CC: The Sci Behind the Stories

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Climate change is reshaping the planet, with record-breaking heat waves, vanishing glaciers, and shifting ecosystems making headlines—but alongside scientific evidence, misinformation persists. This course explores the fundamental principles of climate change, examining the natural and human-driven forces that shape climate, the evidence for global change, and its cascading effects on ecosystems and human societies. Students will analyze past and present climate records, investigate planetary boundaries, and assess the role of biodiversity in maintaining stable ecosystems. Drawing on principles from biology, chemistry, ecology, environmental science, and climatology, this course emphasizes data interpretation, scientific reasoning, and communication. Through case studies and hands-on data analysis, students will explore how climate change affects food and water resources, public health, and economic stability. By the end of the course, students will have the tools to critically evaluate claims about climate change and its impacts.