Climate Change
CLIMATE CHANGE, caused by increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, is driven by human activity. Anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and black carbon are primarily responsible for the changing climate. Burning fossil fuels and clearing natural habitats for human use produce the majority of these emissions. Climate change continues to cause glacial melting in Greenland and the Antarctic, rising sea levels, increases in global mean surface temperatures, increases in extreme weather events, and changes in the abundance, distribution, and composition of species. Climate change and the above ecosystem transformations are inextricably connected; as a result, these changes and impacts mutually exacerbate each other.
Learning Objectives
L1: Summarize climatic changes over time, highlighting specific eras in human history.
L2: Describe and discuss the anthropogenic drivers of climate change.
L3: Consider strategies for climatic adaptation and mitigation with a focus on human health.
L4: Critically evaluate the purpose and effectiveness of recent global climate change policies and events, considering the roles of key stakeholders.
L2: Describe and discuss the anthropogenic drivers of climate change.
L3: Consider strategies for climatic adaptation and mitigation with a focus on human health.
L4: Critically evaluate the purpose and effectiveness of recent global climate change policies and events, considering the roles of key stakeholders.
Teaching Resources
NextGenU Climate Change and Health Course
This free and accredited Climate Change and Health Certificate course teaches about the effects of climate change on human health (through online didactics), and gives a chance to practice techniques to reduce those effects (with globally-available peers and mentors). Cosponsored by George Mason University, 350.org, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the International Society of Doctors for the Environment.
→ Learn more
BBC'S Climate Change Challenge Quiz
(L2, L4) A game where you are president of the European Nations. You must tackle climate change and stay popular enough with the voters to remain in office.
→ Play the game
→ Teaching tool
Infectious Disease and Climate Change: Is Climate Change Responsible for the Spread of West Nile Virus?
This activity explores the connection between changing climate and West Nile Virus spread in the United States. Students will have the opportunity for basic data analysis, drafting policy recommendations, and designing monitoring plans. The activity and associated resources are provided by the Earth System Science Education Alliance.
→ Teaching tool
Climate Change and Disability in California, USA
On January 17, 20, the World Institute on Disability hosted a webinar on the connection between climate change and disability in California, USA. The webinar covered the basics of climate change and disability, California's climate future, disability in 2017's natural disasters, and planning for an integrated, equitable future.
→ Watch the video
Simulation Exercises Teaching Clinical Skills and Knowledge of the Health Effects of Climate Change
This resource presents eleven simulation exercises. Students are eager to learn clinical skills, and existing curricula offer a range of simulated standardized patients and other active learning exercises that could be modified to provide training on climate change.
→ Simulation
Climate Change and Health: An Interprofessional Response
This set of nine short slide decks that can be utilized to introduce the connection between climate change and health to health professionals. They are intended to be used by instructors and programs when teaching about the connection between climate and health in existing courses.
→ Slide deck
Webinar Series: Climate Change and Migration
This series includes three webinars on the relationship between climate change and migration. The first webinar looks at the connection between climate change and armed conflict. The second webinar introduces the link between climate change and migration. The third webinar assesses the progress made in addressing climate-linked displacement since the Paris agreement.
→ Watch the videos
Climate Change and Health Training Modules
This training package on climate change and health was prepared initially in 2009 and substantially revised by a group of experts in 2014. It is a product of the collaborative effort of WHO/SEARO, WHO/WPRO, and GIZ, Bonn. The training package consists of 16 standalone modules.
→ Training module
Extreme Weather and the Climate Crisis
In this e-book, the Climate Reality Project explains how extreme weather events are influenced by climate change and offers ways that you can get involved in the fight for solutions.
→ E-Book
Healthy Planet, Healthy People
A TedX Talk by Dr. Courtney Howard. For too long we've put health and the environment in different boxes. The work of our generation is to bridge the two, to understand that in fact, they belong in the same box--that planetary health defines human health--and that as we improve one, we will improve the other as well.
