How Carbon Is Measured (CO₂e Explained)
Understand CO₂ equivalent and why it’s used.
How Carbon Is Measured (CO₂e Explained) is designed to help learners build a clear, practical understanding of the topic—without drowning in jargon. We start by grounding the “why” and the “what”: the key definitions, the mental models you’ll keep using, and the context that makes the rest of climate learning click.
You’ll explore the big ideas that matter most: CO2e concept and global warming potentials, time horizons (20/100 yr), units: kg, tonnes, MTCO2e. Instead of treating these as abstract concepts, the course connects them to everyday decisions and real-world examples so you can recognize them in news, workplace conversations, and the choices you make at home.
We also go deeper into: how to compare apples to apples. Along the way, you’ll practice translating complexity into simple explanations, so you can communicate confidently and spot common misconceptions before they trip you up.
By the end, you’ll be able to convert between common carbon units and use CO₂e to compare different greenhouse gases appropriately, and you’ll have a few concrete next steps to keep momentum going.
Course Lessons
What CO₂e Means and Why It Exists
This lesson, “What CO₂e Means and Why It Exists,” is a focused module within the course “How Carbon Is Measured (CO₂e Explained).” You’ll start by grounding the topic with different greenhouse gases, one common unit and co₂ as reference gas, so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring co₂e for comparing impacts across gases and where co₂e is used (footprints, inventories, projects), using plain-language explanations and a supportive visual. You’ll also work through a real-world example that helps you apply the idea to everyday decisions or common climate conversations. By the end, you should be able to summarize the lesson’s main point in your own words and answer a short quiz that checks true understanding—not memorization.
Global Warming Potential in Plain Language
This lesson, “Global Warming Potential in Plain Language,” is a focused module within the course “How Carbon Is Measured (CO₂e Explained).” You’ll start by grounding the topic with what gwp measures conceptually and time horizons (20 vs 100 years) and why they matter, so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring why methane looks different across time windows and how choice of gwp affects comparisons, using plain-language explanations and a supportive visual. You’ll also work through a real-world example that helps you apply the idea to everyday decisions or common climate conversations. By the end, you should be able to summarize the lesson’s main point in your own words and answer a short quiz that checks true understanding—not memorization.
Methane vs CO₂: The Key Differences
This lesson, “Methane vs CO₂: The Key Differences,” is a focused module within the course “How Carbon Is Measured (CO₂e Explained).” You’ll start by grounding the topic with strength vs lifetime tradeoff and main sources of methane, so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring why methane reduction can help near-term warming and what this means for climate strategies, using plain-language explanations and a supportive visual. You’ll also work through a real-world example that helps you apply the idea to everyday decisions or common climate conversations. By the end, you should be able to summarize the lesson’s main point in your own words and answer a short quiz that checks true understanding—not memorization.
Nitrous Oxide and Other Gases
This lesson, “Nitrous Oxide and Other Gases,” is a focused module within the course “How Carbon Is Measured (CO₂e Explained).” You’ll start by grounding the topic with where n₂o comes from (high-level agriculture/industry) and why it’s potent and long-lived, so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring refrigerants/fluorinated gases (conceptual overview) and why measurement can be harder, using plain-language explanations and a supportive visual. You’ll also work through a real-world example that helps you apply the idea to everyday decisions or common climate conversations. By the end, you should be able to summarize the lesson’s main point in your own words and answer a short quiz that checks true understanding—not memorization.
Reading CO₂e Numbers Without Getting Tricked
This lesson, “Reading CO₂e Numbers Without Getting Tricked,” is a focused module within the course “How Carbon Is Measured (CO₂e Explained).” You’ll start by grounding the topic with units (kg, tons) and scale sense and boundaries and assumptions in estimates, so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring avoiding false precision and comparing like-for-like (same timeframe, same boundaries), using plain-language explanations and a supportive visual. You’ll also work through a real-world example that helps you apply the idea to everyday decisions or common climate conversations. By the end, you should be able to summarize the lesson’s main point in your own words and answer a short quiz that checks true understanding—not memorization.