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FSCI 198: Climate Crisis and Climate Actions

Join FSCI 198

All McGill University undergraduate students can sign up for FSCI 198: Climate Crisis and Climate Actions for credit.

About the Course

FSCI 198 is an interdisciplinary, whole- person introduction to the climate crisis and individual and collective actions to address it. Students learn about multiple ways of knowing—from Indigenous knowledge, to data-rich science, to quantitative and qualitative climate and socio-economic models —presented by both McGill content specialists and expert guest speakers.

The course design is informed by active learning, self-determined learning, and Indigenous pedagogy. The combination of in-person lectures and student-centred workshops encourage significant active participation and learning together as a community. By taking this course, students will learn the skills necessary for individual and collective actions to address climate change.

Video Transcript

“Together, what is the work that we’re going to do to make things better? Not only for us: we have a responsibility to those faces that are coming out of the earth, so that when they will be born, they will inherit a happy, safe, clean, beautiful, peaceful, loving home. It’s a personal responsibility. It’s a personal choice.” - Kevin Ka’nahsohon Deer, Mohawk Faithkeeper and FSCI 198 Contributor.

“It is indisputable that human activities are causing climate change. Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred…affecting every inhabited region across the globe.” - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report.

The climate we experience in the future depends on our decisions now. So…What can you do? Register for FSCI198: Climate Crisis and Climate Actions. This course is about hope and action. Hear from climate researchers and activists, collaborate across all kinds of boundaries, take positive climate action. Together, seek answers to tough questions like…

Why does temperature matter to organisms and ecosystems?
What is the role of policy and governance?
Where do colonialism and capitalism Intersect?
How do we create the energy system that the future requires?
Why are values and relationships important?

“My main takeaway [from the course] is one of hope: this course was action-based and made climate action seem more accessible and tangible.” - Shanon Lapointe, McGill Undergraduate student You can make a difference, find out how: Join us for FSCI 198: Climate Crisis and Climate Actions, a course for McGill undergraduates.

Course Format

Delivery Format: In-person lectures and workshops

Audience: All McGill undergraduate students

Next offering: Winter 2025

Course Developers

The course's dedicated developers have collaborated to design a course that responds to climate change concerns within the McGill community, and inspire all McGill students, regardless of program, to learn more about the climate crisis and ways to take action. Read more about the course developers below.

two women before a large board, teaching a class
Dr. Diane Dechief (Office of Science Education) Course Director
Dr. Diane Dechief is a Senior Faculty Lecturer who focuses on inclusive science communication. Raised on a farm in Treaty 8 territory with both Métis and settler heritage, Diane champions integrative learning experiences where students and instructors can reflect on our academic and cultural knowledge in order to learn from one another.

Dr. Julia Freeman (Bieler School of Environment)
Dr. Julia Freeman is a Faculty Lecturer with the Bieler School of Environment. She is a settler and ally from the West Coast, and a qualitative social researcher. Current interests include sustainability challenges and their attendant social controversies, the pedagogy of environmental debates and climate action, and human-plant interactions.

Dr. Natalya Gomez (Earth and Planetary Sciences)
Dr. Natalya Gomez is climate scientist, professor and Canada Research Chair in Ice Sheet- Sea Level Interactions whose research focuses on understanding how the polar ice sheets and global sea levels respond to climate change, and the impacts on coastal environments and populations. A settler from Toronto who grew up immersed in both the performing arts and the outdoors, she is passionate about interdisciplinary education and outreach to communicate about our planet and climate change in inspiring, hopeful and actionable ways.

Dr. Jennifer Sunday (Biology)
Dr. Jennifer Sunday is a professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Change Biology whose research focuses on climate change impacts on life, from individual organisms to ecosystem change, and how we can take action for protection. She is a settler who draws great inspiration from the West coast of Canada, and is inspired to seek solutions through learning across disciplines and different ways of knowing.

Rebeca Esquivel (Office of Science Education)
Rebeca is a course developer with the Office of Science Education and doctoral student at Concordia University. She is a Latina immigrant and an educator whose work centres on hopeful and liberatory climate change education.

Juliann Wray (Office of Science Education)
Juliann is a PhD student with Anishinaabe and Euro-settler roots who studies our local weather and climate, particularly niiskaadad (nasty weather). She explores the intertwining of Indigenous ways of knowing in the context of the climate crisis through course development work in FSCI 198. Juliann also enjoys spending time in nature, making crafts, and learning new words in Anishinaabemowin.

Marcy Slapcoff (Office of Science Education)
Marcy Slapcoff is the Director of the Office of Science Education (OSE) and the Richard Tomlinson Chair in Science Education. A lifelong Montrealer, and a lover of books and mountains, Marcy focuses much of her energy at McGill on building communities that value reflection, learning and action. David Orr’s question, “What is the University for?” inspires much of Marcy’s thinking, and FSCI 198 is one example of how we can answer this question by working together across all kinds of boundaries.

Our Team

In addition to the course developers, our team includes guest lecturers from fields including ecology, food systems, health, poetry and arts, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous activists. Twelve Teaching Assistants co-teach workshops and support students in their learning journey. This course is possible with the support of the Office of Science Education.