Undergraduate Course: Sustainability, Society and Environment (ENVI08001)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The following topics will be developed to enable students to devise their own set of principles for understanding sustainability issues which should be of value in decision-making in their future careers.
* This course will first explore the rise of the environmental agenda in the 1960s and in particular the main events which brought it to public and scientific attention. In this context the natural processes which support life on earth will be discussed, together with the requirements for human well-being.
* The concepts of 'sustainability' and 'sustainable development' will be discussed including their history and the different contemporary interpretation of the terms.
* The commonly cited principles of sustainability (e.g. inter-generational equity, precautionary principle etc) will be explored together with the limitations imposed by physical and natural laws.
* The possible responses (scientific, technological, economic, political, social and personal) will be reviewed and their potential to bring about desired change will be discussed.
* Through examination of international, national, and local agreements on sustainability, students will critically review the motivations for, and implementation of, such policies.
* Case-studies of environmental topics will be covered such as water, energy, climate change, soil, biodiversity and land-use in which a holistic approach is taken to understand the key nature of the problem, the main drivers resulting in the occurrence of the problem and an indication of how the problem can be tackled.
* Approaches to dealing with particular issues encountered in professional life (such as environmental reports, environmental management systems, energy management, recycling, impact on biodiversity) will be considered.
* Opportunities will be provided for course members to review individual ethics and consider the implications of adopting the principles of sustainability to professional practice.
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| Course description |
2014/15 timetable:
Week 1: Introduction
Weeks 1-3: Stream A: What is the problem?
Weeks 3+ 5+10: Stream B: Ethics, Society and Politics
Weeks 4-10: Stream C: Case-studies of resource-use
Weeks 11-12: Stream D: Responses and Solutions
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2014/15, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 30,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
164 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
70 %,
Coursework
30 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Three tutorial submissions (1 formative, 2 assessed)
1 x 2hr degree exam - made up of a mixture of MC questions (40%) and three essays from separate sections (20% each) |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 2:00 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
-A broad knowledge of the scope and defining features of Sustainability, Society and Environment. This will enable students to carry out routine lines of enquiry within this field.
-An understanding of the historical development of the 'environment' as a contemporary issue and the emergence of the concept of 'sustainability' and 'sustainable development'.
-Critical evaluation of the scientific basis for sustainability and the extent to which the application of principles has provided a context within which sustainability issues can be known and monitored.
-Adoption of a critical reflective stance on international and national agreements relating to sustainability
-Review of the concept of sustainability and relevant policies relating to it in a framework of cultural and intergenerational equity.
-Understanding of the principles which underpin a range of issues which they may experience in their professional life (e.g. environmental reports, environmental management systems, energy management, recycling, impact on biodiversity) and be able to use a range of approaches to formulate evidence-based solutions
-Articulate their own stance on sustainability and explain what the concept means for them in their practice so that with guidance, they are able to deal with associated ethical and professional issues in accordance with current professional practices
-Overiew knowledge and understanding of key environmental challenges at the global and national scales
-The degree examination and the assessed tutorials will assess a student's ability to convey complex information to a range of audiences
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Reading List
Main course text
Martin Mulligan (2015), An Introduction to Sustainability: Environmental, Social and Personal Perspectives, Earthscan.
Additional reading
Berners-Lee, M. (2010), How Bad are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything, Profile Books, London.
MacKay, D. (2009), Sustainable Energy ? Without the Hot Air, UIT Press, Cambridge. Available to download for free at: www.withouthotair.com
Diamond, J., (2006). Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive Penguin Books.
Middleton, N., (2008). The Global Casino: An introduction to Environmental Issues. (4th edition). Hodder Education. (the 3rd edition is also useful)
Reay D, (2005). Climate Change begins at Home: Life in the two-way street of global warming. London: Macmillan.
University of Edinburgh Social Responsibility and Sustainability www.ed.ac.uk/about/sustainability/
These give a good overview of the key issues in the course and provide supplementary material to the content delivered in lectures. Additional references specific to particular topics may also be provided by the individual lecturers. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Lectures: 2 hours per week
Tutorials: 1 hour per week for 3 week(s). Tutorials times to be arranged. |
| Keywords | ENVI08001 SSE |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Simon Shackley
Tel: (0131 6)50 7862
Email: simon.shackley@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Meredith Corey
Tel: (0131 6)50 5430
Email: meredith.corey@ed.ac.uk |
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© Copyright 2014 The University of Edinburgh - 12 January 2015 4:01 am
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