This class provides a series of Python programming exercises intended to explore the use of numerical modeling in the Earth system and climate sciences. The scientific background for these models is presented in a companion class, Global Warming I: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change. This class assumes that you are new to Python programming (and this is indeed a great way to learn Python!), but that you will be able to pick up an elementary knowledge of Python syntax from another class or from on-line tutorials.

Organisé en deux parties, ce cours présente les bases théoriques et pratiques des systèmes d’information géographique. - Il propose une introduction aux systèmes d’information géographique qui ne requiert pas de connaissances préalables en informatique - Il donne la possibilité d’acquérir rapidement les notions de base qui vous permettent de créer des bases de données spatiales et de fabriquer des cartes géographiques - Il s’agit d’un cours pratique qui repose sur l’utilisation de logiciels libres, notamment QGIS En somme, si vos études ou votre profession comprennent des activités liées à la gestion de territoires, à l’analyse d’objets distribués dans l’espace géographique (aménagement du territoire, biologie, santé publique, écologie, énergie, etc.), ce cours est fait pour vous! En suivant cette première partie du cours, vous explorerez les principes de base de la numérisation du territoire et du stockage des géodonnées. Vous apprendrez notamment à : - Caractériser des objets et/ou phénomènes spatiaux (modélisation du territoire) du point de vue de leur positionnement dans l’espace (systèmes de coordonnées et projections, relations spatiales) et en fonction de leur nature intrinsèque (mode objet ou vecteur vs. mode image ou raster), - Utiliser les diverses méthodes d’acquisition de données (mesure directe, géoréférencement d’images, digitalisation, source de données existantes, etc.) - Utiliser les divers modes de stockage des géodonnées – Fichiers simples et/ou bases de données relationnelles - Utiliser des outils de modélisation des données pour décrire et implémenter une base de données - Créer des requêtes dans le langage d’interrogation et de manipulation des données La seconde partie du cours portera sur les méthodes d'analyse spatiale et les techniques de représentation des géo-données. Vous apprendrez notamment à: - Analyser les propriétés spatiales de variables discrètes, par exemple en quantifiant l’autocorrélation spatiale - Travailler avec les variables continues (échantillonnage, construction de courbes d’isovaleurs, méthodes d’interpolation) - Utiliser les modèles numériques d'altitude et leurs dérivées (pente, orientation, etc.) - Utiliser les techniques de superposition de géodonnées et d'interaction entre elles - Produire des documents cartographiques selon les règles de la sémiologie graphique - Explorer d’autres formes de représentation spatiale (cartographie interactive sur internet, représentations 3D, etc.) La page https://www.facebook.com/moocsig fournit un forum interactif pour les participants à ce cours.

This course supplies learners with the insights necessary for properly planning, and therefore successfully installing, a photovoltaic (PV) system per design specifications. It directs learners through the important steps of initial site inspection and evaluating appropriate locations for PV systems, and features unique elements of residential, small, industrial and utility-scale solar applications. The course probes key design concerns – including load, efficiency, and mechanical and electrical design – as well as aesthetics and tools for planning. Learners experiment with calculations needed to design a PV system, exercising newly gained knowledge about site selection, layout, code compliance, system components, and wire sizing. This course is targeted for engineers who have interest in entering the solar power sectors. It is also appropriate for HVAC installers, architects and building code inspectors. Learners should have a basic grasp of electrical engineering, physics and mathematical concepts. Those who are unfamiliar with how PV works, the elements of a PV system, and/or solar power ROI should take the first course of the specialization, Solar Energy Systems Overview. Material includes online lectures, videos, demos, hands-on exercises, project work, readings and discussions. This is the second course in the Solar PV for Engineers, Architects and Code Inspectors specialization. To learn more about the specialization, check out a video overview at https://youtu.be/XjkKzbXqA6s.

