Environmental Change and the Future of the Planet

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

1. The Physical Science of Climate Change. The greenhouse effect, the carbon cycle, and multiple lines of evidence explain observed global warming.
2. Melting Ice and Rising Seas. Ice sheets, glaciers, permafrost, and oceans are all responding to warming, driving accelerating sea level rise.
3. Coastal and Climate-Exposed Regions. Islands, deltas, and megacities face rising seas, while monsoons and tropical storms are shifting in intensity.
4. Ecosystems and Drylands Under Stress. Forests, drylands, and river basins from the Amazon to the Colorado are approaching ecological breaking points.
5. Geologic and Hydrologic Hazards. Earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, and floods threaten dense populations, from tectonic and climatic causes alike.
6. Biodiversity Loss and Resource Scarcity. Species loss, deforestation, and freshwater scarcity are converging global pressures framed by the UN SDGs.
7. Adaptation and Human Consequences. Energy transitions, urban growth, migration, and food security define how societies are adapting to change.
8. Governance and the Path Forward. International agreements, circular economies, and nature-based solutions shape possible paths through coming decades.