Description
Our planet is under threat from human impacts as never before, including climate change, environmental degradation, pollution, biodiversity loss and resource exploitation. These have all led to the current environmental crisis. Such is the extent of this impact, that we may have entered a new geological Epoch or Event called the Anthropocene. Furthermore, a new planetary boundary framework has been devised to understand the safe operating spaces for humanity. This course explores these concepts, focusing in on the two key global environmental issues; how to mitigate our impacts on the planet and how to adapt to the rapidly changing climate and environment. The course structure is either, one hour lecture followed by one hour open discussion which includes all students or a fully interactive student workshop. Assessment will be two blogs one on adaptation and one on mitigation solutions.
This course will provide a general introduction to the history of human impacts on the Earth’s climate, environment and ecosystems. The course will introduce students to the wide range of mitigation and adaptation solutions - but will not provide a comprehensive analysis of these solutions as there are simply too many. Students are able to focus on their own preferred solutions in the coursework. The course will include guest speakers from both academia, business and NGOs. Topics to be covered will draw from many of the following:
- Planetary Boundaries
- The Anthropocene
- Climate Change impacts
- Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas emissions
- Politics of Net Carbon Zero
- Solutions at individual, corporate, governmental and international levels
- Biodiversity loss and pandemics
- Politics of saving planetary ecology
- Adaptation to climate change and environmental change
- Workshops on global governance and negotiated emissions reductions through the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings
- Workshops on solutions to the global environmental crisis
- Geoengineering
There are no prerequisites for this course, although an interest in environmental issues is expected.
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.
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