Global Environment

The linkages between social change, economic change and alterations to ecosystems have been apparent, if not overtly acknowledged, throughout history. It was not until 1987, however, with the publication of Our Common Future, that such linkages were couched in terms of development and explicitly placed on the international development agenda. The idea appears simple – environmental change, patterns of social change and economic development, social and political factors operate together and impact local, national, regional and global ecosystems. But impacts of the change in any one sector are seldom confined within national boundaries. How then does one address environmental issues across different regulatory, political, institutional and geographic scales? This course examines the connectivity between diverse elements of our planet’s ecosystem, explores how a change in one element can have immediate and long-term impacts across local and global territory, and looks at strategies to create greater harmony across environmental, social, political and economic interests.