The economic causes and consequences of human activity on earth’s ecosystems
What are interactions between human activity and the earth system ?
Since when is there a problem ? Who were the first to identify the problem ?
What are the science and the measures of it ?
Are we sure of all that ? Are there some uncertainties ? Why are there still deniers ?
What are the main issues ? Population ? Technology ? Inequalities ? Greed and the richest ?
Is capitalism the root of all evil ? Individualism ? Materialism ?
Can we identify the footprint point of contact ?
What are the social consequences of climate change ? Do we know what is going to happen ?
What can we do ?
Can we define a safe operating space for humanity on earth ?
How can we achieve sustainability ? Is it a simple technical question ? Is a holistic revolution needed ?
Should efficiency (or sobriété or sufficiency), self-sufficiency (autonomy) and de-growth be promoted ?
Are there alternatives to degrowth ? Is “green growth” a real concept ?
Is there a plan out of this mess ?
What are we doing ?
What is the Green Deal ? Is it going to collapse ?
Are current policies changing anything ?
Is there something like clean energy ? Is nuclear an option ?
What are COP and international agreements ? Are those changing anything ?
The USA is out (again) of Paris agreement, so what ?
Are people changing their minds about human responsibility ?
Aims
Acknowledge the extent of the limits to human operation on earth
Anticipate and understand the disaster to come
Understand today’s policies and their limits
Imagine what should be done to cope with the constraints
Imagine the world of tomorrow, technically, politically and socially
Wooclap
Scope and aims of the course
Wooclap
Evaluation
Practicalities
Before we start…
Buzzwords!
Who are you?
Anyone who believes that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist
Kenneth Boulding, US Congress address, 1973
If you want to save the planet, don’t hug a tree, hug an economist.
unknown, probably not avowed
Evaluation
Scope and aims of the course
Wooclap
Evaluation
Practicalities
Before we start…
Overview
10% participation in class
30% Multiple Choice Quizz
60% Individual or group coursework
Quizzes
3 tests
26/02 : Mini quizz 1
26/03 : Mini quizz 2
23/04 : Master quiz
Around 10 multiple choice questions, 1 or 2 open questions (write a very short essay)
30 minutes, during class via Moodle
The master quizz will cover the entirety of the course
Please let us know in advance if you can’t attend one of the quizzes to arrange for a make up evaluation
Coursework assignment : individually or n in pairs
3 options:
Debate Clubindividually or in pairs
At the beginning of the semester, either by yourself or with a partner, select one of the proposed topics as well as the position you want to take (pro/con).
The environmental policy case studyindividually or in pairs
Pick an environmental policy aimed at curbing climate change and its consequences. Prepare a case study on this policy.
Book review:individual work only
Pick a book (examples to follow). Fiction or Non-fiction work about th environment and/or environmental policy.
Summarize the book (as if we would not have to read the book. Give your detailed and justified opinion/position. Contextualize the works. If it is a “classic” of environmental issues (such as Jared Diamond’s Collapse), then explore the subsequent book’s discussions and legacies. In English or French, due by the end of semester, around 20k [more or less 15%] characters.
Debates
Each side will research and prepare their debate presentation. The two sides will discuss prior to the in-class debate in order to better prepare their arguments. Each will then present their side and may counter argue. They may as well hold a discussion with the rest of the class. At the end of the semester, both sides will work as group to present to the teaching team a restitution of the debate and their main takeways. This part will constitute the majority of the coursework grade.
Three topics :
Economic growth is fundamentally incompatible with environmental sustainability
February 19th
Technosolutionism and geoengineering : a path worth pursuing ?
March 19th
A debate on food sobriety and vegetarianism : Should we tax meat consumption and/or production ?
April 19th
Policy case study
due end of April, presentations through zoom in late April, early May depending on scheduling and exams load
It should be a targeted policy, not just an overall plan (that is no SNBC or EU Green Deal, rather a single policy within this plan). Any country or region can work, localized problems and solutions are most welcome (ie specific pollutants, extreme heat management etc…)
Prepare a case study report in a detailed presentation format and present it to the teaching team in a 30 minutes presentation followed by questions at the end of the semester.
The case study should include:
contextualization
decision process (how was it put in place, any challenges to convince opposing parties?)
implementation and/or adoption and public reception
results (preliminary ones are ok too for more recent measures)
bibliogriphical elements
Book reviews
Classics
Most reviewed EOE book : place in context, discuss debates around the book
Silent Spring is a “classic”, study the legacy
Jancovici: famous polemist, to be discussed with care
Dounghnut economy has proven to be a popular concept: is it overrated ?
Advocacy of geeoengineering: what would you respond ?
Merchants of Doubt is the story of a true conspiracy and ways to fight it
Climate Shock presents (brillantly) the economist POV
Population bomb has been influential, what is its legacy ?
Hansen has been one of the first to educate the US to climate change
6th extinction is a desesperate call
Ishmael is an extroardinary story about humain and the environement, echoing the matlhusian trap
Nothing new under the Sun has been one of the first environmental history showing an ancient impact of humans on the planet
The Club de Rome Report updated
Critics and polemiques
Low tech is a strong critique of techno solutionism
Jancovici: famous polemist, to be discussed with care
Six degrees is a catastrophic account of our possible future: lessons ?
Anti Tech Revolution deals with the belief in progress
Industrial Society and its future
Anti Tech Revolution deals with the belief in progress
Technoligical Slavery, an other Kaczynski’s book
From globalisation to climate change
End of the World ?
Blue prints for a plan
Planet remade: a ray of optimism ?
An essay by Stern from the Stern review, the mainstream plan A
Drawdown, a plan for the planet
Cradle to Cradle is an ancient but infliential book; to confront to age of Low Tech
Famous Naomi Klein inquiriy of the enemies of climate change mitigation
An orginal account on the making of environmental policies
The unhabitable earth
The Green Deal: are there any solid foundation to a popular wording ?
The dispute over food behavior
Practicalities
Scope and aims of the course
Wooclap
Evaluation
Practicalities
Before we start…
Agenda
29/01: session 1 Malthus & Co
5/02: session 1 continued; session 2 The case of Air Pollution
12/02: session 3 Carrying capacity and drivers of human impact
19/02: session 4 IPCC & Earth Summit, superficial ecology versus deep ecology / debate club #1 Economic groth and environmental sustainability
26/02: Quizz 1 / session 5 A crash course on Climate Change (C4 1) mechanisms and scientific analysis
5/03: Winter break -no class-
12/03: session 6 C4 2 Civilization and climate / The question of Nuclear energy
19/03: session 7 C4 3 IPCC scenarios and consequences& carbon budget / debate club #2 Geoengineering
26/03: Quizz 2 / session 8 & 9 C4 5 Who, Where and Why : emissions of GHG understood
2/04: session 8 & 9 C4 5 Who Where and Why: emissions of GHG understood / Climate change deniers
9/04: session 10 Inequality and pollution / debate club #3 Food sobriety
16/04: session 11 The European Green Deal
23/04: Master Quizz / session 12: Lessons from the Montreal Protocol or Why and How are we going to Stop Climate Change
