• University of Exeter

Climate Change: The Science

Learn about the science of climate change, the risks it poses and how human activity is changing our world.

26,183 enrolled on this course

Sunrise over the Earth
  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Learn what climate change is, and how it affects the planet

Climate Change poses an increasing threat to the stability of Earth’s systems. If we want to protect our planet from dangerous and unprecedented change, first we must understand the science behind climate change.

On this course you will explore this science, looking back across 4 billion years of Earth’s history to help you learn the difference between ‘natural’ from ‘human’ induced change; looking to the present to see how the impacts of climate change are already being felt; and finally looking to the future to see what it might hold for our planet.

Download video: standard or HD

What topics will you cover?

Week 1 - Feedbacks

  • Introduction to Climate Science
  • Fundamental feedbacks in the Climate System
  • Human drivers of change

Week 2 - Evidence

  • Ancient past climate change
  • Recent past climate change
  • Identifying signs of climate change

Week 3 - Impacts

  • Impacts on the Cryosphere
  • Impacts on the Oceans

Week 4 - Future

  • Modelling future climate projections
  • The ‘Anthropocene’ and the ‘Great Acceleration’
  • Taking action

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe the key principles of climate change
  • Explore past climate change
  • Identify signs of climate change
  • Explain impacts on land and ocean systems
  • Discuss future projections and modelling future scenarios

Who is the course for?

You don’t need any prior knowledge of climate change, just an interest in science, nature and the environment.

Who will you learn with?

Professor Tim Lenton is Chair in Climate Change/Earth System Science at the University of Exeter. His research focuses on understanding the behaviour of the Earth as a whole system.

Senior Lecturer at The University of Exeter specialising in Glaciology, GIS and Remote Sensing
Educator on Climate Change: Challenges and Solutions
Find me on twitter @DamienMansell

Lecturer at Leeds University researching the impacts of climate change on our world

Course producer for University of Exeter Global Systems Institute

@LiamTaylorIce

Who developed the course?

University of Exeter

The University of Exeter is a Russell Group university. It combines world-class research with very high levels of student satisfaction.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

Learner reviews

Learner reviews cannot be loaded due to your cookie settings. Please and refresh the page to view this content.

Get a taste of this course

Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join:

Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...

You can use the hashtag #FLClimateChangeScience to talk about this course on social media.