A short video titled ‘Marxist theory: Relevant to climate change today?’ by Graham Murdock, Loughborough University, that discusses the impact of capitalism on climate change. Murdock discusses Marx’s commentary on the breakdown of the relationship of humans with nature due the industrialization of agricultural practices.
Students will learn the foundations of Marx’s theory of Capitalism and its historical development and capitalism’s influence on climate change. They will also learn about how rapid industrialization and capitalism have contributed to global warming. They will further learn how Marx’s analysis on ecology could also provide the solutions to problems in the context of climate change
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
What are Marx’s main tenets about Capitalism?
What are Marx’s fundamental problems with Capitalism?
Discuss how industrialization and capitalism have contributed to global warming.
About the tool
Tool Name
Marxist theory: Relevant to climate change today?
Discipline
Economics, Social Sciences
Topic(s) in Discipline
Marxism, Marxist Theory of Capitalism, Marx, Capitalism, Political Science
Climate Topic
Energy, Economics and Climate Change, Policies, Politics and Environmental Governance
A micro-lecture that describes the vibrational modes of polyatomic molecules, how these modes determine whether the molecules are IR inactive or IR active and explains why most IR active polyatomic gas molecules are greenhouse gases.
A microlecture that describes the photoelectric effect and how it works with respect to greenhouse gases. This video by Shohini Ghose for TEDxVictoria describes how light and matter possess energy and how the transfer of this energy occurs between different bodies.
Students will learn briefly about the discovery of the photoelectric effect and its relevance to quantum physics. They will further be introduced to various technologies, such as solar cells, which utilize this phenomenon and how they may help combat global warming.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
Describe the photoelectric effect.
Describe the greenhouse effect.
Discuss the various technologies discussed in the video that utilize the photoelectric effect that may help combat global warming.
About the tool
Tool Name
How Quantum Physics Can Help Us Fight Climate Change
Discipline
Physics, Earth Sciences
Topic(s) in Discipline
Quantum Physics, Photoelectric Effect, Photons, Wavelengths of Light, Visible Light, Infrared Radiation, Greenhouse Effect, Solar Cells, Quantum Entanglement
Climate Topic
Climate and the Atmosphere; Energy, Economics and Climate Change; Climate Mitigation and Adaptation
A video micro-lecture that describes the phase diagrams of water on Earth, Mars, and Venus. It also describes the water vapor feedback mechanism in the atmospheres of these planets that influences the greenhouse effect.
A video by John Broome, University of Oxford, on how ethics and philosophy impacts climate change policies. This video discusses the influence of philosophy on decision making and how it can specifically bring a paradigm shift in climate-related policy making.
Students will be introduced to philosophical concepts such as moral philosophy, value theory, decision theory, and intuition of neutrality. They will also learn how to use these theories in climate change decision making related to economic policies. Additionally, students will also learn how incorrect interpretation of certain philosophical thought leads to errors in value judgements.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
How does philosophy influence climate change decision making?
What is value theory? How can it be used to understand the value of climate related human deaths?
How does ‘intuition of neutrality’ lead to amoral policy making?
About the Tool
Tool Name
John Broome | Climate change ethics: Life and death
Discipline
Humanities
Topic(s) in Discipline
Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, Ethics, Public Policy, Value Theory, Decision Theory
A video micro-lecture by Jeff Dozier, University of California, Santa Barbara, that explains how climate change can affect the water cycle on Earth.
Students will learn that rising temperatures can affect and change precipitation patterns. They will further understand how such changes can potentially affect communities through examples from the United States.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
Discuss the water cycle and its components in the classroom.
Discuss how climate change induced shifts in precipitation affect communities living in those areas.
About the tool
Tool Name
How Will Climate Change Affect It? – The Water Cycle
A guidebook of gender-sensitive approaches to climate change policy for city planning. It discusses the different ways in which women and men are affected by climate change. This guidebook includes discussions on gender inequalities such as gender division of labour, gender differentials in income, gender biases in decision making, and other factors contributing to climate vulnerability.
