Course Description
Over the past 60 years, Alaska has warmed more than twice as fast as the rest of the U.S. As Alaska’s largest population center and commercial hub, changes to Anchorage’s natural systems can disrupt supply chains and infrastructure, with ripple effects across Alaska. This course provides students the opportunity to engage in a policy planning process around climate action in the Municipality of Anchorage. Students join one of seven sectoral working groups (Buildings and Energy, Land Use and Transportation, Urban Forests and Watersheds, Health and Emergency Preparedness, Consumption and Solid Waste, Food Systems, and Outreach and Education). Each group is led by a UA faculty member and includes Municipality staff, government and NGO scientists, and community-based organization representatives. Over the semester, working groups participate in three technical sessions to develop policy recommendations on mitigation and adaptation.
Outside of these sessions, students debrief as a cohort, reflect on challenges and opportunities, and practice skills such as group facilitation, interdisciplinary communication, critical thinking, and conflict resolution. Students also complete a semester-long filmmaking project with a local filmmaker, developing a storyboard, conducting interviews, and documenting the development of the Municipality Climate Action Plan.
Students are assessed based on participation in the working groups and multiple opportunities for individual and group reflection. Readings and discussions on environmental topics addressed in the Climate Action Plan are integrated throughout the course. Collaboration with local organizations promotes a sense of place, civic engagement, and lifelong learning as students engage with environmental and public health challenges in their community, the living laboratory of Anchorage.
Course Objectives
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe social, environmental, and political factors that influence energy use, land use and transportation planning, urban forests and natural systems, public health emergencies, solid waste management, food and water systems.
- Explain what a Climate Action Plan is and how it can be used by a municipality for strategic planning
- Understand how environmental exposures related to climate change disproportionately affect some populations more than others and why equity is an important component of climate action planning
- Work collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team to complete a complex science-policy task
- Prepare a progress report with a description of work conducted to date and plan for finalizing project
- Distill complex scientific information into key messages and lay language for consumption by the public
- Critically read, summarize and evaluate scientific research articles
- Utilize scientific, creative, and reflective writing and diverse presentation styles to convey complex ideas
- Provide constructive and timely feedback to peers on their work
Student Feedback
How does your work on the Climate Action Plan overlap or relate to the work you are doing in your home department and / or your future career goals?
- I am an Environment and Society major, soon to be environmental science graduate student. Climate change will be one of the biggest stresses to ecosystems on every scale for the next 50 years. Working on the CAP allowed me to see the practical applications of my field. It demonstrated where science and research can inform decisions and how policy needs the backing of science and can help direct what science needs to be done to assist in assessing the impacts of climate change and of the mitigation efforts. Planning is something I enjoy doing and it is exciting to be part of doing something about a challenge, not just “admiring the problem”. I learned a lot in the process about how people can work in groups, how to organize a large undertaking such as this, the need for equity, how to frame the actions positively to inspire action not force compliance. I learned how difficult it is to communicate concisely to the public to inspire them through the film project. This has been the most interesting and useful class I have had at UAA in terms of moving my curiosity in the field of environmental studies forward.
- I am majoring in Civil Engineering with a minor in Environmental studies. This is my first semester in the program and I am still exploring other career paths. I am curious in studying more about sustainability and how I can help make a sustainable future. My experience working on the ACAP has helped point me towards the right direction as I continue my career exploration. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work on the ACAP, it has been a life changing experience and I have learned more than I could have imagined.
- I am working toward an Environmental Science major, with a focus on earth and climate studies. In addition, I am practicing to become a science communicator through the use of visual media. Working on the Climate Action Plan was extremely applicable to my career goals, as the process included communication and media presentation relating to climate science. It was useful to have background knowledge about climate science when working on the CAP. For the most part I was up to speed on the science, and never felt like I was missing out on the conversation. In addition, I could use such knowledge to help others who did not know as much. Within my climate science courses, I have also been introduced to climate communication. My past knowledge about communication strategies played a large role throughout the class and my sector work. Working with the professionals in my sector helped me learn about the education side of communication. I don’t have much experience as a teacher, so it was helpful to have teachers in the community take the lead on that portion. In general, working with a variety of professionals increased my knowledge about teaching and communication, as well as improved my group communication skills when we had to work together. This experience was a huge stepping stone into knowing the community, and working with the public.
- My major is Environment and Society. My studies have centered on the environment and climate change. The CAP has provided the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in my field using knowledge I have gained during the course of my program. One major theme several of my classes has emphasized is science communication. This class and my involvement with the CAP have given me the chance to build on that skillset. Eventually, I plan on attending law school. Environmental law is one area that I am interested in practicing. The wide range of projects and policies that may be implemented under the CAP have provided me with additional perspective as to how and where I might contribute in my future career. Being involved in this process has been incredibly rewarding and I am grateful to have had the opportunity.