Global Warming - Understanding the Forecast

Explore the science behind human-caused climate change through this comprehensive 10-week university course designed for non-science majors. Examine the multidisciplinary evidence spanning physics, chemistry, biology, geology, fluid mechanics, quantum mechanics, economics, and social sciences to assess climate risk. Learn fundamental concepts including heat and light, blackbody radiation, greenhouse effects, atmospheric composition, weather patterns, and feedback systems through 23 detailed lectures. Investigate the carbon cycle from geological timescales to present-day impacts, covering fossil fuel formation, atmospheric dynamics, ice and water vapor feedbacks, and cloud formation. Analyze evidence from Earth's distant past and climate projections for the future while maintaining focus on human timescales over the next several centuries. Follow along with the specially designed textbook "Global Warming, Understanding the Forecast" and access interactive climate models to deepen understanding of this critical environmental challenge.