The University of Queensland will be offering a free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) course, "Making Sense of Climate Science Denial," starting April 28, and it will focus exclusively on the psychology and climate science denial.

John Cook, founder of the climate-science myth debunking website Skeptical Science and climate communication fellow at the University of Queensland Global Change Institute, will coordinate the course.

"Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that humans are causing global warming; however, less than half of Australians are aware of humanity's role in climate change, while half of the US Senate has voted that humans aren't causing global warming," Australian blogger, author and solar physicist Cook said in a statement. "This free course explains why there is such a huge gap between the scientific community and the public. Our course looks at what's driving climate science denial and the most common myths about climate change."

The open-to-the-public course will include lectures about climate science and demystifying myths. And Skeptical Science contributors, an international team of scientific-minded volunteer, will lead the course. The seven-week program will feature interviews with 75 experts, including Sir David Attenborough, Katharine Hayhoe, Richard Alley, Michael Mann, and Naomi Oreskes.

The course's attendees will gain knowledge about climate science and psychology. Students will learn the most common climate myths, and how to respond to those myths. According to Cook, it's easiest to unmask a myth if individuals are able to understand how a myth originated. The unique course looks to equip knowledge-hungry climate defenders with important facts about the foundation of myths, as well as facts, so that they're able to challenge opposing frames of thought.

"Making Sense of Climate Science Denial" has already proven to be a success. Thousands from more than 130 nations have already enrolled in the course, and those students are poised to learn a great deal about psychology and climate change denial.

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