How can we work with nature to design and build our cities? This course explores urban nature and nature-based solutions in cities in Europe and around the world. We connect together the key themes of cities, nature, sustainability and innovation. We discuss how to assess what nature-based solutions can achieve in cities. We examine how innovation is taking place in cities in relation to nature. And we analyse the potential of nature-based solutions to help respond to climate change and sustainability challenges. This course was launched in January 2020, and it will be updated in September 2021 with new podcasts, films and publications. The course is produced by Lund University in cooperation with partners from Naturvation – a collaborative project on finding synergies between cities, nature, sustainability and innovation. The course features researchers, practitioners and entrepreneurs from a range organisations.

Mountains 101­­ is a broad and integrated overview of the mountain world. This 12-lesson course covers an interdisciplinary field of study focusing on the physical, biological, and human dimensions of mountain places in Alberta, Canada, and around the world. Specifically, we'll study the geological origins of mountains, how they’re built-up and worn-down over time; we’ll learn about their importance for biodiversity and water cycles, globally and locally; we’ll explore their cultural significance to societies around the globe, and how that relationship has evolved over time; and we’ll learn how mountains are used, how they’re protected, and how today they’re experiencing rapid change in a warming climate. At the end of each lesson, Mountains 101 will also provide learners with some smart tricks -- Tech Tips -- to safely enjoy time in the high alpine environment: from how to pick the best footwear for hiking to making smart decisions in avalanche terrain. We’ll be delivering your online lessons from valley bottoms to mountaintops, from museums and labs, to alpine huts and other spectacular alpine sites, and we’ll do so with the help of a whole host of experts. We invite you to join us for this online adventure! The mountains are calling...

Journey of the Universe weaves together the discoveries of the evolutionary sciences together with humanities such as history, philosophy, art, and religion. This course draws on the Journey of the Universe Conversations, a series of 20 interviews with scientists and environmentalists. The first 10 interviews are with scientists and historians who deepen our understanding of the evolutionary process of universe, Earth, and humans. The second 10 interviews are with environmentalists, teachers, and artists who explore the connections between the universe story and the practices for a flourishing Earth community.

The central question of this course: “why study wood?” If “why study wood” is the question, one answer would be that it is the only raw material available to us that is truly renewable in human life span terms. Wood is as important to society today as it ever was, despite the development of many man-made substitute materials, changing resource availability, and the changing needs of society. Some items on the list of wood products stay the same (lumber, plywood and veneer for building construction, furniture, shipping pallets & crates and other containers & packaging materials, railroad ties, utility poles, chemical feed stocks, etc), but the list also keeps changing to meet new needs and challenges as the resource changes. In short, wood is a far more diverse, green, and renewable resource than you might have imagined. Join us to learn about the important role of wood in human history, civilization, and our future. By the end of the course, learners will be able to: - describe wood as a raw material and its critical importance to the world economy, and the lives of the people that make that economy work. - identify the projected trend for wood consumption to continue to grow in the coming years, despite the image of wood as a "low tech" material. - identify the ways in which wood's properties can lead to its efficient and sustainable use. -identify wood's positive role in boosting the world economy and ability to lead to unexpected vocations.

Learn about diverse and integrated markets for primary energy, and the essential considerations driving business leaders and policy makers in development of global energy resources.

This course will cover the agricultural and urban water quality issues in Florida, their bases, land and nutrient management strategies, and the science and policy behind the best management practices (BMPs). Students will learn to evaluate BMP research and analyze its role in determining practices and policies that protect water quality.

Are you ready to take an incredible journey around Planet Earth and beyond? In this course, you will delve into a world of innovative science and learn from a team of Biosphere 2 and University of Arizona researchers. From plants and soils, to oceans and rainforests, the Moon, Mars, and more, this course is an exciting opportunity for anyone interested in science and Earth stewardship. Learn how a unique research station in the Arizona desert is used to investigate big ideas, such as how Earth systems interact, the effects of climate change, and what our future holds. Go back in time thousands of years with information locked in ancient trees, and travel into an imagined future where humans become Martians. Collect and analyze your own scientific data, discuss big questions with participants from around the world, and gain novel insights and understanding about our wonderfully unique planet.