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Harvard University

The Climate-Energy Challenge

Harvard University via edX

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Overview

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.

Syllabus

  • 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

Taught by

Daniel P. Schrag

Reviews

3.5 rating, based on 2 Class Central reviews

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  • Profile image for Hanna Melissa Sorbito
    Hanna Melissa Sorbito
    I think this course is appropriate to those with higher level of education in terms of physics and algebra. In my case, I found it hard to understand the terms. I am definitely interested at the beginning as I thought that it was an applied course regarding climate change. However, it primarily expounded on the theoretical side of hard science, which I am not really adept to understand considering my inclination to Humanities and the Social Sciences.

    I recommend this to learners who want to understand the science behind climate change. Even if I had to drop the course because of its misalignment with my field of interest, I still believe that taking this course will help one to view climate change in a different perspective. :)
  • This course from Harvard is a great primer to understand how scientists determine that climate change is happening. In a sense, it goes beyond the pop sci presented on TED talks or in the media. You will get a sense of the incredibly complex interac…

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