As the world faces an ever more urgent need to act in the face of the climate crisis, the University of Tasmania has developed a new, free online short course to empower participants with science-backed knowledge and tools to make a difference.
The University’s latest MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), The Climate Shift: Exploring Science, Empowering Action is a 20-hour, self-paced short course covering environmental, economic, social and technological perspectives on climate change.
Grounded in the latest research conducted at the University – which is recognised as the global leader in climate action – the course takes a fresh, multidisciplinary look at the causes, impacts and responses to climate change.
More than 45 academic and professional staff from diverse backgrounds and fields across the University have created content for the course, including world-renowned names in climate change-related research like Professor Matt King, Professor Delphine Lannuzel, Professor Christopher Johnson, Professor Gretta Pecl AM and Professor Jason Byrne.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black said the short course was a timely resource.
“In a world where the real climate is heating fast but the political climate for action is cooling it is critical we equip people with the facts and the tools to act. We are a university that is world leading on this issue. Our short course makes that knowledge borderless and available free to all,” Professor Black said.
“We need to take the tools for the fight against climate change to people all around the planet – to ensure they are well equipped with the best possible science and the most practical insight on how they can make difference.
“How we respond to the climate crisis is a story that will be told for centuries,” Professor Black said.
Designed to be flexible and engaging, the course includes videos, audio, written content and interactive activities. Participants are encouraged to apply what they learn at home and in their communities, and to listen to the course’s podcast components while out in nature.
Dr Ed Doddridge, a physical oceanographer from the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership at the University’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, hosts sections of the short course, which breaks down big-picture science into accessible, practical learning.
“This is for anyone who wants to understand the climate story more deeply and be part of the solution, whether they’re starting out or looking to take the next step in their climate journey,” Dr Doddridge said.
Find out more or register online: www.utas.edu.au/climate-mooc