FutureLearn

Tipping Points: Climate Change and Society (FutureLearn)

Offered by University of Exeter,
Tipping Points: Climate Change and Society (FutureLearn)

Discover how rapid changes to natural systems may make Earth look very different in the future. A tipping point occurs when there’s a shift in the state of a system towards a new equilibrium. We’re now facing tipping points in our climate system that could accelerate the dangerous effects of climate change. Natural systems will change, as will human systems. In future we could see the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, dieback of the Amazon or droughts across the Sahel but also behavioural changes and regional warfare.

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On this course you will explore the concept of tipping points from an interdisciplinary perspective, discovering their role in climate change and the future.

What topics will you cover?

Tipping Points in the Natural World

  • What are ‘tipping points’?
  • Recognising early warning signals for major tipping points
  • Tipping points in the climate system - Arctic, Amazon and Circulation systems

Tipping Points in the Human World

  • Tipping Points and policy
  • Links between tipping points and social systems - Syrian droughts and conflict
  • Positive tipping points - influencing behavioural change and collective action

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Explain what a tipping point is
  • Explore the potential for tipping points to drastically change the climate system
  • Apply your knowledge of tipping points to the Arctic, Amazon and circulation systems
  • Investigate how tipping points might affect your life
  • Debate the relevance of using ‘tipping points’ to shape policy
  • Discuss the concept of tipping points in relation to social systems
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