Earth's Changing Climate
Course Credit: 5
Course Curriculum
Earth's Changing Climate
Video Lectures Taught by Richard Wolfson
Middlebury College
Ph.D., Dartmouth College
Course Description
This Course reviews the most up-to-date research on climate change, explaining the concepts, tools, data, and analysis that have led an overwhelming number of climate scientists to conclude that Earth is warming and that we humans are in great part responsible.
Some of the topics covered are:
The difference between climate and weather
The concept of energy balance, which governs the natural warming of the planet by the Sun and is the key to a stable climate
The greenhouse effect, which makes Earth warmer and more hospitable than it would otherwise be due to naturally occurring gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and water vapor
The carbon cycle, which controls the rate at which carbon dioxide released by fossil-fuel combustion accumulates in the atmosphere, and how long it remains to enhance the natural greenhouse effect.
Student will calculate his home's carbon footprint and make recommendations for improvement.
Course Lecture Titles
Is Earth Warming?
Butterflies, Glaciers, and Hurricanes
Ice Ages and Beyond
In the Greenhouse
A Tale of Three Planets, Global Recycling
The Human Factor8.Computing the Future
Impacts of Climate Change
Energy and Climate
Energy-Resources and Alternatives
Sustainable Futures?