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2,440 ratings

Dr. Jonathan Tomkin

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Introduction to Sustainability

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

About this Course

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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).

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Shareable Certificate

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Approx. 25 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 25 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.83/5 (610 Ratings)

Dr. Jonathan Tomkin

Associate Director

School of Earth, Society and Environment

136,870 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating96%(18,501 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Orientation and Introduction

3 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 37 min), 5 readings, 3 quizzes

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Population

3 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 49 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes

Week3

Week 3

4 hours to complete

Ecosystems and Climate Change

4 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 78 min), 1 reading, 5 quizzes

8 videos

Ecosystems and Climate Change Introduction55sTragedy of the Commons10mTragedy of the Commons: Solutions14mEcosystems and Extinctions6mWeather vs. Climate3mClimate Changes in the Past10mModern Climate Change14m[OPTIONAL] Climate Processes16m

1 reading

Module 3 Overview and Readings10m

4 practice exercises

Ecosystems, Extinction, and Tragedy of the Commons Practice Quiz30mClimate Change Practice Quiz30mClimate Change Interactive Homework10mModule 3 Quiz30m

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Energy

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 58 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes

Week5

Week 5

3 hours to complete

Water and Agriculture

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 68 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes

Week6

Week 6

4 hours to complete

Environmental Policy

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 94 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes

9 videos

Environmental Economics and Policy Introduction1mNegative Externalities14mEnvironmental Policy11mEnvironmental Policy Assessment14m[OPTIONAL] Environmental Economics17m[OPTIONAL] Application of Environmental Economics and Policy, Part 111m[OPTIONAL] Application of Environmental Economics and Policy, Part 213m[OPTIONAL] Application of Environmental Economics and Policy, Part 38mEnvironmental Policy Examples: "Biofuels"3m

1 reading

Module 6 Overview and Readings10m

3 practice exercises

Environmental Policy Practice Quiz30mEnvironmental Policy Examples Homework30mModule 6 Quiz30m

Week7

Week 7

4 hours to complete

Measuring Sustainability

4 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 68 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes

7 videos

Measuring Sustainability Introduction1mBiodiversity and Ecosystems10mSustainability Metrics, Part 112mSustainability Metrics, Part 28mFood Miles9mMeasuring Sustainability: The Future, Part 112mMeasuring Sustainability: The Future, Part 212m

1 reading

Module 7 Overview and Readings10m

3 practice exercises

Measuring Sustainability Practice Quiz30mSustainable Future Practice Quiz30mModule 7 Quiz30m

Week8

Week 8

1 hour to complete

Conclusion

1 hour to complete

1 reading

Reviews

4.8

769 reviews

5 stars
80.67%
4 stars
16.33%
3 stars
1.63%
2 stars
0.40%
1 star
0.94%

TOP REVIEWS FROM INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY

by MTSep 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.

by SDMay 12, 2020

A very good course to have basic understanding of sustainable development. A learner from different background like me would find it much helpful in exploring a new field of interest.

by YUMar 4, 2021

Fantastic course and a great lecturer. Highly recommend it. This topic should be studied by many and I encourage people to explore it. There is so much that can be learnt in this course.

by SPMay 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.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

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What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
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.

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Introduction to Sustainability

Introduction to Sustainability

About this Course