ENV230 Sustainability in Practice

[3–0, 3 cr.]

Defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”, sustainability has become one of the hottest topics in the 21st century. International agencies and organizations have clearly declared their commitment to establish more sustainable processes and operations in which a future for our kids and grandkids is guaranteed. This course tackles sustainability from its practical perspective, and studies human actions and capabilities to handle global change, climatic deterioration, ecosystem degradation, and resource depletion. It covers the millennium development goals and the factors directly linked to achieving them. Factors such as growing population, energy demand, water scarcity, climate change, and environmental economics will be discussed.