Online free permafrost course launches new Woodwell and FutureLearn partnership

Little-known impacts of thawing permafrost, which releases more methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, explored in this new online course

LONDON, Nov. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Learners will be able to explore the effects of permafrost thaw, a huge climate change issue with impacts that are still poorly understood, thanks to a new course created by Woodwell Climate Research Centre in partnership with FutureLearn, a UK-based online social learning platform.

The first course created by the research centre on the FutureLearn platform, it's been designed for a broad audience; from policy influencers to business leaders, teachers and activists; reflecting the many different challenges a warming Arctic presents.

FutureLearn is a global education platform that delivers learning through online courses, partnering with more than 260 universities and brands. It was also recently shortlisted for work on the Climate Action Initiative by the Sustainability Education Award, which is part of the QS Reimagine Education Awards.

Woodwell Climate, with more than two decades of studying the Arctic under its belt, will be using FutureLearn's reach and wider learner base to develop additional future courses through the partnership that address other areas of their scientists' expertise, such as forest carbon and risk assessment.

"Permafrost thaw is an underappreciated problem, which unfortunately means that its impacts continue to be underestimated," said Dr. Brendan Rogers, an Associate Scientist at Woodwell and an educator on the course.

"It changes ecosystems in complex ways - as it thaws it releases carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Permafrost also covers 15 percent of the northern hemisphere, so we're talking about huge impacts here.

"While I'm excited for people to learn more about permafrost thaw through the course, my biggest hope is that all of those people will then share what they learned with someone else, and help expand the conversation across disciplines and industries. This is absolutely essential to find solutions that will work for everyone."

The new course represents years of Woodwell scientists' research and expertise in permafrost regions. It features Arctic Program Director Dr. Sue Natali and Associate Scientist Dr. Brendan Rogers, who also lead Woodwell's Permafrost Pathways project, as well as Woodwell's Chief Communications Officer Dr. Heather Goldstone.

Over the four weeks of the course, learners are introduced to advanced geology and climate science concepts relating to permafrost, made accessible by bite-sized modules learners can access at their own pace.

"There has never been a more urgent time to delve into different aspects of climate change, and to make this learning experience as accessible as possible," said Ian McIlwan, VP of Partnerships and Business Development at FutureLearn.

"Thanks to the way our courses are designed, insights and expertise can be shared with learners from all walks of life, and make the experience much more interactive.

"This in turn is incredibly important as the solutions to the climate change crisis are so complex, and touch on so many different remits. The fact that this course is free to access will also encourage lots of people to explore this important topic."

The course is open now for enrollment and on-demand learning https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/thawing-permafrost-science-policy-and-environmental-justice-in-the-arctic.

Notes to editor

More about the Woodwall Climate Research Centre

We face the greatest challenge of our time: restoring a safe and stable climate, while adapting to inevitable impacts. Science is the core of our success.

Woodwell Climate Research Center is dedicated to climate science pursued in partnership with stakeholders and decision-makers to produce maximum societal benefit. Our renowned researchers investigate how human activities are affecting the flow of carbon and water—key climate factors—through the world's most critical ecosystems, from the Arctic to the tropics.

Together with our global network of partners, we generate breakthrough insights into the risks we face, and the just, effective solutions we can develop.

Woodwell Climate Research Center is an organization of renowned researchers who work with a worldwide network of partners to understand and combat climate change. For 35 years, we have combined hands-on experience and policy impact to identify and support societal-scale solutions that can be put into immediate action.

Woodwell researchers have been studying the Arctic for over 20 years, providing vital data that helps communities better understand how permafrost regions are changing, and how they can prepare, adapt, and respond to the rapidly evolving situation. As part of our ongoing work, Woodwell is leading Permafrost Pathways—an unprecedented initiative addressing the local and global impacts of Arctic permafrost thaw to advance Arctic environmental justice and global climate policy. Our researchers and their collaborators aim to align science with strategic policy interventions to measure, monitor, and prepare for potentially ruinous climate and economic impacts of rapid warming, to clearly illustrate these findings for key decision makers, and to help develop effective solutions to respond to the changes that will likely be felt around the world.

More about FutureLearn

Who we are

At FutureLearn we want to transform access to education; making life-long learning, re-skilling and upskilling part of everyday life. Find out more about our courses on sustainability here.

We partner with the world's top universities, brands and industry leaders to support nearly 19 million learners across the globe to develop skills and achieve their personal and professional goals.

Founded in December 2012 by The Open University, we are now jointly owned by The Open University in the UK and The SEEK Group.

What we do - for learners

We combine technology and our partnership expertise to help learners reach their personal and professional goals through short online courses, microcredentials, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

We bring together academic rigour with real-life, practical skills in our learning modules, to produce better learning outcomes and set learners up for success. In addition to top universities, we also partner with leading organisations including Microsoft, Amazon Web Service, CIPD, Raspberry Pi, Health Education England (HEE), Accenture, as well as being involved in government-backed initiatives to address skills gaps such as The Institute of Coding and the National Centre for Computing Education.