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HarvardX: The Climate-Energy Challenge

Learn more about the science behind climate change.
The Climate-Energy Challenge
9 weeks
4–6 hours per week
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
This course is archived
Future dates to be announced
The Climate-Energy Challenge

About this course

Skip About this course
This course will examine future climate change in the context of Earth history, and then consider various strategies for what might be done to deal with it. The likely impact of continued greenhouse gas emissions will be explored, emphasizing the scientific uncertainties associated with various predictions, and how this can be understood in the context of risk.

At a glance

  • Institution: HarvardX
  • Subject: Environmental Studies
  • Level: Introductory
  • Prerequisites:
    Learners should be familiar with basic algebra, chemistry and geometry (U.S. high school level or higher)
  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English
  • Associated skills:Greenhouse Gas, Forecasting

What you'll learn

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  • Explore how scientists measure ancient temperature and carbon dioxide levels
  • Investigate the basic physics and chemistry that control climate
  • Review the scientific basis for climate change predictions
  • Identify impacts of climate change on human societies and natural ecosystems

Syllabus

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  • Week 0: Introduction
  • Week 1: Earth's Radiation Budget
  • Week 2: The Great Anthropogenic Experiment
  • Week 3: The Past is Key to the Future I
  • Week 4: The Past is Key to the Future II
  • Week 5: Deeper Back in Time I
  • Week 6: Deeper Back in Time II
  • Week 7: Natural Variability and Predicting the Future I
  • Week 8: Natural Variability and Predicting the Future II
  • Week 9: Introduction to Our Energy System and Energy Scenarios

Ways to take this course

Choose your path when you enroll.

Certificate

Free

Price

$49 USD

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Access to course materials

Unlimited

Limited

World-class institutions and universities

edX support

Shareable certificate upon completion

Graded assignments and exams

Read our FAQsin a new tab about frequently asked questions on these tracks.

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