Integrative Environmental Studies

The teaching team from the Center for Environmental Systems Research of the University of Kassel:

• Prof. Dr. Joseph Alcamo
• Dr. Ralf Ibisch
• Dr. Heike Köckler
• Dr. Karl-Heinz Simon
• Dr. Lucas Menzel
• Dr. Jörg Priess
• Dr. Rüdiger Schaldach
• Andreas Hermelink

Thematic structure:
This course will introduce a view on environmental systems and human interaction with them and explore possibilities and paths to sustainable living. It will give students an overview of the important topics in the environmental debate and provide some insights into methods of collecting data, model building and providing political advice on the basis of (often computerized) models and scenarios of the future. The first five lectures will explore different environmental compartments (like climate, land, and water) and their complex ways in which they are influenced by us and how they, in turn, influence us. The second half of the lectures is dedicated to Man and society, their perceptions of the environment and their actions. Justice issues will be discussed as well as technical or behavioral solutions to environmental problems.

Tentative titles of the lectures:

1. Environmental systems – a global view (Alcamo)
2. Land use and land use changes (Priess)
3. Interlinkages between climate and agriculture (Schaldach)
4. Sustainable water management (Menzel)
5. Freshwater protection (Ibisch)
6. Environmental justice and vulnerability to environmental changes (Köckler)
7. Sustainable living (Simon)
8. Implementation of energy saving buildings (Hermelink)

Method:
The course will be taught as a mixture of lecture, seminar discussions and homework reading. Background information will be made available in written form or can be downloaded from the internet.

Assessment:
Participants are expected to attend class regularly, and to actively engage in discussions. A written exam will take place at the end of the seminar.