Tackling Environmental Challenges for a Sustainable Future

Offered By: University of York via FutureLearn

Course Description

Overview

Explore sustainable solutions to environmental issues like changing glaciers

Our energy use is unsustainable, we’re producing waste plastic that’s endangering oceans, and large parts of the natural world are disappearing. We know our planet is facing huge environmental challenges, but what are we doing to solve them?

On this course, you’ll discover how the environment is studied and learn how research at the University of York is helping to develop sustainable solutions to environmental problems.

The course will encourage you to reflect on the importance of a more sustainable future for our planet and will introduce you to the role the Sustainable Development Goals can play.

There has never been a more important time to study the environment. This course is designed for anyone interested in how research is informing our knowledge of global environmental issues and potential solutions.

The course will be particularly useful for final year school students who are considering studying an environmental course at university. It will also appeal to anyone with an interest and with a general understanding of issues surrounding environmental issues.

Syllabus

Changing glaciers

Welcome
An introduction to glaciers
The importance of increased melt rates
Monitoring and measuring change in glaciers
Policy and the future of glaciers
Summary and closing thoughts

Protecting our oceans

Introduction: The blue planet
Fisheries and aquaculture: The good, the bad and the ugly
Climate change and the oceans: Warming up and turning sour
Ocean pollution
Ocean optimism: Solutions
Final thoughts and knowledge

Environment and development

Introduction: What is development?
Development and CO2
Development and the oceans: An example from Indonesia
Development and energy: An example from Tanzania
Development and biodiversity
Summary and closing thoughts

Energy and Society

Introduction: Energy and Society
What sort of energy system do we want?
What is driving the need to change our energy system?
Public attitudes to supply-side options/energy developments
Energy and society in developing countries: Energy for resilience
Geoengineering
Final thoughts

Taught by

David Rippin