ENS124 Global environmental problems + seminar

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2017
Extent and Intensity
2/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Tomáš Chabada, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Lukáš Kala, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Ing. Jan Malý Blažek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Ľuboš Slovák (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Bohuslav Binka, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Veronika Išová
Supplier department: Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Thu 13:30–15:00 U42 and each even Monday 15:15–16:45 U32
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 9 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to explain the context of global environmental problems (lectures) and at the same time open a space for common build-up knowledge of alternatives and visions of the problem solutions, based on the presented and discussed case studies (seminars). At the end of the course, the student will be able to understand the context, impacts and links between the particular global environmental problems. Students will continuously search, evaluate and critically reflect case studies of environmentally sustainable alternatives, as well as debate the future visions and tools, that are promoted by different agents (academics, institutions, as well as civic society). The structure of the lectures represents the frame of a interconnected net of environmental problems, in which we can point out the main focus on a certain issue (main topic of the lecture), at the same time this topic must be applied on the other nods of the net (connection to other problems). In the end of the course, students will be able to understand the problems and their relationships, but also the context of risks, potential solutions and agents of these solutions. The structure of the seminars corresponds with the lecture topics, students will thus apply chosen case studies on information base provided by the foregoing lectures. The collective and also individual work will result in the capability to search, interpret and critically discuss particular topics (problems) from the view of the solutions (alternatives and visions).
Syllabus
  • LECTURE: Introduction, Uvedení do problematiky, relations between global problems; information about the course
  • LECTURE: Selected concepts for studying and mitigating the global environmental problems (expert)
  • LECTURE: Population
  • LECTURE: Consumption
  • SEMINAR: Visions & alternatives: population & consumption
  • LECTURE: Food resources
  • LECTURE: Water resources
  • SEMINAR: Visions & alternatives: food & water resources
  • LECTURE: Soil degradation, deforestation
  • LECTURE: Loss of biodiversity (expert)
  • SEMINAR: Visions & alternatives: soil degradation, deforestation, loss of biodiversity
  • LECTURE: Power supply
  • LECTURE: Inorganic resources
  • SEMINAR: Visions & alternatives: power supply & inorganic resources
  • LECTURE: Air pollution
  • LECTURE: Climate change (expert)
  • SEMINAR: Visions & alternatives: air pollution & climate change
  • LECTURE: TBD (lecture by expert)
  • LECTURE: Summary
  • SEMINAR: Summary
Literature
    required literature
  • MYERS, Norman and Scott SPOOLMAN. Environmental issues & solutions : a modular approach. International edition. Australita: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning, 2014, 509 stran. ISBN 9781435462328. info
  • MOLDAN, Bedřich. Podmaněná planeta. Druhé, rozšířené a upra. Praha: Karolinum, 2015, 511 stran. ISBN 9788024629995. info
    not specified
  • Globalizace a globální problémy : sborník textů k celouniverzitnímu kurzu "Globalizace a globální problémy" 2005-2007. Edited by Jana Dlouhá - Jiří Dlouhý - Václav Mezřický. Praha: Univerzita Karlova, 2006, 312 s. ISBN 808707601X. info
  • REID, Walter V. Ekosystémy a lidský blahobyt : syntéza : zpráva Hodnocení ekosystémů k miléniu. Praha: Univerzita Karlova. Centrum pro otázky životního prostředí, 2005, x, 138. ISBN 8023963007. info
  • MOLDAN, Bedřich. Životní prostředí-globální perspektiva. 1. vyd. Praha: Karolinum, 1994, 111 s. ISBN 80-7066-938-1. info
  • Global environmental issues. Edited by Kiki Warr - Paul M. Smith. London: Hodder & Stoughton in association with the Open University, 1991, 294 p. ISBN 0340533625. info
Teaching methods
lectures, seminars with active participation, group presentation, individual activity, output reflection - discussions of student proposals, expert lecture(s)
Assessment methods
The evaluation of the course will be based on continuous work over the semester. Attendance on seminars is obligatory, with one absence allowed. Active participation in form of critique and discussion on the alternatives and visions.

Evaluation comprises of:

1) Presentations on seminars
A mandatory condition is to prepare 2 presentation during the semester in small teams of 2-3 people (will be specified according to number of students enrolled). One presentation is worth maximum of 15 points, i.e. maximum of 30 points during the semester.

2) ROPORT tests througout the semester
The ROPORT tests will be filled in before each seminar through an IS application. For one test a maximum of 4 points can be achieved, i.e. 20 points for the whole semester.

3) Final exam
The final exam will be given in the exam period and is worth 50 points.

Classification:
A - 93 - 100
B - 85 - 92
C - 77 - 84
D - 69 - 76
E - 61 - 68
F - 0 - 60
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2017, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2017/ENS124