The imperative of sustainability

In this course, students will begin with a macro-level view of the current state of the world, covering topics such as climate change, plastic pollution, social inequality, and the economic systems that have brought us to where we are today. Students will explore how such an economy cannot sustain itself and how a rapid transition to something different is needed. We will define sustainability, the meaning of sustainable development, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Recognising the need for change, we will begin by looking at energy, and more specifically electricity generation, as it is widely believed to be the main cause of climate change. We will show why this is so and look at ways to reduce carbon emissions, for example by switching from coal and natural gas to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. The concept of a carbon footprint and how to calculate it is introduced. Students will have the opportunity to calculate their personal carbon footprint for different energy options (coal, natural gas or renewables) and also explore what would happen to their personal carbon footprint if they switched to renewable energy sources.