Environmental Science: Earth Systems & Climate
Master the science behind climate, ecology, pollution, and energy so you can evaluate environmental claims with rigor
Environmental headlines come at you faster than ever — climate tipping points, microplastics in your blood, biodiversity collapse, the next miracle energy technology. Behind every headline sits actual science: physics, chemistry, biology, and Earth systems that you can learn to read for yourself. This course gives you the scientific literacy to evaluate environmental claims on their merits rather than relying on talking points, so you can form your own informed view of one of the defining issues of your lifetime.
You will build a coherent understanding of Earth as a system of interacting spheres, then dive deep into the physics of the atmosphere and the greenhouse effect, the carbon cycle in fast and slow loops, climate models and feedback mechanisms, and the converging lines of evidence for anthropogenic climate change. You will learn ecology from population dynamics and community interactions through ecosystem services, succession, and biodiversity metrics. You will study pollution chemistry across air, water, and soil, including criteria pollutants, eutrophication, acid deposition, and emerging contaminants like microplastics and forever chemicals. The course breaks down energy systems honestly — fossil fuels, nuclear fission, solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass — comparing them on life-cycle metrics like carbon intensity, land use, material requirements, and deaths per terawatt hour. You will finish with resource management of freshwater, forests, fisheries, and minerals, all integrated through the planetary boundaries framework.
This course is designed for university students entering introductory environmental science, professionals transitioning into sustainability or ESG roles, and curious learners who want science rather than slogans. No prior environmental science background is required, only basic high school chemistry and biology. By the end you will be able to read scientific summaries critically, understand the assumptions behind climate projections, weigh real energy trade-offs, and recognize when a claim is supported by data versus when it is hand-waving.
What sets this course apart is rigorous neutrality — no activism, no doom, no dismissal, just the science as currently understood with uncertainties named honestly. Enroll now and build the scientific foundation that lets you think clearly about the environmental questions shaping the century ahead.
What you'll learn
- Explain Earth's energy balance, the greenhouse effect, and why trace gases drive climate
- Trace the carbon cycle's fast and slow loops and quantify human disruption in gigatonnes
- Interpret climate models, scenarios, and feedback loops including ice-albedo and water vapor
- Analyze population dynamics, food webs, biodiversity metrics, and ecosystem services
- Diagnose air pollution chemistry, eutrophication, acid deposition, and emerging contaminants
- Compare fossil, nuclear, and renewable energy on carbon intensity, land use, and life-cycle costs
- Apply maximum sustainable yield reasoning to fisheries, forests, water, and soils
- Evaluate environmental claims using the planetary boundaries framework
- Distinguish natural climate variability from anthropogenic signals using multiple evidence lines
- Read scientific summaries critically by checking units, timescales, and system boundaries
Course outline
34 on-demand lessons across self-paced modules. Expand each part to see what it covers.
Foundations & framework
- Explain Earth's energy balance, the greenhouse effect, and why trace gases drive climate
- Trace the carbon cycle's fast and slow loops and quantify human disruption in gigatonnes
Core concepts in depth
- Interpret climate models, scenarios, and feedback loops including ice-albedo and water vapor
- Analyze population dynamics, food webs, biodiversity metrics, and ecosystem services
Implementation & practice
- Diagnose air pollution chemistry, eutrophication, acid deposition, and emerging contaminants
- Compare fossil, nuclear, and renewable energy on carbon intensity, land use, and life-cycle costs
Mastery & real-world application
- Apply maximum sustainable yield reasoning to fisheries, forests, water, and soils
- Evaluate environmental claims using the planetary boundaries framework
- Distinguish natural climate variability from anthropogenic signals using multiple evidence lines
- Read scientific summaries critically by checking units, timescales, and system boundaries
Common questions
How is the course delivered?
Entirely on-demand video on Udemy. Learn at your own pace, on any device, with lifetime access once enrolled.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes — Udemy issues a certificate of completion once you finish all lessons.
What do I need before starting?
High school level chemistry including basic atoms, molecules, and reactions
Is there a refund if it's not for me?
Udemy's standard 30-day money-back guarantee applies to every course.