MEA 305

Catastrophic Earth

Section: 601

Course Description

The planet we share, Earth, sustains us, but despite the wonder of its fauna, flora, oceans, landforms and protective atmospheric blanket it can be a dangerous place. Human history, a mere 200,000 years of the Earth's history, has been characterized by major catastrophic events. These events have been driven by external energy sources (e.g. comet strike) as well as internal sources (e.g. volcanic eruption). However, now during what we call the Anthropocene, the current age of humans in geologic time, human activity is playing a dominant role as a determinant of Earth's climate. Catastrophic Earth is your introduction to major events that have shaped our planet, the survival of Earth's fauna and flora and potentially the survival of our species. During the course you will have an opportunity to explore the forces that define these events and explore alternative histories and perhaps alternative futures for our planet and species.