Of the many behaviors that distinguish humans from our fellow inhabitants of Planet Earth, among the most significant is our use of energy in quantities far exceeding what our own bodies produce. Energy consumption brings us high standards of material comfort, but with it comes environmental degradation. Today that degradation—driven largely by a fossil-fueled energy economy—has reached a global scale that is increasingly dominated by climate change. This course will survey patterns of human energy consumption, explore the science and technology behind the energy sources available to us, and then focus on climate change and its relation to our energy usage. A combination of lectures, research problems, and computer modeling will give students a firm grasp of the basic science behind energy and climate issues.