Climate and Climate Change in New Jersey

American Museum of Natural History via Coursera

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/climate-change-nj

Introduction

### Course Review: Climate and Climate Change in New Jersey #### Overview The **Climate and Climate Change in New Jersey** course, offered by the esteemed American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), is an insightful primer designed to elevate your understanding of climate systems and the specific challenges posed by climate change in New Jersey. Spanning approximately 2.5 hours, this course is accessible and structured to cater to both newcomers and those more familiar with the subject matter. Along with educational content, participants can earn 2.5 professional development hours and a Certificate of Attendance upon completion. #### Course Structure The course is divided into four distinct parts, each targeting a crucial aspect of climate science and its implications for New Jersey. The course framework allows learners to progress sequentially or interactively, engaging with the material in a manner that best suits their learning style. - **Part One: Introduction to Climate Systems** The course begins with a warm welcome and an orientation by Dr. David Robinson, the New Jersey State Climatologist. Here, learners are introduced to the basic concepts of global and local climate systems with a focus on “sunny-day flooding.” This real-world phenomenon serves as a poignant anchor for the discussions on climate change, setting the stage for deeper exploration. - **Part Two: Understanding Climate Change** Dr. Debra Tillinger crafts an engaging narrative about the mechanisms driving climate change, emphasizing global warming's uneven effects across the planet. Participants will appreciate the evidence presented regarding climate change specifically in New Jersey, creating a relatable context for the importance of understanding this issue on a local scale. - **Part Three: Monitoring Our Climate and Predicting the Future** This segment dives into the nuances of climate modeling and the predictive challenges faced by scientists. Dr. Tillinger explains feedbacks and forcings in climate systems, which are crucial for understanding the intricate dynamics of climate change. Dr. Robinson continues the discussion by outlining how the climate is monitored in New Jersey and what future trends might look like, particularly in relation to sea level rise. - **Part Four: Impacts and Solutions** The final part synthesizes all prior learning, focusing not only on the impacts of climate change but also on viable solutions tailored for New Jersey. Dr. Robinson’s concluding remarks tie together the insights on sunny-day flooding, underscoring the necessity for proactive measures in combating the adverse effects of climate change. #### What Makes This Course Stand Out 1. **Engaging Content**: The course leverages expert insights from renowned professionals like Dr. Robinson and Dr. Tillinger, ensuring that learners are receiving the most relevant and scientifically backed information. 2. **Local Context**: By focusing specifically on New Jersey, the course addresses a significant regional issue, making the learning experience more meaningful and applicable. 3. **Practical Application**: Not only does the course educate about the implications of climate change, but it also encourages learners to think critically about potential solutions, fostering a proactive mindset. 4. **Flexible Learning**: With a manageable length and structure that allows for self-paced study, this course accommodates various schedules and learning preferences. #### Final Recommendation I wholeheartedly recommend the **Climate and Climate Change in New Jersey** course to anyone interested in understanding the complexities of climate change and its local impacts. Whether you're a student, educator, policy maker, or simply a concerned citizen, this course offers valuable insights and tools to deepen your comprehension of climate issues. Given the increasing urgency surrounding climate change, equipping yourself with knowledge is more critical than ever. With engaging content, expert instruction, and the added bonus of professional development recognition, this course is not to be missed. #### Ready to Enroll? Visit Coursera now to start your journey toward becoming a more informed advocate for climate action in New Jersey!

Syllabus

Introduction

Welcome to the American Museum of Natural History's (AMNH) primer called Climate and Climate Change in New Jersey! This primer includes numerous elements that will provide you with an understanding of our climate system and climate change in New Jersey, and encourage you to think about viable solutions for climate change impacts. It is divided into four parts, which may be completed sequentially as it was designed or in your own sequence. We estimate that it will take approximately 2.5 hours to complete. We are also happy to inform you that you can receive 2.5 professional development hours and a Certificate of Attendance upon successful completion of this course. Below is Part One of our primer (labeled as Week One in the navigation bar). The resources in this part introduce you to the layout of the primer and the basics of our global climate system and New Jersey’s climate system. To guide your learning, we selected “sunny-day flooding” (also called tidal or nuisance flooding) as an anchoring phenomenon. The learning in each part of the primer will reveal another piece of this issue, which is becoming more and more prevalent in our coastal communities here in New Jersey. To begin, Dr. David Robinson, a Professor of Geography at Rutgers University, and the New Jersey State Climatologist, will introduce you to what is in store in a short video.

Climate Change

Before we look into the evidence of climate change, it is important to understand why our climate is changing. In the first video, Dr. Debra Tillinger, an oceanographer, describes the mechanisms causing our atmosphere to warm, and explains why the warming varies around the globe. In the final video of this section, Dr. Robinson provides more information about the evidence for climate change in New Jersey, and helps make the connection between sunny-day flooding and climate change in New Jersey.

Monitoring Our Climate and Predicting the Future

Now that we have an understanding of the basics of our climate system and we have explored evidence of global and local climate change, we want to understand what to expect in the future. To do this, we need to explore feedbacks and forcings that move our climate system away from stability. Watch the video “What are Feedbacks and Forcings?”, in which Dr. Tillinger explains how feedbacks and forcings affect the climate system. Understanding these interactions will help us understand the challenges of creating models to predict the future of our climate system. In his third video, Dr. Robinson explains how we monitor the climate system, including sea level rise, in New Jersey. What can we expect to happen to sea levels in New Jersey in the future? Can we expect more sunny-day flooding?

Impacts and Solutions

In this final part of the course, we will explore the impacts of climate change in New Jersey, and what can be done about it. In his final remarks, Dr. Robinson wraps up what we know about sunny-day flooding now and in the future, and provides his thoughts about solutions for the climate change impacts in New Jersey.