Remote Sensing and Climate Change Studies

The earth environment we live in today is quickly changing from generation to generation. The rapid industrial development and increasing demand of new technologies of the last centuries lead to the largest human impact on earth climate since the evolution of the human race on earth. The anthropogenic alterations of the earth environment can still be corrected with the right education and development of green technology devices that could replace the highly polluting systems. In this regard a new Remote Sensing course has been implemented in the Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering Technology Department at New York City College of Technology where students from different Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields can learn about systems used in earth environmental monitoring. However, after two semesters of offering and revising the Remote Sensing course a new component seemed a necessary addition to the syllabus. The component that we added was the Climate Change study, giving scientific support to the need for Remote Sensing of Earth, Land and Ocean. Considering this, an implementation approach has been developed specifically for students in engineering. This approach involves collaboration of faculty from engineering and geosciences as well as guest lectures and online modules to be used outside the classroom. The collaboration was further extended to the American Meteorological Society Climate Change study group which provides teaching modules and support for in and out of the class materials. These materials will also be used in a stand-alone Climate Change Studies course that will be offered as part of the new department of Environmental Science and Engineering to be created in the next year.