Impact of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate
This online engineering PDH course provides a data-driven review of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and their impacts on the U.S. climate, based on the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2025 report.
This course examines how CO₂ and other gases influence climate systems, evaluates observed trends, and analyzes uncertainties in attribution, modeling, and future projections. It explores key topics such as radiative forcing, climate sensitivity, carbon-cycle feedback, urbanization effects on temperature data, and the reliability of emission scenarios (RCPs and SSPs). This course also compares model results with real-world observations and discusses implications for extreme weather, sea-level rise, and economic outcomes.
Bridging climate science and policy, this course reviews U.S. decision-making, the Social Cost of Carbon, and the role of data quality and modeling assumptions. Also, it underscores the value of open scientific debate, rigorous peer review, and quantitative reasoning as tools for effective climate and energy policy formulation.
This 9 PDH online course is applicable to engineers, sustainability managers, policy makers, as well as other technical professionals interested in learning more about the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the U.S. climate.
This PE continuing education course is intended to provide you with the following specific knowledge and skills:
- Understanding GHG fundamentals: radiative forcing, the carbon cycle, and natural vs. human drivers
- Evaluating DOE (2025) findings on CO₂ impacts, data trends, and model uncertainties
- Analyzing CO₂’s dual role in climate and plant growth (photosynthesis, greening, productivity)
- Assessing critiques of IPCC scenarios (RCPs/SSPs), including limits of extreme pathways
- Examining gaps between climate models and observed temperature data (e.g., UHI effects)
- Assessing evidence for trends in extreme weather and links to human influence
- Understanding sea-level rise trends and limits of acceleration claims
- Evaluating challenges in climate attribution methods and natural variability
- Analyzing how the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) depends on key assumptions
- Building skills to assess models, uncertainties, and climate claims critically
- Exploring policy implications for emissions, innovation, and adaptation
- Applying data-driven reasoning to climate, energy, and sustainability decisions
In this professional engineering CEU course, you need to review the course document titled, “Recycling Infrastructure for Wind Turbines and Systems in the U.S.”, which is based on the U.S. Department of Energy, Publication No. DOE-HQ-2025-0207, “A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate”.
To view, print and study the course, please click on the following PDF attachment:
Upon successful completion of the quiz, print your Certificate of Completion instantly. (Note: if you are paying by check or money order, you will be able to print it after we receive your payment.) For your convenience, we will also email it to you. Please note that you can log in to your account at any time to access and print your Certificate of Completion.