Science, Sustainable Development & Global Society

Any contemporary discussion of the human predicament would be seriously inadequate without inclusion of the contributions and insights gained through application of the scientific method, in its specific forms for the social and natural sciences. Science is a valuable tool which can be used both to examine the understanding of our place in nature and for the utilization of natural phenomena for human purposes.

All humans consume resources and produce pollution and waste in their daily lives. It is essential that all members of society begin to understand the importance of the environment to their existence and quality of life and that they have the knowledge and tools to carry out their daily lives and professions in ways that minimize the impact of unsustainable actions on the environment, as well as on economies and societal issues so closely linked to environmental health. The manner in which the Earth and humanity are becoming ever global politically, economically, socially, technologically, and environmentally connected makes consideration of these issues increasingly important.

The Science, Sustainable Development, & Global Society course provides opportunities for the student to place science in the proper perspective. The exclusive education of environmental scientists falls short in meeting the magnitude of environmental protection which challenges society as a whole to achieve a sustainable future.

Course Description & Objectives:

Science, Sustainable Development, and Global Society is a course that examines the issue of sustainable development and demonstrates the need for examination of linkages among economic, social, technological, and environmental issues in achieving a sustainable, global society through the use of science. The course accentuates the multi- disciplinary nature of environmental studies as it relates to a sustainable global society, incorporating various aspects of science, engineering, ethics, politics, and economics.

Through this course the student will be afforded the ability to think both critically and creatively to understand connections among the social, economic, political, natural science issues which move and shape the environment in which the student lives. Course materials demonstrate how lack of recognition for this connectedness has been partially responsible for adverse environmental impacts, economic failures, social programs that do not work, and difficulties in achieving world-wide sustainable societies.

The course can include students from a wide variety of disciplines to achieve a multi-disciplinary class. Students from different disciplines will bring to the class different bodies of knowledge and different viewpoints.

During the course, students will learn to:

• identify the cultural, economic, and political forces - both past and present - that affect environmental attitudes and decision- making
• comprehend linkages among all living things, and their dependency on each other as well as the physical environment
• understand basic principles that govern natural systems and learn to apply this knowledge to the limits to, and major factors associated with, earth's capacity to sustain life
• critically examine the ideology of science and the technocratic world view
• evaluate humanity's understanding of its relationship to the natural environment
• evaluate ways in which human activities promote unsustainable actions and degradation of social and environmental systems
• describe the impact of changes within natural systems on life, health, and welfare
• think about and discuss concepts of sustainable development
• understand the role of international relations in the construction and maintenance of sustainable societies
• appreciate the role of ethics and morality in individual and group decision-making related to sustainable development, such as responsibilities to future generations and the intrinsic value of non-human nature, which underpin contemporary concerns for sustainability
• develop capacity for critical reading, thinking, writing, and discussion
• better understand connections between science/technology and the natural/cultural environments
• employ interdisciplinary enquiry, which can lead to life-long learning

This multi-disciplinary course requires students to think about issues at a level where they must integrate scientific knowledge, economic and political realities, historical experiences, and moral, philosophical, and aesthetic values. The course involves some lecturing, significant small group and class discussions, team projects, and point/counter-point debates. Students are asked to give an oral presentation, to participate in class discussions, to keep a journal, to write a series of position papers, and to take two essay exams.

For an Outline of this Sustainable Development Course, contact Dr. Warren Flint (rwflint@eeeee.net). Check out the links in the left panel above for further discussion on our approaches to sustainability education and public awareness.