Course Description
We exist in a time of global warming that has the capacity to change the way we live. Who should we listen to for advice, and how can we contribute to limiting the warming? This action-oriented course looks at the whole picture, including Indigenous, scientific, social and economic perspectives on environmental change and sustainability. It examines socio-spatial impacts of climate change on social inequities and social justice; mitigation and adaptation strategies; the effectiveness of various climate action activities at global, regional and local levels; and promotes the planning and creation of a student-led climate action activity.
Learning Activities
In this course students will engage in a variety of activities such as lecture, small- and large-group discussion, field experiences, case studies, and team-based work.
Means of Assessment
Evaluation will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation policy. Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the course outline. The instructor will provide a written course outline with specific criteria during the first week of classes.
An example of a possible evaluation scheme would be:
In-class exercises 10%
Field assignments 20%
Term Projects 25%
Exams 40%
Contribution/Participation 5%
Total 100%
Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of the course the successful student will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of basic interconnections and interdependencies among land, water, atmosphere, and biosphere (of which all living beings, including humans, are a part)
- Describe the key physical processes and interconnections of natural and anthropogenic climate change
- Demonstrate awareness and understanding of Indigenous forms of knowledge and values regarding environmental (specifically climate) change and sustainability, and be willing to take a two-eyed approach
- Explain the various impacts of climate change on human and natural systems at different spatial scales (global to local)
- Describe the socio-spatial impacts of the climate emergency on social inequities and social justice
- Think critically about and explain the scientific evidence for anthropogenic climate change to a general audience
- Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of communicating environmental change and climate science to promote intergenerational sharing and lifelong learning
- Critically evaluate mitigation and adaptation strategies, for example, concepts such as net zero, decarbonization, and economic and fiscal approaches
- Assess the effectiveness of various citizen-led climate action movements at global, regional, and local levels, and apply this learning to plan and create a climate action activity
Textbook Materials
Texts will be chosen from the following list, to be updated periodically. An instructor's Course Reader may be required.
- Allen, J. (2021). The New Climate Activism: NGO Authority and Participation in Climate Change Governance. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
- Burch, S. L. and Harris. S. (2021). Understanding climate change: Science, policy and practice, Second Edition. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
- Gergis, J. (2023). Humanity's Moment: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope. Washington: Island Press.
- Gilbert, M. (Ed.) (2022). The Gwich'in Climate Report. Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press.
- Gobby, J. (2020). More Powerful Together: Conversations with Climate Activists and Indigenous Land Defenders. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing.
- Hayhoe, K. (2021). Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World. New York: One Signal Publishers/Atria
- Kennedy-Woodward, M. and Kennedy-Williams, P. (2023). You are Unstoppable! How to Understand Your Feelings About Climate Change and Take Positive Action Together. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
- Kimmerer, R.W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass. Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions.
- Kress, M. and Horn-Miller, K. (Eds.) (2023). Land as Relation: Teaching and Learning through Place, People and Practices. Toronto: Canadian Scholars.
- Miller, D. (2020). Solved: How the World's Great Cities are Fixing the Climate Crisis. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
- Snively, G. and Williams, W.L. (2016). Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science, Book 1. BC Campus Open Educational Resource. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/knowinghome/