This course introduces the academic approach of Sustainability and explores how today’s human societies can endure in the face of global change, ecosystem degradation and resource limitations. The course focuses on key knowledge areas of sustainability theory and practice, including population, ecosystems, global change, energy, agriculture, water, environmental economics and policy, ethics, and cultural history.
This subject is of vital importance, seeking as it does to uncover the principles of the long-term welfare of all the peoples of the planet. As sustainability is a cross-disciplinary field of study, this foundation requires intellectual breadth: as I describe it in the class text, understanding our motivations requires the humanities, measuring the challenges of sustainability requires knowledge of the sciences (both natural and social), and building solutions requires technical insight into systems (such as provided by engineering, planning, and management).
In this module, you will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and the learning environment. The orientation also helps you obtain the technical skills required for the course. In the introduction, we will examine some of the central ideas that underpin the Earth as a system, and their consequences for environmental sustainability.
What's included
5 videos5 readings3 assignments1 plugin
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 37 minutes
Introduction to Sustainability Course Welcome•3 minutes
Introduction to Sustainability•8 minutes
Sustainability and Population Growth•7 minutes
Growth Curves•6 minutes
Malthus•13 minutes
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
Syllabus•10 minutes
About the Discussion Forums•10 minutes
Social Media•10 minutes
Getting to Know Your Classmates•10 minutes
Module 1 Overview and Readings•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Module 1 Quiz•30 minutes
Orientation Quiz•30 minutes
Big Ideas Practice Quiz•30 minutes
1 plugin•Total 15 minutes
Welcome! Please tell us about yourself.•15 minutes
Population
3 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, we will see how human populations have evolved over time and get a sense of where the next century of change will take us.
What's included
5 videos1 reading4 assignments
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 49 minutes
Population Introduction•1 minute
Transitions•11 minutes
Demographic Transition•10 minutes
Future Populations, Part 1•11 minutes
Future Populations, Part 2•15 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Module 2 Overview and Readings•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 120 minutes
Population Interactive Homework•30 minutes
Module 2 Quiz•30 minutes
Population, Past and Present Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Global Population in the Future Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Ecosystems and Climate Change
5 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, we will see that the Earth faces many environmental pressures that result from human exploitation of natural resources. We will also look at the issue of climate change.
What's included
8 videos1 reading4 assignments1 peer review
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 78 minutes
Ecosystems and Climate Change Introduction•1 minute
Tragedy of the Commons•11 minutes
Tragedy of the Commons: Solutions•14 minutes
Ecosystems and Extinctions•7 minutes
Weather vs. Climate•4 minutes
Climate Changes in the Past•11 minutes
Modern Climate Change•14 minutes
[OPTIONAL] Climate Processes•16 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Module 3 Overview and Readings•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 100 minutes
Climate Change Interactive Homework•10 minutes
Module 3 Quiz•30 minutes
Ecosystems, Extinction, and Tragedy of the Commons Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Climate Change Practice Quiz•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 120 minutes
Tragedy of the Commons Response•120 minutes
Energy
3 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, we will look at energy use. We will also consider what the trend of energy use means for the planet, and how we might transition to a more sustainable pattern of use.
What's included
8 videos1 reading4 assignments
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 58 minutes
Energy Introduction•1 minute
Energy Overview•6 minutes
Oil•12 minutes
EROEI•5 minutes
Coal & Gas•7 minutes
Nuclear Power•7 minutes
Renewable Energy•12 minutes
Energy Conservation•7 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Module 4 Overview and Readings•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 120 minutes
Energy and Society Homework•30 minutes
Module 4 Quiz•30 minutes
Oil Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Alternatives Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Water and Agriculture
3 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, we will explore the connection between water and food, and see what will be required to feed the planet over the course of the century.
What's included
6 videos1 reading3 assignments
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 68 minutes
Water and Agriculture Introduction•2 minutes
Limits to Water•15 minutes
Water Trends•15 minutes
Agricultural Consumption•7 minutes
Agricultural Limits•16 minutes
Genetically Modified Organisms•12 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Module 5 Overview and Readings•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Module 5 Quiz•30 minutes
Water Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Agriculture and Food Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Environmental Policy
4 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, we will examine some of the common tools used by policy-makers, and some of the forces that shape (or misshape) policy.
What's included
9 videos1 reading3 assignments1 peer review
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 94 minutes
Environmental Economics and Policy Introduction•1 minute
Negative Externalities•15 minutes
Environmental Policy•11 minutes
Environmental Policy Assessment•14 minutes
[OPTIONAL] Environmental Economics•17 minutes
[OPTIONAL] Application of Environmental Economics and Policy, Part 1•11 minutes
[OPTIONAL] Application of Environmental Economics and Policy, Part 2•13 minutes
[OPTIONAL] Application of Environmental Economics and Policy, Part 3•8 minutes
In this module, we will examine what tools are available to measure sustainability. Finally, I will make some predictions on global sustainability for the 21st century, based on the models we have spoken about in this course and the trends that have been observed in the early part of this century.
What's included
7 videos1 reading3 assignments1 peer review
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 68 minutes
Measuring Sustainability Introduction•1 minute
Biodiversity and Ecosystems•11 minutes
Sustainability Metrics, Part 1•13 minutes
Sustainability Metrics, Part 2•9 minutes
Food Miles•9 minutes
Measuring Sustainability: The Future, Part 1•13 minutes
Measuring Sustainability: The Future, Part 2•13 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Module 7 Overview and Readings•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Module 7 Quiz•30 minutes
Measuring Sustainability Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Sustainable Future Practice Quiz•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
Sustainable Future Response•60 minutes
Conclusion
1 hour to complete
Module details
Welcome to the end of the course! This module has a final, comprehensive quiz that covers all of the topics that we’ve seen in the previous seven modules. You’ll want to be familiar with the goals and objectives, key phrases, concepts, and guiding questions from the earlier modules to do well on this final quiz.
What's included
1 reading1 assignment1 plugin
Show info about module content
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Conclusion and Final Quiz Instructions•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Introduction to Sustainability Final Quiz•30 minutes
1 plugin•Total 15 minutes
How was the Specialization?•15 minutes
Instructor
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The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a world leader in research, teaching and public engagement, distinguished by the breadth of its programs, broad academic excellence, and internationally renowned faculty and alumni. Illinois serves the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and finding solutions to critical societal needs.
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S
SP
5·
Reviewed on May 28, 2020
A well thought and curated module which covers all essential aspects of sustainability. The course conduct was well designed and the examples and cases presented gave further insights.
D
DP
5·
Reviewed on Sep 24, 2020
The content and structure of the course are well presented and arranged. All modules helps to improve my knowledge in this area. The videos are really good to understand the concepts.
M
MT
5·
Reviewed on Sep 23, 2020
This course helps me to learn many things about sustainability. By this course, I am more interested in sustainable developments. I expect to learn more about this provided by Dr Johnathan Tomkin.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.