Admission requirements
None
Description
The Earth can be split into four main geobiological spheres, i.e., the lithosphere, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the biosphere, which are closely interrelated. Human beings live on Earth as an integral part of it. We are short-stay occupants and are affected by its internal, surface, and atmospheric processes. More importantly, we also profoundly alter the Earth with our activities impacting on local to global levels and contributing to climate change, biodiversity loss, erosion, flooding, and depletion of other resources. To govern the Earth efficiently, and use and manage its natural resources
with less waste, there is a need to have a clear understanding of this planet, the interlinkages among the different “spheres” and responses to human activities. Likewise, societal mechanisms and processes influence human actions and need understanding to come to sustainable solutions.
This course is concerned with understanding of the geobiological spheres and associated cycles, the inextricable links between the living and the non-living world, the way in which forces of nature shape our daily lives, how and why humans exploit resources and nature, and the actions that are taken to live in greater harmony with the pulse of the Earth. This understanding will help to assess and decide whether and how human beings can influence and change the course of our history, when bringing major global issues into focus later on in this course.
In this course students will learn about the main processes on Earth, its geobiological spheres and associated global cycles (e.g. water, nutrients, and carbon). Furthermore, they will learn about societal mechanisms and processes explaining why and how humans interfere with the Earth’s environment and how this leads to the environmental problems we are confronted with. Students will also learn how to quantify relevant issues quickly.
Course objectives
After completion of the course students will be able to:
think holistically about sustainability
make quick, back-of-the-envelope calculations related to environmental issues
qualify and quantify environmental problems
quickly assess the order of magnitude of solutions to complex environmental problems
After completion of the course students will know:
the characteristics of the main geobiological spheres and associated global (elemental and/or material) cycles, their interaction and response to human activities causing environmental problems
the societal mechanisms and processes that underlie main environmental problems
various approaches to achieve a sustainable earth
Timetable
Please see LUC The Hague website: www.lucthehague.nl
Mode of instruction
The two-hour seminars are composed of different activities in alternating plenary and group work sessions related to the weekly themes (some themes are still subject to change):
Geobiological spheres and associated global cycles
Economic growth and visions of nature
Land use change
Energy and material flows
Biodiversity and nature conservation
Towards sustainability
Activities during bi-weekly seminars include: • preparation and conduct of an oral presentation on a topic related to weekly theme • preparation and conduct of a multi-stakeholder debate • making a peer-review of an assignment in progress prepared by another student • making of two assignments on: – GIS exercise and preparation of a short report – preparation of an assignment on “urban mining” ### Assessment method
Learning aim:Assessment:Percentage:Deadline
- debating & assessment skills (ability to debate, exchange views and think holistically about sustainability; making quick assessments of environmental problems and potential solutions): assessed through Participation in discussions and performance during seminars including the multi-stakeholder debate (individual assessments 20% of final grade, of which 10% for multistake-holder debate): Ongoing Weeks 1 – 8
- reading & presentation skills (comprehension of scientific information from literature and resources and translation into a coherent presentation; critically assess the scientific information related to the content of the course): assessed in Oral presentation of maximum 20 minutes (individual assessment:20% of final grade): Weeks 1 – 8
Each week, 1 – 4 students will give a presentation (depending on class size) - assessment /analysis & scientific writing skills (working towards approaches and strategies to achieve a sustainable earth; comprehensive scientific writing) : assessed through two Assignments in the form of a short analytical report (max 2750 words; 30% of final grade): Week 3 (May 2) and 6 (May 23) (in case of two assignments: Week 2 and 5)
- knowledge skills (build up knowledge of main processes on system earth and the societal mechanisms affecting the earth’s environment) : assessed in Open book exam (through black board, open for answering for at least 1 week up to 4 June; 30% of final grade): Final week (June 4, 2012)
Blackboard
This course is supported by a blackboard site.
Reading list
Please purchase the following textbook:
“Living in the Environment” by G. T. Tyler Miller and Scott E. Spoolman.
Other reading materials will be made available electronically via the course website on blackboard.
A syllabus will be compiled for this course including all literature and assignment procedures made available electronically at the start of the course, via the course website on blackboard
List of selected readings for thematic plenary lectures and debate:
De Groot, W.T. 2006. From Friend to Enemy and Onwards: Visions of Nature in an Evolutionary Perspective. In: Van den Born, R.J.G., Lenders, R.H.J., de Groot, W.T (Eds.) ‘Visions of Nature. A scientific exploration of people’s implicit philosophies regarding nature in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom’. LIT Verlag, Berlin, pp. 21-39.(7788 words incl references; 7334 excl references)
De Groot, M, Drenthen M, & de Groot, W 2011. ‘Public Visions of the Human / Nature Relationship and their Implications for Environmental Ethics’, Environmental Ethics 33(1) (expected Spring 2011). (9366 words)
Hoffman et al ( 2010). The Impact of Conservation on the Worlds Vertebrates, Science, No 3330, p 1503-1509
MacKay David J.C. (2010) Sustainable Energy without the hot air. Chapters 1 & 18, http://www.withouthotair.com/ (~30 pages)\
Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) 2008. The Gallagher review of the indirect effects of biofuel production. Renewable Fuels Agency, East Sussex, UK; pp. 8 – 16. Available on:
http://www.renewablefuelsagency.gov.uk/sites/renewablefuelsagency.gov.uk/files/_documents/Report_of_the_Gallagher_review.pdf
Schlesinger, William H. (1991) Biogeochemistry, An analysis of global change. San Diego: Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-625157-6 Chapter 11 and 12 (27 pages)
World Bank 2009. Bioenergy Development: issues and impacts for poverty and natural resource management. Agriculture & Rural Development Notes Issue 49, August 2009. pp. 4. Available on:
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTARD/Resources/336681-1231508336979/49Bioenergy.pdf
World Bank 2010. Liquid Biofuels: background brief for the World Bank Group Energy Sector strategy. pp. 22. Available on:
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTESC/Resources/Biofuel_brief_Web_version.pdf
Zinsenis, M. (2010). 10 Messages for 2010 protected areas. European Environmental Protection Agency, pp 9
Registration This course is only open for LUC The Hague students.
Contact information
See website CML ( http://www.cml.leiden.edu/ ), under staff D J Snelder and H de Iongh
Weekly Overview (Tentative)
- Introduction to course
- Issue of the week: System Earth in Perspective
- Issue of the week: Land use change (including conversion to biofuel plantations, logging versus biodiversity and forest conservation)
- Issue of the week: Biodiversity & Nature Conservation
- Issue of the week: Energy and material flows
- Issue of the week: Towards sustainability