Why 1.5°C Matters More Than You Think
Small numbers, big consequences.
Why 1.5°C Matters More Than You Think 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: impacts at 1.5 vs 2C, tipping points and compounding risks, equity and vulnerability. 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: why every tenth matters and action windows. 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 articulate why 1.5°C is a meaningful threshold and how impacts compound with each additional fraction of warming, and you’ll have a few concrete next steps to keep momentum going.
Course Lessons
What 1.5°C Actually Refers To
This lesson, “What 1.5°C Actually Refers To,” is a focused module within the course “Why 1.5°C Matters More Than You Think.” You’ll start by grounding the topic with baseline periods and how warming is measured and global average temperature vs. local experience, so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring why the number sounds small but isn’t and what “overshoot” means conceptually, 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.
Impacts That Intensify Beyond 1.5°C
This lesson, “Impacts That Intensify Beyond 1.5°C,” is a focused module within the course “Why 1.5°C Matters More Than You Think.” You’ll start by grounding the topic with heat extremes and health risk scaling and ecosystems and biodiversity sensitivity, so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring sea level rise as long-term commitment and food/water stress and compounding risks (overview), 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.
Carbon Budgets in Plain English
This lesson, “Carbon Budgets in Plain English,” is a focused module within the course “Why 1.5°C Matters More Than You Think.” You’ll start by grounding the topic with what a carbon budget is and why it exists and cumulative emissions vs. yearly emissions, so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring why early reductions matter for the budget and what uncertainty means for budgets, 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.
Tipping Points and Irreversibility
This lesson, “Tipping Points and Irreversibility,” is a focused module within the course “Why 1.5°C Matters More Than You Think.” You’ll start by grounding the topic with what scientists mean by “tipping point” and examples (ice sheets, reefs) conceptually—no doom framing, so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring why thresholds increase risk management urgency and timescales: near-term vs. long-term changes, 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.
Paths to Staying Near 1.5°C
This lesson, “Paths to Staying Near 1.5°C,” is a focused module within the course “Why 1.5°C Matters More Than You Think.” You’ll start by grounding the topic with avoid–reduce–replace–offset hierarchy and energy transition and efficiency (overview), so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring methane and near-term levers (overview) and role of policy, markets, and innovation (neutral), 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.