你将学到什么
Explain what is meant by a complex system and its relevance to sustainability
Evaluate the Brundtland definition of sustainable development
Explain how economy and ecology work together as one system
Summarise the prospects for a circular economy
Identify the effects of the agricultural and industrial revolutions
Identify and discuss the practical and moral issues around inequality
Evaluate the difficulty in assigning causation in complex systems
Discuss the implications of past actions for current generations
Describe what is meant by the term 'tragedy of the commons'
Explain what is meant by globalisation, and its implication for sustainability
Discuss the major problems of sustainability and the prospects for solutions
Discuss the range of views on approaches to development
课程概况
In this course you will study the conceptual foundations of sustainable development, and discuss the issues around sustainability as a complex problem.
We’ll look at the flow of energy and materials worldwide; social and political issues; wealth inequality; the impact of geography, history and culture on sustainability today; and the problems of collective action. Finally, we’ll conduct a SWOT analysis, looking at our resilience and prospects in the face of climate change and other global issues in sustainability. We’ll ask: are we doomed?
课程大纲
Week 1: Sustainable development and complexity
Week 2: The economy and ecology as a metabolic system
Week 3: Economic growth and inequality
Week 4: The importance of geography, history and culture and the impact of human activity on the environment
Week 5: The problem of collective action
Week 6: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
面向人群
This course is open to anyone interested in exploring the general technical and social issues around the concept of sustainability and sustainable development. The course explores the theoretical basis of sustainability from the natural sciences, political and economic perspective. This course is aimed at learners who wish to engage with the challenges and potential solutions to sustainability at a conceptual level.