→ Watch the video
Health Impact Assessment of Global Environmental Change
This undergraduate level course will provide students with tools to identify and address real-world global environmental and urban health issues. In addition to reading and discussing subject content to assist in understanding of the issues, students will learn skills to optimize the likelihood of affecting policy change through: 1) the Health Impact Assessment framework; 2) an introduction to environmental health modeling and spatial analysis; and 3) science communication skills. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Spring 2017.
→ Syllabus
→ Weekly Course Topics and Schedule
Ecosystem Approaches to Health Teaching Manual
A teaching manual with sample modules and associated activities for teaching about health and environmental change produced by COPEH-Canada.
→ Español
→ Français
→ English
→ Read more
Climate Information for Public Health Action
With a focus on infectious disease, hydro-meteorological disasters and nutrition, the book explores why, when and how data on the historical, current and future (from days to decades) climate can be incorporated into health decision-making.
→ E-Book
Climate Change, Community Needs, and Public Health
This undergraduate level course explores public health capacity building from the perspectives of a regulatory lawyer/economist and a medical educator/practitioner with a focus on climate change and pollution. The public health-law-medicine nexus is important for all three fields, but advances in one field often are not matched by changes in the other two fields. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, spring 2016.
→ Syllabus
Climate Variability, Vulnerability, and Natural Disasters: A Study of Zika Virus in Mani, Ecuador Following the 2016 Earthquake
This research article describes an emerging epidemic of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Ecuador following the 2016 earthquake, which coincided with an exceptionally strong El Niño event. Authors hypothesize that the trigger of a natural disaster during anomalous climate conditions and underlying social vulnerabilities were force multipliers contributing to a dramatic increase in ZIKV cases post-earthquake.
→ Read more
Global Climate Change, Sustainability, and Human Health
This University of Minnesota course introduces students to a full continuum of analytical perspectives on global climate change and its documented and projected implications for human health.
→ Syllabus
Ocean Habitat and Community Ecology
(L2, L3) After this unit, students will be able to identify the functional roles that organisms play in ocean ecosystems. Students explore and discuss the direct and indirect impacts that ocean acidification can have on species, food web dynamics, ecosystem function, and commercial resources.
→ Teaching tool
Climate Change and Health
(L2, L3) Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health podcast shares an in-depth conversation about the effects of climate change and the steps we can take to reduce the damage.
→ The podcast
→ Teaching tool
APHA Climate Change and Health Infographics
(L2) This set of 4 infographics provide a fact-based visual summary of the pathways by which climate change affects health, focusing on rising temperatures, extreme weather, air quality and vector-borne disease.
→ The Infographics
Climate Change Is Killing Us
(L2, L3) This NPR Article discusses the relationship between climate change and disease-carrying insects, in the lead up to the 2015 UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris, France.
→ Read more
Drought and War Heighten Threat of Not Just 1 Famine, but 4
(L2, L3, L4) In Somalia and other African countries suffering from drought and famines, lack of clean water and proper hygiene are behind massive outbreaks of communicable diseases in displaced-persons camps. Water sources that dry up in droughts cause an interlocking cycle of death more and more arrive at camps; clean water is much more important for food than survival.
→ Read more
The Story of Solutions
(L1, L2, L3) This short video explores the role of local advocacy and game-changing solutions when we think about global pollution and climate change.
→ Watch the video
Biogeochemical Cycles E-Textbook
(L1, L3) This beautiful E-Textbook explores the background and basic information about biogeochemical flows and is broken into comprehensive sections.
→ E-Textbook
Climate Change, Law and Health
This course addresses the greatest challenge facing all life around the globe. The focus is on the impacts of climate change, mitigation efforts, and adaptation actions. We will highlight human health threats, and study the design and effectiveness of related policies, laws, regulations, plans, and programs. Students will use the skills and knowledge they are developing in their undergraduate majors to analyze and advocate for specific government actions for mitigating and adapting to climate change.