Students will understand how climate change impacts genders differently. They will also learn the importance of gender sensitivity in formulating climate change policies. Students will be introduced to gender sensitive climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience in cities.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
How does climate change affect genders differently?
Give a few reasons why climate change policies should use a gender-sensitive approach
What are the priorities for gender-sensitive climate policies at urban levels?
About the Tool
Tool Name
Gender and Urban Climate Policy: Gender-Sensitive Policies Make a Difference
Discipline
Humanities, Social Sciences
Topic(s) in Discipline
Gender, Gender and Climate Change, Gender Inequality, Urban Planning, Public Policy, Climate Change Policy, Climate Vulnerability
Climate Topic
Climate and Society, Policies, Politics, and Environmental Governance
Type of Tool
Reading
Grade Level
Undergraduate, Graduate
Location
Global
Language
English
Translation
–
Developed by
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Series of two E-Learning Courses on Introduction to Climate Change and Climate Science
Following are two online courses in Climate Change and Climate Science by the National Resource Centre (NRC) on Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune as part of the Annual Refresher Programme in Teaching (ARPIT), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India.
A video lecture titled, ‘Basic Thermodynamics’ from the e-learning course, ‘Introduction to Atmospheric Science’ developed by C Balaji, IIT Madras, for National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), India. This video lecture explains and details the first law of thermodynamics (Q – W = Delta E) in the context of atmospheric science.
Students will be introduced to the first law of thermodynamics. They will further be introduced to terms such as adiabatic and isothermal processes and related equations and methods of calculating geo-potential thickness using Radiosonde data.
A transcript of the lecture is also provided.
State the first law of thermodynamics with the equation.
State the relationship between pressure and volume.
Discuss the first law of thermodynamics with respect to Earth’s atmospheric system.
About the tool
Tool Name
Basic Thermodynamics
Discipline
Physics, Earth Sciences
Topic(s) in Discipline
Thermodynamics, First Law of Thermodynamics, Adiabatic Process, Isothermal Process, Energy, Atmospheric Sciences, Earth system, Atmosphere
A video lecture by Amitav Ghosh, author of ‘The Great Derangement: Fiction, History, and Politics in the Age of Global Warming’ as part of a 4 part lecture series delivered at the University of Chicago’s Randy L. & Melvin R. Berlin Family Lectures. In this video lecture, Ghosh discusses the link between history and climate change. The video also discusses impacts of climate change on historical narratives of capitalism and imperialism in Asia.
Students will understand the role of climate change in shaping history. They will further understand how global warming has contributed to shaping societies in the Asian continent.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
Discuss the link between climate change and history.
Discuss how climate change influenced the history of South Asia.
About the Tool
Tool Name
The Great Derangement: Literature, History, and Politics in the Age of Global Warming
Discipline
Humanities
Topic(s) in Discipline
History, Political History, Imperialism, Colonialism, Non-fiction, Literature, Climate Fiction
Climate Topic
Climate and Society
Type of tool
Video/ Micro Lecture (1 hr 13 mins)
Grade Level
Undergraduate, Graduate
Location
Global
Language
English
Translation
Developed by
Amitav Ghosh at the Berlin Family Lectures, The University of Chicago
A video lecture that discusses how the social sciences have evolved to address issues of climate change by D. Parthasarathy. This video lecture is part 1 of a 2-part lecture series titled ‘Climate Change and Society: Culture, Politics, And Social Dynamics’ of a MOOC. This MOOC has been developed by the National Resource Center on Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India. The lecture focuses on the threat and vulnerability of the human population to climate change viewed through the lenses of the social sciences and climate sciences. This lecture discusses how social vulnerability is understood in the social sciences as “vulnerability and adaptation as representing the set of socio-economic factors that determine people’s ability to cope with stress or change” and how it is understood in the climate sciences as “vulnerability is the likelihood of occurrence and impacts of weather and climate related events, and capacity of population groups to reduce vulnerability”.
