The Earth is subject to a myriad of threats and stresses, ranging from a changing global climate to unprecedented human impacts on ecosystems. Placing future change on Earth into a long-term context is a critical science, and without it, society cannot understand and constrain the ‘natural’ baseline against which future changes could be assessed. This module will provide students with a critical insight into the global changes currently impacting the Earth over decadal to millennial timescales. Through the module, we will understand how processes and systems on Earth have changed over time across a range of environments helping students develop the knowledge and skills to interpret how the Earth may respond to future environmental change. There is a focus for students to gain this knowledge through active learning in laboratory practicals, fieldwork and workshops, which accompany the lectures.