Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community, and Political Action from Coursera

Are you concerned about climate change? Would you like to learn how to address and respond to this challenge? If so, this course is for you.

Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community, and Political Action is intended to help learners understand, address and respond to climate change as individuals and in partnership with their communities and political leaders. The course focuses on how to translate learning into action on climate change in the areas of food, energy, transportation and the built environment (cities). This course was co-developed and taught by Michaela Zint, Professor of Environmental Education and Communication, and University of Michigan Students. A range of academic climate change experts and professional leaders are featured.

As a result of completing this course, you will be able to:

1) Identify individual, community, and political actions you can engage in to effectively address and respond to climate change.

2) Describe how insights from the social sciences can be employed to create change at the individual, community, and political levels.

3) Feel empowered to continue to influence how you, your community, and political leaders address and respond to climate change.

Use #UMichActonClimate on social media to share what you're doing and connect with other learners.

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction

As part of this introductory lesson, we will help you explore your motivations for taking this course, briefly introduce you to the current state of climate science and policy, and prepare you for taking actions on climate change throughout the course.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Focuses on actions that individuals, communities, and politicians can take to address and respond to climate change

Provides insights from the social sciences on creating change at the individual, community, and political levels

Emphasizes food, energy, transportation, and the built environment as key areas for climate action

Taught by Michaela Zint, Professor of Environmental Education and Communication, and University of Michigan Students

Involves academic climate change experts and professional leaders as guest speakers

Provides opportunities for learners to develop and implement their own climate action plans

Reviews summary

Practical steps for climate action

According to learners, "Act on Climate" offers a well-structured and highly practical guide to climate action across individual, community, and political scales. Students found the course empowering and motivating, appreciating the concrete steps and strategies provided for areas like food, energy, transportation, and urban design. The inclusion of social science theories was seen as a valuable addition. Many highlight it as an excellent introduction for those new to climate advocacy, though some with prior knowledge wished for greater depth. Overall, it's praised for providing a solid foundation and making action feel achievable.

Examples lean towards the US context.

"Some examples were very US-specific, which wasn't ideal for me."

"Wish there were more diverse international examples."

"Understanding the US context is okay, but broader perspective needed."

Integrates theories on behavior change.

"Learning about social movement theory was fascinating."

"The sections on human behavior added valuable context."

"Understanding persuasion helped me think about advocacy."

Excellent introduction for newcomers.

"It's a great starting point for anyone new to climate action."

"I had little prior knowledge, and this course was perfect."

"Provides a solid foundation without being overwhelming."

Makes learners feel ready to act.

"I feel much more empowered to discuss climate change now."

"The course was truly motivating and inspiring."

"It really helped me feel like I could make a difference."

Covers various areas of climate action.

"Exploring food, energy, and transport was very helpful."

"I liked how it touched upon individual, community, and political action."

"The different modules gave a good overview of the landscape."

Provides concrete steps to take.

"This course gave me really tangible things I can do right now."

"I appreciate the focus on practical actions at different levels."

"It helped me translate my concern into specific steps for change."

May be too basic for some learners.

"Some parts felt a bit introductory for my background."

"I was hoping for more advanced strategies."

"Could go deeper into policy or specific technologies."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community, and Political Action with these activities:

Review Climate Science Fundamentals

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Strengthen your understanding of the fundamentals of climate science as a foundation for this course.

Browse courses on Climate Science

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Review your notes or textbooks on climate science concepts.
Explore online resources and articles to refresh your knowledge.
Take practice quizzes or tests to assess your understanding.

Explore Climate Data and Tools

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Build your technical skills by exploring online tutorials and resources on climate data and tools.

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Identify specific climate data or tools you want to learn about.
Find online tutorials or resources that provide step-by-step instructions.
Follow the tutorials and practice using the data or tools.

Join a data visualization study group

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Joining a data visualization study group will help you to learn from your peers and improve your understanding of the material.

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Find a study group to join.
Participate in regular study sessions.

Seven other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all ten activities

Participate in Climate Action Group Discussions

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Enhance your communication skills and build your network by actively participating in climate action group discussions.

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Join a climate action group or create your own.
Attend meetings and participate in discussions.
Share your ideas and perspectives.
Collaborate with others to develop and implement climate action initiatives.

Practice Climate Risk Assessment

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Apply the concepts of climate science to real-world scenarios by practicing climate risk assessment.

Browse courses on Climate Risk Assessment

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Identify a specific region or community to focus on.
Research the climate hazards and risks faced by the region.
Assess the vulnerability of the region to these hazards.
Develop adaptation and mitigation strategies to address the risks.

Practice data visualization coding exercises

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Practicing data visualization coding exercises will help you to improve your coding skills and apply them to data visualization tasks.

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Find data visualization coding exercises online.
Solve the exercises to improve your coding skills.

