Working with our environment: an introduction

Global warming: are we responsible? Is our environmental impact damaging the planet? This free course, Working with our environment: an introduction, examines the use of ozone-depleting technology, the impact of fossil fuel use and explores how the development of technology can influence the direction of a society. From the Industrial Revolution to the present day, find out how we have changed the planet.

• Introduction
• Learning outcomes
• 1 Introductory advice
• 1 Introductory advice
• 2 The world we live in
• 2 The world we live in
• 2.1 Environment and technology
• 2.2 We are part of nature
• 2.3 The Industrial Revolution and its environmental impacts
• 2.4 Changing environmental attitudes
• 3 Case study 1: Refrigerators and the ozone layer
• 3 Case study 1: Refrigerators and the ozone layer
• 3.1 Refrigeration and chlorofluorocarbons
• 3.2 The agreement to protect the ozone layer
• 3.3 Greenfreeze: the Greens fight back
• 4 Case study 2: Refrigerators and climate change
• 4 Case study 2: Refrigerators and climate change
• 4.1 Domestic appliances and fossil fuels
• 4.2 The US experience: wasteful innovation?
• 4.3 The UK experience: competing trends
• 4.4 Discussion
• 4.5 Global climate change
• 4.6 Global climate change continued
• 5 Case study 3: Some early uses of refrigeration
• 5 Case study 3: Some early uses of refrigeration
• 5.1 Food preservation and the development of refrigeration
• 5.2 New Zealand's changing environment
• 5.3 Settlement, deforestation and endangered species
• 5.4 Discussion
• 6 Finding a balance
• 6 Finding a balance
• 6.1 The path to prevention
• 6.2 The hierarchy of human needs
• 6.3 Sustainable development
• 6.4 Technology and environment
• 6.4.1 The dual nature of technology
• 6.4.2 A broad view of technology
• 6.4.3 Problems and solutions
• 6.4.4 Environmental limits
• 6.4.5 Complexity
• Conclusion
• Glossary
• References
• Acknowledgements