Over the last couple of years, climate change has become particularly prominent in the media, thanks to various high-profile activists and groups, and there is now the sense that there is real momentum to do something about future catastrophic human-induced climate change. However, climate and the science and politics of climate change are still a mystery to many people, and indeed some people continue to deny its very existence or that human activities are harmful.
This course will allow you to understand the basics of the climate system, how it has varied in the past, present and future, and how these changes have impacted society.
We will begin by discussing the climate system and the greenhouse effect, before looking at past and present-day climate. Measurements of climatic conditions using conventional or satellite instruments are fundamental in understanding climate, and for informing climate models – there are, however, uncertainties. We will then discuss the impacts of future climate change, as well as possible adaptation and mitigation approaches both scientific and political.