Climate Change: The Basics

Overview

Climate change—or what many refer to as global warming—is one of the most significant threats that humanity faces. "Climate Change and Global Affairs: The Basics" explores the fundamentals of climate change—from the scientific processes that enable Earth’s warming temperatures to the human activities that accelerate them. After completing this course, learners will be able to define and explain the scientific mechanisms behind climate change, explain the acceleration of climate change over the past two hundred years, predict the global outcomes of continued warming, and evaluate the responsibility different countries hold for combatting climate change. In short, learners will achieve climate literacy. By enrolling in this course, you join a host of policymakers, professionals, and students committed to addressing climate change. By tackling this global challenge, we work to build a more sustainable future.

Syllabus

Module 1: Course Introduction

In this opening module, we discuss course aims, organization, and measures for assessment. By familiarizing themselves with this introductory material, learners will prepare themselves for success in later, more content-driven modules.

Module 2: What is Climate Change?

Module 2 explores the science of climate change, from the greenhouse effect, to the specific greenhouse gases involved in global warming, to the environmental and climatic impacts that continued warming will bring. By the end of Module 2, learners will be able to explain the scientific processes underpinning climate change and predict how climate change could worsen or improve in the future.

Module 3: How Has Human Activity Changed the Climate?

In Module Three, we explore the relationship between humans and climate change. Although the greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring process, the vast majority of scientists agree that the current global warming phenomenon is intrinsically linked to human activities like industrial production, deforestation, and raising livestock. This module provides a detailed history of human impacts on climate, from the rise of fossil fuel use to the ways in which people around the world have acted to combat climate change.

Module 4: Who is Responsible for Solving Climate Change?

Humans have emitted greenhouse gases for centuries, but not everyone has emitted equally. Module Four explores the question of climate responsibility, or more specifically, the process by which international organizations have worked to determine which countries emit the most greenhouse gases and by extension, who should bear more of the costs of fighting climate change.

Module 5: Course Conclusion

Module Five concludes the course. In it, learners will read a brief summary of the material they have covered, take a full course assessment, and explore some additional steps to continue their climate learning journey.