Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/doing-economics-measuring-climate-change
### Course Review: Doing Economics: Measuring Climate Change on Coursera In the age of climate urgency, understanding the economics of climate change is imperative for anyone looking to make an impact in environmental policy, economics, or data analysis. **Doing Economics: Measuring Climate Change**, offered on Coursera, is a course designed to equip learners with essential skills in data analysis and a robust understanding of climate change dynamics. Here’s a detailed review of this course, including its structure, content, and reasons to consider enrolling. #### Overview of the Course The course aims to provide hands-on experience with real-world data related to climate change, emphasizing its significance as a pressing global concern. By the end of the course, participants will have gained practical skills in data handling through Excel, allowing them to analyze climate data relevant to policymaking. Additionally, the course incorporates readings that enrich the learner’s understanding of the social and environmental contexts surrounding the data. #### Course Syllabus Breakdown **Week 1: Understanding Climate Change** The course begins by addressing why climate change is a critical global issue. This introductory module sets the stage for understanding the extensive impact of climate change on our world and emphasizes the importance of data in analyzing these changes. **Week 2: Temperature Variability and Extreme Weather** The second week dives deeper into the consequences of climate change, focusing on temperature variability and the occurrence of extreme weather events. Learners will become familiar with statistical summary measures that help document how temperature distributions have evolved over time. This week sharpens your analytical skills and prepares you for more complex data analysis. **Week 3: Analyzing CO2 Emissions and Temperature Changes** In this module, students analyze the correlation between CO2 emissions and global temperatures. The course emphasizes the importance of understanding causal relationships and the potential pitfalls of spurious correlations. This hands-on experience is invaluable for those looking to engage critically with data in an academic or professional setting. **Week 4: Evaluating Climate Policies** The final week focuses on how survey data and economic models can be utilized by policymakers to evaluate climate-related strategies. This module connects the dots between theory and practice, demonstrating the relationship between environmental policy and environmental quality. #### Learning Experience Throughout the course, participants will engage with practical assignments that reinforce the concepts learned. The use of Excel for data analysis is particularly beneficial for students who may not have a strong foundational background in data handling. Coursera's platform allows for flexible scheduling, and the interactive content ensures that learners stay engaged and motivated. #### Recommendation **Doing Economics: Measuring Climate Change** is highly recommended for individuals interested in the intersection of economics, environmental science, and data analysis. Whether you're a student, a professional looking to upskill, or simply someone passionate about understanding climate change better, this course will provide you with the tools and knowledge necessary to analyze and interpret climate-related data effectively. This course is particularly beneficial for: - **Policy Makers:** Gain insights into how data can inform and improve environmental policies. - **Students:** A valuable resource for those studying economics, environmental science, or related fields. - **Data Enthusiasts:** An excellent opportunity to acquire data handling skills while working on vital social issues. In conclusion, if you're looking to take action on climate change through data-driven decision-making, consider enrolling in **Doing Economics: Measuring Climate Change**. It promises to empower you with essential skills and knowledge while making a significant contribution to your understanding of one of the most critical challenges of our time.
Week 1
This module explains why climate change is a serious global issue, and how we can use data to understand the extent of climate change.
Week 2This module explores the effect of climate change on temperature variability and extreme weather events, and explains how we can use statistical summary measures to document changes in temperature distributions over time.
Week 3This module uses data to summarise the relationship between CO2 emissions and global temperatures, explains methods of identifying causal relationships between two variables, and discusses the problem of spurious correlation.
Week 4This module explains how policymakers can use survey data and models to evaluate climate-related policies, and discusses the relationship between environmental policy and environmental quality.
This course will give you practical experience in working with real-world data, with applications to important policy issues in today’s society. Each week, you will learn specific data handling skills in Excel and use these techniques to analyse climate change data, with appropriate readings to provide background information on the data you are working with. You will also learn about the consequences of climate change and how governments can address this issue. After completing this course, you
It's really a 3.5 but I'll give you the .5\n\nI suggested some omissions and corrections - take a look and consider.
Although it's mostly reading based, it is a very well structured and interesting course. The exercises are very useful and well explained.
Found the course very interesting, and provided a good introduction into the topic. The example exercises were also thought-provoking, and provided a good balance between depth and complexity.
Excellent review of measuring climate change from an economics standpoint.