Introduction

The Earth’s climate, although varying over millions of years, has been ‘just right’ to allow the development of life, first in the oceans and then on land. A key factor has been the natural greenhouse effect, which has warmed the planet and allowed the bulk of the world’s oceans to remain ice-free. This course describes the basic science of the greenhouse effect and how it has been modified by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. This has resulted in global warming, climate change and an increase in extreme weather events, posing a threat to the Earth’s ecosystems.

The course describes the large cuts in greenhouse gas emissions that will be required to stabilise the global climate, the role of international climate change negotiations and the need for an energy transition away from fossil fuels to other energy sources, particularly renewable energy.

This free course is an adapted extract from the Open University course U116 Environment: journeys through a changing world.