The video further discusses how the social sciences have contributed to the understanding of vulnerability by discussing concepts of social inequalities like caste, religion and social status. It also highlights the impact of climate change in developing countries. Additionally, the lecture discusses the need for a transdisciplinary approach and how the social sciences can further contribute to the understanding of climate change and societal impacts. These include:
Ethnographic insights: Studies that could discuss cultural values and political relations that influence climate related knowledge and the perception of climate change. This could help formulate better adaptation policies
Historical perspective: History can be used to understand traditional mechanisms of adapting and coping and understanding societal collapse, survival and sustainability.
Holistic view: Studies that discuss the changing forms of consumption and production and their consequences such as migration and refugee crises.
Students will learn about understanding climate risk and vulnerability from the perspective of the social sciences. They will also learn about climate change threats and vulnerability and social inequalities such as caste, religion and social status. Students will further learn about how culture influences societies to adapt, survive, and mitigate the risks of climate change.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
Discuss the role of the social sciences in understanding climate change risks and vulnerability
Discuss the social inequalities can contribute to climate change induced vulnerability in developing countries
About the tool
Tool Name
W10 CO7 LO1 Climate Change and Society: Culture, Politics, And Social Dynamics Lecture 01
A video lecture titled, ‘The Hydrostatic Equation’ from the e-learning course, ‘Introduction to Atmospheric Science’ developed by C Balaji, IIT Madras, for National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), India. This video lecture introduces the hydrostatic equation and explains in detail the concept of ‘virtual temperature’ and its importance in thermodynamics.
Students will learn about virtual temperature, impact of water vapour on virtual temperature, hydrostatic equation, impact of pressure on hydrostatic equation, and geo potential and its importance in thermodynamics.
A transcript of the lecture is also provided.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
What is ‘virtual temperature’?
Given the virtual temperature of air is 298K and water vapour content is 1.5%, what is the actual temperature of air?
What role does virtual temperature play in Earth’s Climate System?
A video lecture that discusses the link between politics, culture and climate change by D. Parthasarthy. This video lecture is part 2 of a 2-part lecture series titled ‘Climate Change and Society: Culture, Politics, And Social Dynamics’ of a MOOC. This MOOC has been developed by the National Resource Center on Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India. The video discusses the politics of climate change, its origin and how it has evolved over time. It further discusses the unequal impacts of climate change on societies, the problem of accountability and responsibility by countries and the ongoing debate between economic development and mitigation of climate change. It discusses the concepts of power of stakeholders, their decision making, societal vulnerability and risk. The video also discusses the current lack of representation in policy making by communities that are directly affected by climate change and hence the need for “knowledge participation”. The lecture further highlights the “social limits to climate action” that includes values, ethics, knowledge and culture which determine climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. The lecture specifically discusses four propositions to understand climate change and culture:
Values and ethics are central to politics where social units are based on ethical principles
Uncertainty leads to failure to adapt and increases vulnerability for certain communities
There is a gap between perception of risk and action
Cultural aspects are excluded when developing climate adaptation strategies
The lecture then highlights how culture defines the politics of climate change contributing to the “knowledge-ignorance paradox” which discusses the concept of “scientific illiteracy”. D Parthasarathy further discusses the Giddens paradox that highlights the four reasons for decreasing public concern about climate change:
Political campaigns by corporate organizations against policy proposals to reduce carbon emissions
The abstract and vague nature of climate science for a layman to understand
The ‘free-rider’ issue where the impact of climate change affects other countries rather than the country of origin, enabling no action to be taken to control it.
The debate between economic development and climate change mitigation in developing countries like India.
The lecture also provides four suggestions put forth by Giddens to tackle these issues:
Political leaders must be convinced to take action
Small regional climate change agreements must be made instead of international agreements where accountability and responsibility are hard to monitor.
