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EESC GU4020

Humans & the Carbon Cycle · Earth And Environmental Sciences

Prerequisites: One semester of college-level calculus, college-level chemistry. College-level physics or geoscience. Or instructor’s permission. The accelerating climate change of the…

Who teaches EESC GU4020

What students said

Galen McKinley · 2026 · 2026

Knowledge: carbon cycle (sources and sinks, global carbon budget, how are estimates made for such complicated/big data and systems), global emissions from a policy maker's perspective, challenges with combatting climate change / mitigating anthropogenic emissions Skills: some data analysis, various models for emissions, carbon sinks/sources, presentation skills, literature review & discussion skills

Galen McKinley · 2026 · 2026

I've learned about different components in global carbon budget, including atmosphere/ land/ ocean carbon cycle, and those recent progresses in both observation and modeling.

Galen McKinley · 2026 · 2026

How carbon is sequestered within land and ocean sinks, and the ways we quantify and categorize emissions.

Galen McKinley · 2026 · 2026

A deeper dive into the carbon cycle, how humans are altering the cycle, and potential future projections. This class does a good job looking into uncertainties and what we still don't know about the carbon cycle and how it limits our ability to make accurate models and predictions.

Galen McKinley · 2026 · 2026

I learned the fundamentals of the carbon cycle, focused on the differences between the ocean and land cycle and their interaction. I also learned about how cycles are expected to change in the future, and what efforts scientists are making to combat them.

Galen McKinley · 2026 · 2026

I think this class would be really great for an environmental science student! It felt a little bit specific for me as a chemical engineering major just interested in environmental applications of my degree.

Galen McKinley · 2026 · 2026

Interesting class for those interested in earth science and sustainability.

Galen McKinley · Fall 2021 · 2026

I would recommend this course to anyone who is interested in climate change, but it would be helpful to have a strong science background for some of the concepts. 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Fall 2021 Course: EESCGU4020_001_2021_3-HUMANS&THECARBONCYCLE : HUMANS & THE CARBON CYCLE (EESC 4020)- EESCGU4020_001_2021_3 - HUMANS & THE CARBON CYCLE Instructor: Galen McKinley

Galen McKinley · 2026 · 2026

I do not feel that I gained any knowledge in this course that I did not have previously.

Galen McKinley · 2026 · 2026

Viewing the carbon cycle as the balance of the sinks and how the ocean sink is much better understood than the land. Good perspective of how humans are creating climate change and our impact on the natural carbon cycle. I see what we do know and what knowledge gaps exist in the field.

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