Course detail
Introduction to environmental studies
FEKT-MUENAcad. year: 2012/2013
The course introduces students of technological orientation into generic environmental problematics and ecology, from the aspect of humanities and social sciences. At the end of the course, students should be able to: - defend the meaning and importance of environmentalism in present world - explain how the progression of environmental issues corresponds with apparently unrelated disciplines such as economy, technology ethics ets. - propose possible solutions of contemporary environmental issues in various levels - from personal to international level - analyse pros and cons of possible solutions - assess contemporary aproaches to solving the national and international environmental issues - interpret and debate results of up to now succesfull and unsuccesfull solutions of environmental issues
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Learning outcomes of the course unit
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes
Course curriculum
* Ecological determination of human-environment relationship.
* Environmental consequences of food and energy production.
* Relation of ecology and environmentalism - historical overview
* Environmental ethics.
* Environmental economy.
* Sustainable development concept.
* Technological solutions of environmental crisis and their limitations.
* Environmental legislation and policy.
* Solutions of environmental crisis based on personal values.
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Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences
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Basic literature
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Lecture
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Syllabus
Enviromental studies and ecology, basic concepts and principles, their importance in enviromental discipline
Influencing of man and society by nature: Evolutionary theory
Etology and biosociology, selfish gene theory and the criticism of it in contemporary science
Influencing of nature by man - roots of ecological crisis: Anthropological and psychological determinations of human relationship towards nature
Demographic context, population situation and development of mankind, limits of food source. Malthusianism and its critics.
Relationships between economy and ecological situation. Scarsity and price in economic and ecological perspective. Ecological solutions and job chances.
Ekologically oriented legal interventions, novelty and impassability of ecological problems in traditional concept of law
Environmental problems and politics. Political idea of economic growth contra nature. Enviromentalists as enemies of progress?
Possibilities and limits of technological solutions. History of risky technologies. "American" and "Japanese" way of technology. Technological optimists and sceptics
"Value" solutions of ecological problems. Human and enviromental values. Environmental ethics
Environmentally acceptable way of life. Amount and character of consumption.
Transport, tourism, way of alimentation, urban and rural way of life, deconcentration in settlement