→ Syllabus
Toolkit for Integrating Climate Change into Ten High-Enrollment Law School Courses
Lawyers practicing in many areas require knowledge and skills related to climate change. While climate-related laws, regulations and cases appear in environmental and natural resources law courses and
are the focus of seminars in some schools, these offerings reach relatively few law students. This Article presents a toolkit of climate-related cases and other readings organized by law school course subject, proposes questions to guide students in the readings and class discussions, and suggests actions for law professors and lawyers around the United States and globally.
→ Toolkit
This free and accredited Climate Change and Health Certificate course teaches about the effects of climate change on human health (through online didactics), and gives a chance to practice techniques to reduce those effects (with globally-available peers and mentors). Cosponsored by George Mason University, 350.org, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the International Society of Doctors for the Environment.
→ Learn more
BBC'S Climate Change Challenge Quiz
(L2, L4) A game where you are president of the European Nations. You must tackle climate change and stay popular enough with the voters to remain in office.
→ Play the game
→ Teaching tool
Infectious Disease and Climate Change: Is Climate Change Responsible for the Spread of West Nile Virus?
This activity explores the connection between changing climate and West Nile Virus spread in the United States. Students will have the opportunity for basic data analysis, drafting policy recommendations, and designing monitoring plans. The activity and associated resources are provided by the Earth System Science Education Alliance.
→ Teaching tool
Climate Change and Disability in California, USA
On January 17, 20, the World Institute on Disability hosted a webinar on the connection between climate change and disability in California, USA. The webinar covered the basics of climate change and disability, California's climate future, disability in 2017's natural disasters, and planning for an integrated, equitable future.
→ Watch the video
Simulation Exercises Teaching Clinical Skills and Knowledge of the Health Effects of Climate Change
This resource presents eleven simulation exercises. Students are eager to learn clinical skills, and existing curricula offer a range of simulated standardized patients and other active learning exercises that could be modified to provide training on climate change.
→ Simulation
Climate Change and Health: An Interprofessional Response
This set of nine short slide decks that can be utilized to introduce the connection between climate change and health to health professionals. They are intended to be used by instructors and programs when teaching about the connection between climate and health in existing courses.
→ Slide deck
Webinar Series: Climate Change and Migration
This series includes three webinars on the relationship between climate change and migration. The first webinar looks at the connection between climate change and armed conflict. The second webinar introduces the link between climate change and migration. The third webinar assesses the progress made in addressing climate-linked displacement since the Paris agreement.
→ Watch the videos
Climate Change and Health Training Modules
This training package on climate change and health was prepared initially in 2009 and substantially revised by a group of experts in 2014. It is a product of the collaborative effort of WHO/SEARO, WHO/WPRO, and GIZ, Bonn. The training package consists of 16 standalone modules.
→ Training module
Extreme Weather and the Climate Crisis
In this e-book, the Climate Reality Project explains how extreme weather events are influenced by climate change and offers ways that you can get involved in the fight for solutions.
→ E-Book
Healthy Planet, Healthy People
A TedX Talk by Dr. Courtney Howard. For too long we've put health and the environment in different boxes. The work of our generation is to bridge the two, to understand that in fact, they belong in the same box--that planetary health defines human health--and that as we improve one, we will improve the other as well.
→ Watch the video
Health Impact Assessment of Global Environmental Change
This undergraduate level course will provide students with tools to identify and address real-world global environmental and urban health issues. In addition to reading and discussing subject content to assist in understanding of the issues, students will learn skills to optimize the likelihood of affecting policy change through: 1) the Health Impact Assessment framework; 2) an introduction to environmental health modeling and spatial analysis; and 3) science communication skills. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Spring 2017.
→ Syllabus
→ Weekly Course Topics and Schedule
Ecosystem Approaches to Health Teaching Manual
A teaching manual with sample modules and associated activities for teaching about health and environmental change produced by COPEH-Canada.
