Your Name___________________________  [You might attach this sheet to front of your homework.]
Week 1:  Tuesday, Sept. 1 - Tuesday, Sept 8, 2009
Environmental Physics -Ben Brabson

Readings for this week:
Tues( 9/1/09)   McFarland, Hunt, Campbell   Ch. 1.1-1.6        The ultimate fate of the Earth's energy?
Thurs (9/3/09)   "                                        Ch. 2.1-2.4        Expontial growth: populations? energy use?
Tues (9/8/09)                                              Ch. 2.5-2.7,3.1  Fossil fuel lifetimes.

Homework 1 due next Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Chapter 1:  E1.1, E1.3, E1.4, E1.5, P1.9, P1.11
Chapter 2:  P2.6, P2.8(a,b)
Special Problem 1: For the period from 1900 to 1980, calculate the log base e (ln) of the world population values and plot them on the vertical axis against the year on the horiontal axis.  Draw the best straight line you can through these point and determine its slope, k.  What is the exponential equation for this line? Is an exponential a good fit over this 80 year period?  Can you think of a function that might do a bit better?

Population Estimates in billions of people:

Year       World          US   
1650         0.5
1850         1.1            0.023
1900         1.6            0.076
1910         1.7            0.092
1930         2.0            0.123
1950         2.5            0.152
1960         3.0            0.181
1970         3.6            0.205
1980         4.5            0.227
2000         6.0            0.285

News and Articles of Interest
1.) Physics Colloquia [http://events.iu.edu/webevent.cgi?cmd=listmonth;calID=320348;y=2009;d=1;m=9] are held each Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. in Swain West 119, just down stairs.  I'll announce those that have some relationship to the material in this course.  The first colloquium this fall will be on September 9: Mark Hess of Indiana University will talk about High Spacecharge Beams.
2.) Geography Colloquia and seminars may often be of interest to you.  They are usually held on Fridays at 4:00 p.m. in the Student Building 150.  I'll announce those that have some relationship to the course.
3.) SPEA, Geological Sciences, Biology, and Chemistry[http://geology.indiana.edu/colloquia/index.html] often have talks relating to Environmental Science.  I'll announce them here when I think they will be of interest.
4.) Interesting web sites and articles are also useful to the course.  Let me know what you are finding that you think might be interesting to others in the course..