Create a Climate Change Infographic

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Share your understanding of climate change by creating an engaging and informative infographic.

Browse courses on Climate Science

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Choose a specific topic related to climate change to focus on.
Research and gather data from reputable sources.
Design your infographic using visual aids and clear language.
Share your infographic with others through online platforms or presentations.

Create a data visualization project

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Creating a data visualization project will help you to apply the skills you learn in this course to a real-world problem.

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Choose a dataset to explore.
Clean and prepare the data for visualization.
Design and create data visualizations to represent the data.
Write a report to explain your findings.

Develop a Climate Action Plan

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Deepen your understanding of climate change solutions by creating a comprehensive climate action plan.

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Set goals and objectives for your plan.
Identify potential mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Evaluate the costs and benefits of each strategy.
Develop an implementation plan and timeline.
Share your plan with stakeholders and decision-makers.

Develop a Climate Adaptation Plan for Your Community

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Apply your knowledge of climate change to develop a comprehensive adaptation plan for your local community.

Browse courses on Climate Adaptation

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Identify the climate hazards and risks facing your community.
Assess the vulnerability of your community to these hazards.
Develop adaptation strategies to address the risks and build resilience.
Create an implementation plan and timeline for your adaptation measures.
Engage with stakeholders and community members to gather feedback and support.

Career center

Learners who complete Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community, and Political Action will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Environmental Scientist

An Environmental Scientist studies the environment and how human activities affect it. This course can help you understand the science behind climate change and how to take action to address it. You will learn about the different ways that individuals, communities, and political leaders can work together to create a more sustainable future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Environmental Scientist

Sustainability Consultant

A Sustainability Consultant helps organizations reduce their environmental impact. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different ways that organizations can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sustainability Consultant

Climate Change Analyst

A Climate Change Analyst studies the effects of climate change and develops strategies to mitigate its impacts. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the science of climate change, the different ways that it is impacting the planet, and the different ways that we can adapt to and mitigate its effects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Climate Change Analyst

Environmental Policy Analyst

An Environmental Policy Analyst develops and analyzes environmental policies. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different types of environmental policies, the different ways that they are developed, and the different ways that they can be implemented.

See salaries and explore the career path for Environmental Policy Analyst

Environmental Lawyer

An Environmental Lawyer represents clients in environmental cases. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different types of environmental laws, the different ways that they are enforced, and the different ways that you can use them to protect the environment.

See salaries and explore the career path for Environmental Lawyer

Environmental Educator

An Environmental Educator teaches people about the environment and how to protect it. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different ways that you can teach people about the environment, the different ways that you can inspire them to take action, and the different ways that you can create a more sustainable future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Environmental Educator

Environmental Journalist

An Environmental Journalist reports on environmental issues. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different types of environmental issues, the different ways that they are reported on, and the different ways that you can use your writing to make a difference.

See salaries and explore the career path for Environmental Journalist

Environmental Activist

An Environmental Activist works to protect the environment. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different ways that you can take action to protect the environment, the different ways that you can organize people to take action, and the different ways that you can create a more sustainable future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Environmental Activist

Urban Planner

An Urban Planner designs and plans cities. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different ways that cities can be designed to reduce their environmental impact, the different ways that cities can be planned to adapt to climate change, and the different ways that cities can be made more sustainable.

See salaries and explore the career path for Urban Planner

Green Building Architect

A Green Building Architect designs and plans buildings that are environmentally friendly. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different ways that buildings can be designed to reduce their environmental impact, the different ways that buildings can be planned to adapt to climate change, and the different ways that buildings can be made more sustainable.

See salaries and explore the career path for Green Building Architect

Renewable Energy Engineer

A Renewable Energy Engineer designs and develops renewable energy systems. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different types of renewable energy systems, the different ways that they can be used to generate electricity, and the different ways that they can be made more efficient.

See salaries and explore the career path for Renewable Energy Engineer

Energy Efficiency Consultant

An Energy Efficiency Consultant helps organizations reduce their energy consumption. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different ways that organizations can reduce their energy consumption, the different ways that energy efficiency can be measured, and the different ways that energy efficiency can be improved.

See salaries and explore the career path for Energy Efficiency Consultant

Transportation Planner

A Transportation Planner designs and plans transportation systems. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different types of transportation systems, the different ways that they can be used to move people and goods, and the different ways that they can be made more sustainable.

See salaries and explore the career path for Transportation Planner

Climate Scientist

A Climate Scientist studies the Earth's climate system. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different components of the climate system, the different ways that they interact with each other, and the different ways that they are changing over time.

See salaries and explore the career path for Climate Scientist

Social Scientist

A Social Scientist studies human society and behavior. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this role. You will learn about the different ways that people interact with the environment, the different ways that they are affected by climate change, and the different ways that they can take action to create a more sustainable future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Social Scientist