Sustainability and Climate Change - 1st semester
Objectives
Sustainability is a complex issue that must be dealt with in a multi-dimensional way, by scientific, political, economic, socio-cultural, moral and ethical approaches. Many environmental problems transcend national borders and require global solutions. In this context, this seminar has three main objectives: 1) To demonstrate the complexity of the concept of sustainability, showing the evolution of the concept, explore its different perspectives and their implications; 2) To explore the current major global sustainability challenges; 3) To be a space for students to do research on scientific bibliographic sources, to train the argumentation and debate of controversial topics without trivial solutions.
General characterization
Code
73217159
Credits
7,5
Responsible teacher
Paulo Fernando Viegas Nunes
Hours
Weekly - 2
Total - Available soon
Teaching language
Portuguese
Prerequisites
Bibliography
Dauvergne, P. (2010). The Problem of Consumption. Global Environmental Politics, 10 (2): 1-10. Dryzek, J.S. (2012). The Politics of the Earth - Environmental Discourses. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK. Hoff, H. (2011). Understanding the Nexus. Background Paper for the Bonn 2011 Conference: The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus. Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm. Kidd, C.V. (1992). The Evolution of Sustainability. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 5(1): 1-26. Sneddon, C., Howarth, R.B., Norgaard, R.B. (2006). Sustainable development in a post-Brundtland world. Ecological Economics, 57: 253-268. Steffen, W., Richardson, K., Rockström, J. et al (2015). Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science, 37 (6223): 1259855. Urhammer, E., Røpke, I. (2013). Macroeconomic narratives in a world of crises: an analysis of stories about solving the system crisis. Ecological Economics 96: 62-70.
Teaching method
Various teaching methods are applied within the scope of expository methods and guided discovery learning.
Evaluation method
The seminar evaluation is divided into class participation (40%) and final essay (60%). Class participation is divided into: active participation based on recommended readings and participation in thematic debates. The debates follow these evaluation criteria: Evidence of the preparation of the arguments to be defended; Preparation of relevant questions to ask the opposite team; Peer-reviewed scientific references as the main source of information; External participation in the open debate. The final essay has a maximum of 3500 words, and the following evaluation criteria: Evidence of global reasoning and knowledge; Consideration of other areas of knowledge; Writing quality: well-structured text and ISI scientific writing standards; Peer-reviewed scientific references as the main source of information.
Subject matter
1) Introduction to the seminar: program and evaluation 2) Brief history of the evolution of the concept of sustainability 3) Sustainability discourses and visions4) Global Sustainability Challenges I: Water-Food-Energy nexus 5) Global sustainability challenges II: Climate change 6) Debate I: Who has the greatest responsibility for action against climate change? 7) Global sustainability challenges III: Globalization, technology and consumption 8) Debate II: What should be the priority in short-term international political action? 9) Workshop: Integration of seminar concepts 10) Presentation and discussion of final essay projects