FOR AN INQUIRING MIND, THERE IS NO BETTER GIFT

The early gift-giving season brought to NewEnergyNews a gem of a gift: A 6-hour, 12-lecture audio course on the science of climate change. The teacher is a professor at Middlebury College and an acknowledged expert in the subject. The lectures could hardly be better. If you thought “An Inconvenient Truth” was informative, wait ‘til you hear Wolfson’s lectures.

Teaching Company: “Learn from the best university professors…The Teaching Company brings engaging professors into your home or car through courses on DVD, audio CD, and other formats. Since 1990, great teachers from the Ivy League, Stanford, Georgetown, and other leading colleges and universities have crafted over 200 courses for lifelong learners like you. It's the adventure of learning without the homework or exams.”

If you get questions from people who doubt climate change or its potential impact or if you have questions of your own, here are the answers.

Earth’s Changing Climate
Richard Wolfson (The Teaching Company)

WHO
Richard Wolfson, Benjamin F. Wissler Professor of Physics at Middlebury College/Professor of Climate Change in Middlebury's Environmental Studies Program; The Teaching Company

Dr. Wolfson, lecturer for "Earth's Changing Climate"

WHAT
Earth’s Changing Climate, a “personal scientific briefing” for nonscientists that gives clear explanations of the science behind climate change and what can be done about it.

WHEN
Climate change is now. The lectures are currently available.

WHERE
Order the lectures from The Teaching Company

WHY
- The lectures cover in detail but not difficulty the difference between climate and weather, the concept of energy balance, the greenhouse effect and the carbon cycle. They also describe the "fingerprints" of global climate change and other indicators the show Earth has been warming at an unprecedented rate in recent decades; the physical mechanisms behind these Earth’s changes and connections to the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases since the start of the Industrial Revolution; techniques for projecting future climates; and, New Energy options that can avoid the worst climate change scenarios.
- The lectures can be purchased as DVDs with visual presentations, as audio downloads, CDs or audio cassettes. Printed materials come with them and booklets of the lectures can be ordered.
- Lecture titles: 1. Is Earth Warming? 2. Butterflies, Glaciers, and Hurricanes 3. Ice Ages and Beyond 4. In the Greenhouse 5. A Tale of Three Planets 6. Global Recycling 7. The Human Factor 8. Computing the Future 9. Impacts of Climate Change 10. Energy and Climate 11. Energy—Resources and Alternatives
12. Sustainable Futures?

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QUOTES
- Teaching Company: “In Earth's Changing Climate, Dr. Wolfson brings [his] educational gifts to bear on a subject that, at times, can be complex and controversial. You will find his presentation clear, objective, engaging, and illustrated with fascinating examples and analogies.”
- NewEnergyNews: Worth the money, worth the time.
- Teaching Company: “As the evidence mounts, scientists will continue to refine their picture of what the climate is doing and where it is heading, and society will continue to grapple with this problem. You can begin to address it yourself—intelligently and prudently—by investing six stimulating and rewarding hours with this course.”

No remuneration was obtained for this endorsement.