Nov 23, 2024  
2019-2020 Catalog 
    
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PHYS078 HM - Climate and Energy


Credit(s): 3

Instructor(s): Donnelly

Description: Our climate’s dominant behavior is determined by the delivery of solar energy to the Earth and the redistribution of that energy by the atmosphere and the ocean. Along the way, humans tap into this energy supply using tools such as solar collectors, wind turbines, and engines that burn fossil fuels. How humans harvest and use energy matters because the byproducts of the 500 EJ (5×10^20 J) of energy that humans use globally each year impacts the atmosphere and the ocean and thereby affects our climate. The HMC Core curriculum provides a springboard for understanding the science that governs how our climate behaves. This course will use what you’ve learned in the core to study the most important levers that drive our climate and to educate you about carbon-free energy resources. Throughout the course we will explore how human activity currently affects our climate and how we might provide energy to meet our future needs while reducing our impact on the climate.