About this course: This course takes learners on a journey through a progression of systems-thinking and sustainability concepts. Using the beautiful game of soccer (also known as football in many parts of the world) as an analogy, we'll work together to illuminate real-world interdependencies (such as between climate change and human rights), building the chain of concepts in a fun, accessible way. Soccer/Football nerds and newbies alike will be entertained and, ultimately, rewarded with the epiphanies that come from seeing in systems more clearly. Those who complete the course will: create examples of systems parts, boundaries, and behaviors related to sustainability (and soccer/football); practice evaluating the sustainability of systems they care about using several complementary methods; generate ideas to improve the sustainability of a system they care about; and explain a mindset shift that would enhance the sustainability of a system they care about.
Who is this class for: This course is for learners of all ages seeking a relatable introduction to sustainability and mindsets to pursue it.
Created by: University of Virginia
Taught by: Leidy Klotz, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and University of Virginia School of Architecture
Engineering and Architecture
| Level | Beginner |
| Commitment | 6 modules, 2-3 hours/module |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Background
On sustainability, what soccer and systems-thinking have to do with it, and how I’m qualified to explain.
3 videos, 2 readings, 1 practice quiz
- Video: My delayed epiphany
- Reading: Why me? - An autobiography in less than twelve hundred words
- Video: Why soccer?
- Reading: Systems-thinking for sustainability (The Black Panther and the Sacred Monster)
- Video: Systems-thinking for sustainability
- Practice Quiz: Introduction
System Parts
Systems-thinking is the guide for our sustainability quest, and systems are made up of some basic parts: elements, flows, stocks, feedback loops, and purposes.
6 videos, 1 reading
- Reading: System parts overview (Maputo and the Sacred Monster)
- Video: Overlooked system elements (Floating Jabulanis and the River of Grass)
- Video: Physical flows (Remember Istanbul and the Cross-Bronx Expressway)
- Video: Information flows (Smoking managers and electric-bill peer pressure)
- Discussion Prompt: Information flows
- Video: Stocks (Porto, Chelsea and a Russian "Oil"garch)
- Video: Feedback Loops (Obsessive shooting practice and population bombs)
- Discussion Prompt: Feedback loops
- Video: Purposes (Falling balls in Baltimore and happy Bhutanese)
Graded: Physical flows
Graded: Stocks
WEEK 2
System Boundaries
Our approach to sustainability depends on how we define our system boundaries. What must we consider? What can we leave out? And, what can we reasonably infer from the perspective we define?
5 videos, 2 readings
- Reading: System boundaries overview (From droughts to floods in Maputo and captain Sacred Monster)
- Video: Space boundaries ("El-loco" Higuita and the 9-Dots puzzle)
- Video: Time frames (Glory Days, sour grapes, and seven generations)
- Discussion Prompt: Time frames
- Video: Level of detail (A bent-legged angel and sustainable hamburgers)
- Reading: Level of Detail
- Video: Inputs and outputs (Icelandic volcanoes and the best team ever)
- Video: Insight not clairvoyance (Greece vs. Europe and Ehrlich vs. Simon)
- Discussion Prompt: Insight not clairvoyance
Graded: Space boundaries
Graded: Inputs and outputs
WEEK 3
System Behaviors
With parts and boundaries defined, we can detect system-level behaviors and discover how they affect sustainability.
5 videos, 2 readings
- Reading: System behaviors overview (A United Nations report and the Sacred Monster’s broken nose)
- Video: Interdependence (The worst game ever and Martin Luther King Jr. as an environmentalist)
- Reading: Interdependence
- Video: Threshold crossing (Zidane and disappearing Ice)
- Discussion Prompt: Threshold crossing
- Video: Self-organization (Pickup games and hungry ants)
- Video: Resilience (Unfair goals and Lewis’s lizard)
- Video: Emergence (Mayan ball games and Chimpanzees)
- Discussion Prompt: Emergence
Graded: Self-organization
Graded: Resilience
WEEK 4
Evaluating Systems
To evaluate sustainability in our systems, and check our progress, there are properties to consider and methods to apply.
5 videos, 2 readings
- Reading: Evaluating sustainability overview (Mozambique’s Civil War and Portugal’s best World Cup)
- Video: Path dependence (Lampard and me, highways and railroads)
- Reading: Path dependence
- Video: Inertia (Panenkas gift and New Jersey dune grass)
- Video: Carrying capacities (Argentine defenders and unsuicidal Lemmings)
- Video: The five whys (Barbosa, Bigode, and the choice to eat dirt)
- Discussion Prompt: The five whys
- Video: Life-cycle assessment (Footprints of the World Cup)
Graded: Carrying capacities
Graded: Life cycle assessment - your footprint
WEEK 5
Creating Sustainable Systems
Once we define and evaluate our systems, then we’re ready to create systems that are more sustainable.
7 videos, 2 readings
- Reading: Creating sustainability overview (Trees in Maputo and the Sacred Monster in Amsterdam)
- Video: Biomimicry (False-brooding runs and wind turbines)
- Video: Closing Loops (Soccer-shirt quilts and the recycling distraction)
- Reading: Closing loops
- Video: Adaptability (The goalkeeper pick trick and Irish lumpers)
- Discussion Prompt: Adaptability
- Video: Polycentrism (Los Galácticos and New England lobstermen)
- Video: Transparency (The fan who scored for West Ham and divestment)
- Discussion Prompt: Transparency
- Video: Fixing inequality (Take the piss and let them eat cake)
- Video: Elegance (Breakaways, pass-backs, and my repurposed office)
- Discussion Prompt: Elegance
Graded: Biomimicry
Graded: Polycentrism
Graded: Fixing inequality
WEEK 6
The Endless Quest for Sustainability
There is no magical fix; pursuing sustainability is an endless quest of constant effort at the limits of our abilities, and that’s where the fun is.
3 videos, 2 readings
- Reading: The endless quest overview (Maputo, Mozambique, and the World)
- Video: Visioning (Cruyff and Costa Rican Carbon Neutrality)
- Video: Leverage points (Bertha, Dilma, and Marta)
- Reading: Bertha, Dilma, and Marta - Leverage Points
- Video: Mind-sets (The greatest leverage point and Marta continued)
Graded: Visioning activity
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