Climate change is happening right now! Climate change is a hoax this is normal variation! Climate change is something we can worry about in 50 to 100 years, no need to worry about it now. On an almost daily basis we are bombarded by mixed messages about climate in the media. Who is right? What is the truth? This course will examine the cryosphere and build on the previous Climate Certificate courses CLCH 160 Oceanography and CLCH 220 Atmospheric Science to better understand Earth’s climate system. We will explore past climate, how we know what that climate was like, and how and why we believe it has changed. We will then examine current evidence for climate change (sea level rise, loss of glacier mass, changes in weather systems) and critique various climate models. Once the class has a good understanding of the science behind climate change we will examine potential impacts in various parts of the world. Finally we will examine climate policy in the US at the federal, state and local level and in various parts of the world.