Companies that use fossil fuels must be challenged by local companies
Promotion of local activism to influence global action
Students will learn about the politics of climate change. They will learn about the existing politics of climate change and how vulnerability, risk and uncertainty affects decision making by individuals and societies. Students will further learn about the inherent presence of societal values, ethics, vulnerability, power and risk that determine societal ignorance, knowledge and perception of climate change. Through the four propositions, they will learn about the need for a transdisciplinary approach to ensure effective adaptation and mitigation strategies. Additionally, students will learn about the “knowledge-ignorance paradox’, the Giddens paradox and media representation and how this influences the public perception and concern of climate change.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
Discuss the link between culture and climate politics
How do the concepts of power, risk, uncertainty and vulnerability affect climate change policies?
Discuss the “knowledge-ignorance paradox” and its influence on public concern
Discuss the Giddens paradox and its four hypotheses and their impact on climate mitigation policies.
About the tool
Tool Name
W10 CO7 LO2 Climate Change and Society: Culture, Politics, And Social Dynamics Lecture 02
Discipline
Social Sciences
Topic(s) in Discipline
Climate Change Overview, Culture, Politics, Social Dynamics, Social Inequalities, Knowledge-Ignorance Paradox, Giddens Paradox
Climate Topic
Climate Literacy, Climate and Society, Policies, Politics and Environmental Governance
Type of tool
Video (46 mins)
Grade Level
Undergraduate, Graduate
Location
Global
Language
English
Translation
Developed by
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune
A video lecture by Vibhuti Patel, SNDT Women’s University, India, titled ‘Gender and Climate Change’ that discusses gender dimensions of climate change. This lecture discusses the role of women in households and how climate change induced events such as natural and manmade disasters, water and food shortages and deforestation differentially impact them. Additionally, the lecture discusses examples of indigenous tribes and local knowledge systems. The lecture further discusses the current role of women in the climate change discourse, women’s ecological movements, and the need to include women in decision and policy making.
Students will learn about the impacts of climate change on women. They will also learn about how women are far more vulnerable to climatic events and hence the need to ensure that women are included in climate policy and decision making. Students will further learn a brief history of women’s ecological movements in India and the current role women play in reducing the impacts of climate change.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
Discuss the gender dimensions of climate change.
Discuss the symbiotic relationship of indigenous women and the natural environment.
Discuss the women’s ecological movement in India.
About the tool
Tool Name
Gender and Climate Change
Discipline
Social Sciences
Topic(s) in Discipline
Gender, Gender Studies, Women Studies, Women’s Ecological Movement
Climate Topic
Climate and Society, Policies, Politics and Environmental Governance
Type of tool
Video/Microlecture (33 min)
Grade Level
Undergraduate, Graduate
Location
Global
Language
English
Translation
Developed by
Vidya-Mitra Channel by National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology, MHRD, India
A microlecture titled ‘As climate changes, I order a salad: contemporary poetry and the strange times of climate change’ by Sam Solnick, University of Liverpool that discusses three poems that focus on temporalities associated with climate change. The video also discusses the role of media and poetry in shaping the climate change narrative. The video further discusses methods of analysing contemporary poetry.
Students will learn about the representation of climate change in contemporary poetry. They will also learn about different interpretations and approaches to understand climate change through poetry. Students will further learn of the impact of digital media on how we perceive and respond to climate change.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
What are the various temporalities of climate change?
How does the media shape our experience of climate change?
About the tool
Tool Name
As climate changes, I order a salad: contemporary poetry and the strange times of climate change
Discipline
Humanities, English
Topic(s) in Discipline
Poetry, Literature, Anthropocene, Temporalities, Digital Media
A video to learn about hurricanes as heat engines, and the possible effects of increasing sea surface temperature on the intensity and frequency of hurricanes.
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