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Results: 65 items

Introducing the environment: Ecology and ecosystems free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Nature & Environment

Introducing the environment: Ecology and ecosystems

What is ecology and why is it important to our understanding of the world around us? This free course, Introducing the environment: Ecology and ecosystems, looks at how we can study ecosystems to explore the effect that humans are having on the environment.

Free course
5 hrs
Aquatic mammals free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Nature & Environment

Aquatic mammals

Mammals come in a bewildering variety of shapes and sizes and yet all of the 4700 or so species have some characteristics in common, which justifies the inclusion of diverse types within a single group. Although mammals evolved on land, a number of species have become adapted to spending part or all of their lives in water and it is these ...

Free course
5 hrs
Can renewable energy sources power the world? free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Can renewable energy sources power the world?

We ask the question ‘Can renewable energy sources power the world?’ as a response to the growing awareness that increased use of renewable energy technologies is making a major contribution to global efforts to limit anthropogenic climate change. The course begins by examining the environmental concerns that have caused a rise in interest in ...

Free course
24 hrs
Changing cities free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Society, Politics & Law

Changing cities

Urban processes are increasingly held to be responsible for causing a variety of problems environmental destruction, social injustice, global financial instability. They are also identified as harbouring the potential to meet these challenges through urban experiments in sustainable living, creative culture and alternative economies. This ...

Free course
15 hrs
Citizen science and global biodiversity free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Citizen science and global biodiversity

This free course, Citizen science and global biodiversity, deals with the importance of biodiversity and explores how anyone can contribute to and be involved in identifying and recording wildlife, as a citizen scientist. It looks at what citizen science is, and how citizen science facilitates public involvement in scientific research ...

Free course
24 hrs
Environment: understanding atmospheric and ocean flows free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Nature & Environment

Environment: understanding atmospheric and ocean flows

What affects the atmospheric and ocean flows? This free course, Environment: understanding atmospheric and ocean flows, explores the mechanisms that are important; the most rapid carrier is the wind. The basic principle of global atmospheric circulation is simple: warm air rises and cold air sinks. How does this principle affect the ...

Free course
10 hrs
Environment: treading lightly on the Earth free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Nature & Environment

Environment: treading lightly on the Earth

Environment: treading lightly on the Earth focuses on the problem of greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide. This free course will give you an understanding of the nature and importance of carbon footprints of individuals and households. It will enable you to measure your own carbon footprint and explore what you could do to reduce ...

Free course
15 hrs
The science of nuclear energy free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

The science of nuclear energy

This free course, The science of nuclear energy, will delve into the science behind nuclear power and explain what happens inside a nuclear reactor and what it means for an element to be radioactive. It will explore some of the risks of producing nuclear power and examine the arguments for and against including it in future energy planning as ...

Free course
12 hrs
Waste management and environmentalism in China free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Nature & Environment

Waste management and environmentalism in China

This free course, Waste management and environmentalism in China, is an introduction to waste generation and waste management processes currently being practiced in China. This course explores how the Chinese can deal with increasing volumes of waste, drawing parallels with the UK experience of waste management. It also discusses the conceptual ...

Free course
8 hrs
The oceans free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Science, Maths & Technology

The oceans

The oceans cover more than 70 per cent of our planet. In this free course, The oceans, you will learn about the depths of the oceans and the properties of the water that fills them, what drives the ocean circulation and how the oceans influence our climate.

Free course
15 hrs
Understanding water quality free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Nature & Environment

Understanding water quality

Please note, this course was written in 2003/2004 therefore some of the information is now outdated.

Free course
10 hrs
Exploring philosophy: faking nature free course icon level 3: advanced icon

History & The Arts

Exploring philosophy: faking nature

Commercial exploitation of nature, such as mining, fracking, or generating hydro-electric power, often damages the way the natural environment looks. What if the environment could be restored to exactly how it looked before? Would that mean that no damage had been done, that the natural environment was as valuable as it had been before the ...

Free course
9 hrs