The History of Global Warming
GRST 293
Fall 2026
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
ENVS 304 |
Our planet is now hotter than at the beginning of modern industrialization, and more places on earth are on the brink of becoming uninhabitable due to extreme heat. There is little prospect that the steady rise of global surface temperatures is going to stop or revert anytime soon. We are only beginning to see the dangerous ecological and social consequences of this planetary heating up. With the collective failure to meet the Paris climate goals, the planet has entered a period described by Wim Carton and Andreas Malm as "The Long Heat." Drawing on their and the work of other historians and critical theorists, we will explore the past and future history of global warming, from the mass adoptions of first coal and later oil as the "prime movers" of industrial production, to the politically embattled introduction of alternative energy sources. We will ask why there has not been a large-scale transition to green energy, and why the proposed technological solutions to planetary overheating are so inadequate. Throughout the semester, we will pay close attention to the political, social, economic, and cultural causes that have shaped both high- and low-carbon technologies. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA GRST |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (Environmental Studies) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
| Instructor(s): Plass,Ulrich Times: ..T.... 07:10PM-10:00PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 15 | | SR major: 0 | JR major: 0 | | |
| Seats Available: 15 | GRAD: 0 | SR non-major: 0 | JR non-major: 0 | SO: 0 | FR: 0 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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