→ Español
→ Français
→ English
→ Read more
Climate Information for Public Health Action
With a focus on infectious disease, hydro-meteorological disasters and nutrition, the book explores why, when and how data on the historical, current and future (from days to decades) climate can be incorporated into health decision-making.
→ E-Book
Climate Change, Community Needs, and Public Health
This undergraduate level course explores public health capacity building from the perspectives of a regulatory lawyer/economist and a medical educator/practitioner with a focus on climate change and pollution. The public health-law-medicine nexus is important for all three fields, but advances in one field often are not matched by changes in the other two fields. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, spring 2016.
→ Syllabus
Climate Variability, Vulnerability, and Natural Disasters: A Study of Zika Virus in Mani, Ecuador Following the 2016 Earthquake
This research article describes an emerging epidemic of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Ecuador following the 2016 earthquake, which coincided with an exceptionally strong El Niño event. Authors hypothesize that the trigger of a natural disaster during anomalous climate conditions and underlying social vulnerabilities were force multipliers contributing to a dramatic increase in ZIKV cases post-earthquake.
→ Read more
Global Climate Change, Sustainability, and Human Health
This University of Minnesota course introduces students to a full continuum of analytical perspectives on global climate change and its documented and projected implications for human health.
→ Syllabus
Ocean Habitat and Community Ecology
(L2, L3) After this unit, students will be able to identify the functional roles that organisms play in ocean ecosystems. Students explore and discuss the direct and indirect impacts that ocean acidification can have on species, food web dynamics, ecosystem function, and commercial resources.
→ Teaching tool
Climate Change and Health
(L2, L3) Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health podcast shares an in-depth conversation about the effects of climate change and the steps we can take to reduce the damage.
→ The podcast
→ Teaching tool
APHA Climate Change and Health Infographics
(L2) This set of 4 infographics provide a fact-based visual summary of the pathways by which climate change affects health, focusing on rising temperatures, extreme weather, air quality and vector-borne disease.
→ The Infographics
Climate Change Is Killing Us
(L2, L3) This NPR Article discusses the relationship between climate change and disease-carrying insects, in the lead up to the 2015 UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris, France.
→ Read more
Drought and War Heighten Threat of Not Just 1 Famine, but 4
(L2, L3, L4) In Somalia and other African countries suffering from drought and famines, lack of clean water and proper hygiene are behind massive outbreaks of communicable diseases in displaced-persons camps. Water sources that dry up in droughts cause an interlocking cycle of death more and more arrive at camps; clean water is much more important for food than survival.
→ Read more
The Story of Solutions
(L1, L2, L3) This short video explores the role of local advocacy and game-changing solutions when we think about global pollution and climate change.
→ Watch the video
Biogeochemical Cycles E-Textbook
(L1, L3) This beautiful E-Textbook explores the background and basic information about biogeochemical flows and is broken into comprehensive sections.
→ E-Textbook
Climate Change, Law and Health
This course addresses the greatest challenge facing all life around the globe. The focus is on the impacts of climate change, mitigation efforts, and adaptation actions. We will highlight human health threats, and study the design and effectiveness of related policies, laws, regulations, plans, and programs. Students will use the skills and knowledge they are developing in their undergraduate majors to analyze and advocate for specific government actions for mitigating and adapting to climate change.
→ Syllabus
Toolkit for Integrating Climate Change into Ten High-Enrollment Law School Courses
Lawyers practicing in many areas require knowledge and skills related to climate change. While climate-related laws, regulations and cases appear in environmental and natural resources law courses and
are the focus of seminars in some schools, these offerings reach relatively few law students. This Article presents a toolkit of climate-related cases and other readings organized by law school course subject, proposes questions to guide students in the readings and class discussions, and suggests actions for law professors and lawyers around the United States and globally.
→ Toolkit
Research
Articles
Articles