Climate Change: The Basics

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Climate Change: The Basics

This course is part of Climate Change and Global Affairs Specialization

Instructor: CFR Education

Included with Coursera Plus

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5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

11 hours to complete

3 weeks at 3 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

11 hours to complete

3 weeks at 3 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

How scientific processes enable the process of planetary warming.
How humans have contributed to—and taken action against—climate change over the last two hundred years.
How governments have worked to establish individual and collective responsibilities for causing and solving climate change.

Details to know

Shareable certificate

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Climate Change and Global Affairs Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

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There are 5 modules in this course

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.

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.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 discussion prompt

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.

What's included

4 videos10 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts

4 videosTotal 12 minutes

Before You Begin2 minutesPreview module
Climate Change Causes and Effects4 minutes
What is the Greenhouse Effect?3 minutes
Climate Change and the Coffee Industry2 minutes

10 readingsTotal 90 minutes

Introduction to Module Two5 minutes
Defining Climate Change10 minutes
Climate Change and Our World10 minutes
Why is the Climate Changing?5 minutes
The Main Greenhouse Gases10 minutes
How Greenhouse Gases Cause Climate Change10 minutes
Feedback Loops10 minutes
What Are Climate Tipping Points?10 minutes
Other Climate Tipping Points15 minutes
Why It Matters5 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module Two Quiz30 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 20 minutes

Module Two Introductory Discussion Forum (Optional)10 minutes
Module Two Closing Discussion Forum (Optional)10 minutes

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.

What's included

2 videos10 readings2 assignments3 discussion prompts

2 videosTotal 10 minutes

Before You Begin1 minutePreview module
Fossil Fuels and the Industrial Revolution8 minutes

10 readingsTotal 120 minutes

Introduction to Module Three10 minutes
The Industrial Revolution10 minutes
The Emergence of Coal and Other Fossil Fuels10 minutes
Legacies of the Industrial Revolution5 minutes
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Today10 minutes
How Humans Activities Cause Greenhouse Gas Emissions20 minutes
How Have Humans Learned About Climate Change?5 minutes
Awareness of Human-Caused Climate Change20 minutes
How Have Humans Taken Action Against Climate Change?10 minutes
Timeline of Climate Action20 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 40 minutes

Knowledge Check: The Industrial Revolution10 minutes
Module Three Quiz30 minutes

3 discussion promptsTotal 40 minutes

Module Three Introductory Discussion Forum (Optional)10 minutes
Climate Action Discussion Board (Optional)10 minutes
Module Three Discussion Board (Optional)20 minutes

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.

What's included

3 videos8 readings3 assignments2 discussion prompts

3 videosTotal 8 minutes

Before You Begin2 minutesPreview module
Ongoing Debates Over Climate Responsibility2 minutes
National Determined Contributions in the Paris Agreement2 minutes

8 readingsTotal 90 minutes

Introduction to Module Four10 minutes
Who is Responsible for Climate Change?10 minutes
Who Releases the Most Greenhouse Gases?10 minutes
How the World Tracks Emissions10 minutes
Different Ways of Determining Responsibility20 minutes
How to Decide Who is Responsible10 minutes
How the 2015 Paris Agreement Addresses Climate Responsibility10 minutes
Does the Paris Agreement really work?10 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 90 minutes

Knowledge Check: How the World Tracks Emissions30 minutes
Knowledge Check: Different Ways of Determining Responsibility30 minutes
Module Four Quiz30 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 20 minutes

Module Four Discussion Forum (Optional)10 minutes
Module Four Concluding Discussion Forum (Optional)10 minutes

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.

What's included

1 video3 readings1 assignment

Instructor

CFR Education

Council on Foreign Relations

3 Courses36 learners

Offered by

Council on Foreign Relations

Recommended if you're interested in Governance and Society

Council on Foreign Relations
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Frequently asked questions

CFR Education offers a three-course specialization on climate change and global affairs. While learners may complete these courses in any order, we recommend completing them in the following order:

1. Climate Change and Global Affairs: The Basics

2. Climate Change and Global Affairs: Mitigation and Adaptation

3. Climate Change and Global Affairs: Policy Opportunities and Obstacles

This course is offered over a five-week period. It covers the following topics:

Week 1: Introduction to Course

Week 2: The Science of Climate Change

Week 3: How Human Activity has Changed the Climate

Week 4: Establishing Responsibility for Solving Climate Change

Week 5: Course Conclusion

Purchasing a Certificate to this course provides you with access to all course materials, including graded assignments.

Upon completing the course and passing all required assessments, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page, where you can download or share it at any time.

A Course Certificate includes the course name, the instructor’s signature, the logo of the partner institution offering the course, a verification URL that allows others to check the certificate’s authenticity, and a statement that Coursera has confirmed the identity of the learner who completed the course.

Course Certificates do not include academic credit from the partner institution offering the course, the final grade you received in the course, your ID photo, the hours you spent working on coursework, or a printed or mailed copy of the Course Certificate.

If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. You are able to upgrade to a paid Certificate at any time during or after your audit.

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Climate Change: The Basics

What you'll learn

Details to know

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Build your subject-matter expertise

Earn a career certificate

There are 5 modules in this course

Module 1: Course Introduction

What's included

Module 2: What is Climate Change?

What's included

Module 3: How Has Human Activity Changed the Climate?

What's included

Module 4: Who is Responsible for Solving Climate Change?

What's included

Module 5: Course Conclusion

What's included

Instructor

Offered by

Recommended if you're interested in Governance and Society

Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation

Climate Change: Policy Obstacles and Opportunities

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Advance your career with an online degree

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Frequently asked questions

Is there a correct order to take the CFR Education climate courses?

What is the format of this course?

What will I receive if I purchase the Certificate for this course?

More questions