UPDATE: well, the showing of AIT went by without much of a hitch. I gave the students a series of questions to answer so they could stay focused on the movie. These questions were all based on the various observations and scientific evidence presented in the movie. Not too much discussion afterward - which isn't too surprising (they just wanted to get out of there) - though a few students commented on the significance of the amount and variety of evidence portrayed. One student thought the movie was too political, (which I agree with - why show all the footage of the 2004 election?) but also thought that the movie helped clarify much of the science behind the issue.

Better late than never

Fall weather is really here now - currently 32.9^oF outside (1am - why am I awake?). We had our first frost last night. We'll have our second tonight for sure.

Tomorrow's forecast: Mostly sunny, 59^o

I'm afraid to look any further in the forecast. I'm afraid I might see more of that infuriating data. Ignorance is bliss, right? Right?

It's October, right?

The average high temperature here for October 4 and 5 is 61^o F, the record high for both days is 78^o F (both set in 2001)

Today's forecasted high temperature? 84^o F

Tomorrow's forcasted high temperature? 85^o F

And it's humid.

WTF?

October in New England is supposed to be cool and crisp with nighttime temps in the low 40s, not hot and muggy with nights in the high 60s.

I'm getting seriously cranky.

If I see a mosquito out there, I'm going to be downright pissed off.

An Inconvenient Truth

I finally saw An Inconvenient Truth last night. I thought it was very well done and if you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend that you do, especially if you don't know too much about the causes and effects of global climate change. The message is good and clear, the visuals are impressive, Al Gore is at his best, and even the music is well done. I've seen and read about all the data before, but Al Gore does an excellent job of presenting them in a user-friendly, yet not dumbed-down way. Americans have for too long now been wavering on the topic of global warming - is it real? are we really the cause? what could possibly happen if it gets a little warmer? Well: yes, yes, and a lot. It is time we all took a long hard look at ourselves and the way we live and make some changes.

I'll get off my soap box now. Seriously though, go rent this movie. And check out the website:

An Inconvenient Truth