Postgraduate Course: Principles of Environmental Sustainability (PGGE11060)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Postgraduate Courses (School of GeoSciences) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
http://xweb.geos.ed.ac.uk/~sallen/pes/ |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | The course is intended for students from any discipline interested in gaining a broad and holistic understanding of sustainable development. It is particularly suitable for students wishing to work in government, local authorities, environmental consultancy, environmental NGOs or education.
The course is designed to explore the potential of sustainable development to overcome the environmental and social challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. By examining key drivers such as population growth, market economics, technological innovation, consumption patterns and public attitudes, the course investigates the complex causes of current global concerns. The meaning and implications of sustainable development are considered by examining its core principles. Those considered include: environmental protection; equity within and between generations; the precautionary principle; the polluter pays principle; public participation in governance; and policy integration. The variety of viewpoints on questions of sustainability is emphasised through the discussion of controversies and case studies. The course encourages a strongly interdisciplinary approach to the understanding of sustainable development and seeks to foster critical thinking and debate. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: 50 |
|
Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
16/09/2013 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 44,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
152 )
|
| Additional Notes |
|
| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
50 %,
Coursework
50 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Principles of Environmental Sustainability | 2:00 | |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
1. Enhanced understanding of the evolution of sustainable development and its contested meanings
2. Appreciation of the core principles of sustainable development
3. Increased capacity for critical assessment of arguments related to sustainability
4. Broader interdisciplinary perspective and greater ability to link different areas of knowledge
5. Wider and deeper engagement with relevant literatures |
Assessment Information
The course is assessed by coursework (50%) and examination (50%):
Coursework: 2000-word essay, a critique of part of Bjorn Lomborg's book 'The Skeptical Environmentalist' (50% of course mark).
Examination: students answer two one-hour essay questions, from a choice of five (each answer is worth 25% of course mark); examination to be held during semester 1 exam period (week 13 or week 14). |
Special Arrangements
| Anyone wishing to enrol students from outside the School of GeoSciences should make a specific arrangement with the Course Organiser (Simon Allen: simon.allen@ed.ac.uk; tel 0131 650 7215) as there is high demand for this course. |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
1. Introduction. What is sustainable development?
In the first class the objectives, structure and approach of the course are outlined. We begin by briefly reviewing the rise of environmental concern since 1950. Some core principles of sustainable development are introduced, with an account of how they were elaborated through international policy processes.
2. Conflicting worldviews of environment and development
We examine debates surrounding sustainable development, and consider what underlies them. Disagreement can often be traced back to differing worldviews, particularly regarding forms of development and understandings of how nature works. We discuss the recent rise in environmental scepticism, focusing particularly on Bjorn Lomborg.
3. Sustainability indicators and the integration principle
We consider the need to integrate decision-making in environmental, economic and social spheres to make development more sustainable. Integrated policy making requires information to monitor the state of society, economy and environment - we examine various 'sustainability indicators' that have been designed for this purpose.
4. Environmental limits and the sustainability principle
We examine whether there are environmental limits to the scale of the human economy. What evidence is there that limits are being approached and where do they lie? James Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis is introduced as way of understanding how humanity depends upon the activities of organisms on Earth to maintain stable and habitable conditions. We consider the 'services' provided by biodiversity and the arguments for its protection.
5. Climate change and the precautionary principle
We consider the development and application of the precautionary principle, with a focus on climate change. What are the risks that humanity faces, and what level of precaution should be applied in attempts to manage them? ¿Geo-engineering¿ as a possible technique to 'fix' the climate is examined as a case study.
6. Engaging communities and the participation principle
Processes of community participation in decisions that shape people's lives are essential to sustainable development. We explore why, focusing on the debates surrounding where and to what extent wind energy should be implemented in the UK.
7. Population, consumption and the equity principle
We examine the interplay between population trends and patterns of consumption in determining humanity's impact on the biosphere. Evidence of the scale of current global inequity is reviewed. Why do intra- and inter-generation equity matter to sustainable development and how can they be ensured?
8. The market and the polluter pays principle
In advanced economies, decisions about the allocation of resources have increasingly been left to market processes, yet these often lead to pollution and over-exploitation of natural resources. We consider how and why the market fails. The 'polluter pays' principle allows some failures to be corrected. We also debate the role of economic growth in sustainable development - is it a requirement or an impediment?
9. Envisioning a sustainable future
We consider what a future sustainable society might look like. Will we live much as now, but with electric cars and renewable energy, or will society shift towards more localised and resilient ways of living, with reduced levels of consumption of energy and materials? How will the quality of our lives change? What can we gain and what might we lose? This class is a chance for students to explore possible pathways towards sustainability and their implications.
10. Feedback and exam preparation
An opportunity for students to reflect on the course as a whole and provide feedback. Group discussion will be used to assist in preparation for the examination.
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| Transferable skills |
1. Improved essay writing skills
2. Improved debating skills gained through group discussions |
| Reading list |
There is no textbook that covers the whole course. A detailed reading list will therefore be provided each week. Wherever possible readings will be made available to students online, via Learn9. The books listed below are relevant to the course, and will be referred to in some of the lectures. Beder (2006) will be referred to most extensively, as Chapters 1 to 6 clearly set out the most important principles of sustainable development. Dresner (2008) considers the evolution and meaning of the idea of sustainable development and therefore provides a solid grounding for the first two sessions of the course. McNeill (2001), Middleton (2008) and Rogers et al. (2007) are general texts covering a range of relevant topics. Hulme (2009), Jackson (2009) and Wilkinson and Pickett (2010) are recent books that have each made significant and distinctive contributions to the sustainable development debate, and should therefore be of interest to students of this course.
References
Beder, S. (2006). Environmental Principles and Policies. An Interdisciplinary Introduction. Earthscan, London. ISBN: 1844074048.
Dresner, S. (2008). The Principles of Sustainability, 2nd Edition. Earthscan, London. ISBN: 9781844074969 [Available online via Searcher].
Hulme, M.M. (2009). Why We Disagree About Climate Change: Understanding Controversy, Inaction and Opportunity. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN: 9780521727327.
Jackson, T. (2009). Prosperity Without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet. Earthscan, London. ISBN: 9781844078943
McNeill, J.R. (2001). Something New Under The Sun: An Environmental History of the World in the 20th Century. W.W. Norton & Company, New York. ISBN: 0393321835.
Middleton, N. (2008). The Global Casino: An Introduction to Environmental Issues, Fourth Edition. Hodder Education, London. ISBN: 9780340957165.
Rogers, P.R., Jalal, K.F., and Boyd, J.A. (2007). An Introduction to Sustainable Development. Earthscan, London. ISBN: 9781844075201.
Wilkinson, R.G., and Pickett, K. (2010). The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone. Penguin, London. ISBN: |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | sustainable development; environmental change; sustainability lifestyles |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Simon Allen
Tel: (0131 6)50 7215
Email: simon.allen@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Rachel Chisholm
Tel: (0131 6)50 2572
Email: Rachel.Chisholm@ed.ac.uk |
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