IN THIS MODULE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT:
- What is the impact of human activities on climate change according to the latest report by IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)?
- How is the climate change impacting weather patterns, sea level rise, increasing frequency of flooding, extreme heat exposure and widespread disruptions?
- What is the urban heat island effect and how could that impact the extreme heat exposure and therefore the health of various vulnerable communities?
- How does the rock ridge that runs through the city of Miami and its the porous limestone texture limit the options for South Florida communities to migrate away from the coast as the sea levels rise?
- What are Mitigation, Adaptation and Geo-engineering strategies for Climate Change?
- How to develop a resilience strategy in a densely populated city on porous limestone, in a hot and humid climate with income inequality and rapid development, dealing with increasing sea level storm surge and extreme heat?
- How can you be part of the solution?
INSTRUCTOR FOR THIS MODULE:
AMY CLEMENT
Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, University of Miami
Email: a.clement@miami.edu, Phone: (305) 421-4846
Dr. Amy Clement earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Columbia College, and Ph.D. from the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at Columbia University, where she studied climate dynamics on multiple timescales, from the glacial period to future climate change. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris, France, she has been a faculty member at the Rosenstiel School since 2001, where she has helped to build a widely respected research group made up of faculty, research staff, and students. Clement also served as Associate Dean for Graduate Studies at the Rosenstiel School, overseeing a program with over 100 graduate students. Clement is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union. For her research, she was awarded the AMS Clarence Leroy Meisinger award, the AGU James B. Macelwane Medal, and the 2019 University of Miami Provost’s award for Scholarly Activity. Clement was also awarded the Rosenstiel School Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award, a student-nominated award that is awarded to mentors who go above and beyond to ensure the success of their students.
Clement conducts experiments with climate models of varying complexity that allow her to deconstruct the mechanisms of climate change and understand their basic processes. This has led to revisions in our understanding of the role of the ocean and clouds in climate variability. Her most recent work has focused on Atlantic climate variability and predictability, including sea level rise and changes in extreme heat and rainfall. While her research expertise and main teaching and mentoring is in the physical aspects of climate, Dr. Clement has developed multi-disciplinary curricula on ‘Climate and Society,’ and has co-taught a graduate course on this topic since 2002. Most recently, Clement has been engaged in leading research and action on climate change adaptation in South Florida through a University of Miami ULINK interdisciplinary project on ‘Hyperlocalism: Transforming the Paradigm for Climate Adaptation,’ and through her role as co-director of the Resilient 305 Collaborative, member of the Board of Directors of Miami Waterkeeper, and Vice Chair of the City of Miami’s Climate Resilience advisory board.
LECTURE
READING ASSIGNMENTS
CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT
DISCUSSION-BASED ACTIVITY
Problem Statement: What is the optimal mix of climate change mitigation, adaptation, and geo-engineering investments at the global scale, taking into account scientific, socio-political, and engineering uncertainties, as well as possible unintended consequences and equity considerations?