About this course: Our Earth’s Future is about the science of climate change and how to talk about it. You will learn from scientists in the fields of climatology, oceanography, Earth science, and anthropology who study how climate change is affecting people, populations, and ways of life. Explore the multiple lines of evidence for the human-induced climate change that is happening today, and consider what that means for the future of our planet. At the end of this course you will be able to understand key scientific principles, identify and address misconceptions, and contribute confidently to conversations about climate change.
Created by: American Museum of Natural History
Taught by: Debra Tillinger, Ph.D., Instructor
| Commitment | 1-3 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Climate Change Is Happening: See It
Human-induced climate change is happening. But in order to explore the evidence for this claim, we must first ask two questions: “What is science?” and “What is climate?” Once we understand how science is done and the basic dynamics of the climate system, we’l...
4 videos, 4 readings
Graded: Week One: Check Your Climate Knowledge
WEEK 2
It All Comes Down to the Ocean
Both the ocean’s sheer size – it covers seventy percent of our planet’s surface – and the properties of water make the ocean a major player in Earth’s climate system. An enormous reservoir of heat, the ocean is an important mechanism of heat storage and exchan...
4 videos, 1 reading
Graded: Week Two: Check Your Climate Knowledge
WEEK 3
Climate Change is Happening: Model It
An important counterpart to observational evidence is computer modeling, an essential tool for investigating how the climate system works and how it will respond to continued greenhouse gas buildup in the atmosphere. How do we know that a model is accurate? On...
3 videos, 2 readings
Graded: Week Three: Check Your Climate Knowledge
WEEK 4
Living with Climate Change
Climate change is often framed as a future phenomenon, but it’s clear that people are already experiencing the consequences. What are the effects? It depends to some extent on where, and how, you live. For example, in the Pacific Islands, where sea level ris...
5 videos, 2 readings
Graded: Week Four: Check Your Climate Knowledge
WEEK 5
Mitigate, Adapt, or Suffer?
What happens next? We don’t know, but the answer depends far less on scientific data than on human action—or inaction. The major uncertainty is the future rate of greenhouse gas emissions, which is impossible to predict because it depends on socioeconomic, tec...
3 videos, 6 readings
Graded: Week Five: Check Your Climate Knowledge
FAQs
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Coursework
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Creators
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition.
Ratings and Reviews
Good general introduction to climate change. Does a good job of highlighting both the science behind climate change as well as its impact on human communities now and in the future.
I love this course. I'm a biologist and should know some of these concepts, but it's amazing that I've learned so much in such a short period of time. Everything is explained in a simple manner, and with the additional reading you can make it as elaborate as you like. Thanks!
I did enjoy the concepts..but it seemed like the information might have been dated. But it gave me lots to think about and contemplate and be able to share with others.
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JS
This course does a good job of clarifying the research into climate change.