Welcome & Introduction to Welcome & Introduction to PT4001PT4001

Introduction

Colin Fitzpatrick, Dept of Electronic & Computer Engineering[Colin.Fitzpatrick@ul.ie] E2-011

Muireann McMahon, Dept of Manufacturing & Operations Engineering[Muireann.McMahon@ul.ie] PDC-3

Ellen Fowler, Centre for Teaching & Learning[Ellen.Fowler@ul.ie]

IntroductionIntroduction

•Sustainable development is a vision of development that encompasses populations, animal and plant species, ecosystems, natural resources and that integrates concerns such as the fight against poverty, gender equality, human rights, education for all, health, human security and intercultural dialogue’.

•Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

•Education for sustainable development aims to help people to develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge to make informed decisions for the benefit of themselves and others, now and in the future, and to act upon these decisions.

IntroductionIntroduction

IntroductionIntroduction

Systems ThinkingSystems Thinking

Systems thinking excercise

Need eight to ten volunteersPosition yourself randomlySecretly select two other volunteersWhen asked move to a point equidistant (not directly between) from these people

Systems ThinkingSystems Thinking

Systems thinking is the process of predicting how something influences another thing. It has been defined as an approach to problem solving, by viewing "problems" as parts of an overall system, rather than reacting to present outcomes or events and potentially contributing to further development of the undesired issue or problem

ContentsContents

Week 1 Introduction to Module & Establishing A Blog W

eek 2 Definitions & Contexts of Sustainable Development

Week 3 Climate Change

Week 4 Energy

Week 5 Food

Week 6 Economics

Week 7 Consumption and Production

Week 8 Critical Thinking

Week 9 CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)

Week 10 Sustainability Metrics

Week 11 Public Policy and Law

Week 12 Sustainable Communities

Assignment 1 [50%]Assignment 1 [50%]

Your first assignment is to keep a reflective response journal in the form of an electronic blog. This response journal should contain one entry for each of the 11 topics covered during the semester. Each week you should respond to one idea / concept / new term / image / quote and write one diary entry on it. The response journal can be conversational in tone and pictures / clippings are encouraged. Its key purpose is to allow you to pursue an issue that interests you, facilitate self-directed learning and further exploration, and demonstrate that they you engaging with course material. It is particularly important that you demonstrate an ability to synthesise or tie together material from different lecturers.

Assignment 1 [50%]Assignment 1 [50%]

1. RESEARCH Weighting % 30. identification of key concepts and contextual issues . application of effective research and investigation strategies

2. SYNTHESIS & ANALYSIS Weighting % 40. linking to other areas of the module. challenging of concepts, notions and norms . demonstration of concept development

3. COMMUNICATION Weighting % 20. selection and utilisation of appropriate communication tools, media and styles. application of effective written and verbal communication . effective participation, contribution and collaboration

4. MANAGEMENT Weighting % 10. organisation and effective presentation of the work. application of effective time management . utilisation of appropriate referencing

. breadth, depth and volume of work

How to create a blogHow to create a blog

•Go to www.wordpress.com•Click on “sign up now”•Choose a username in the form firstnamelastname•Enter your other details•Hey Presto you have a blog•Play around with it and customise it to your liking

•This module also has a blog www.ulsd.wordpress.com where lecturers will put items of interest up for you to view.•Go to this blog and enter your blog address in the comments of the your blogs entry

Assignment 2 [50%]Assignment 2 [50%]

Local/regional sustainability1. How would you implement 10 ways to make Castletroy more sustainable?2. How would you implement 10 ways to make the UL campus more sustainable?3. Evaluate the bus services that serve UL from a CO2 emissions perspective. How could they be improved?

Population4. What are the implications of changes in the global population on life in Ireland?5. If the population of Limerick was to double by 2030 how could the city be planned to facilitate citizens having a sustainable lifestyle?

Assignment 2 [50%]Assignment 2 [50%]

Consumption / Lifestyle Choices6. Evaluate your daily actions in terms of the environment.7. How would you make a mobile phone sustainable?8. Map the life cycle of an item of clothing, consider the energy, water, waste and ethics of each stage.9. Find the average global daily consumption of water, energy and food. Record how you might live within this budget for a day.10. Describe some strategies to solve the e-waste problem.

Measuring Sustainability / Units11. Devise a means to compare the relative sustainability of a variety of bio fuels that could be used in Irish power stations. 12. On a typical working day evaluate each of your actions in terms of the environment. Describe how you could reduce your impacts.

Assignment 2 [50%]Assignment 2 [50%]

Scarcity13. Consider the sustainability of the use of phosphates.14. To what extent might a reduction in the global availability of oil impact on Ireland?

Global Issues15. Examine the issue of water in Gaza. Suggest some sustainable solutions.16. Track the development of India since its independence. Consider the sustainability issues that it faces. 17. What sustainability issues will arise from the large scale adoption of electric cars?18. How does gender inequality impede sustainable development?19. Assess the contribution made by the outcomes of the December 2009 Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, towards addressing the

challenge of climate change.

Assignment 2 [50%]Assignment 2 [50%]

Resilience20. How could Ireland make itself resilient to interruptions in its energy imports?21. How could Ireland make itself more resilient from a food perspective?

Assignment 2 [50%]Assignment 2 [50%]

1. RESEARCH Weighting % 30. identification of key concepts and contextual issues . application of effective research and investigation strategies

2. SYNTHESIS & ANALYSIS Weighting % 30. linking to other areas of the module. challenging of concepts, notions and norms . demonstration of concept development

3. COMMUNICATION Weighting % 30. selection and utilisation of appropriate communication tools, media and styles. application of effective written and verbal communication . effective participation, contribution and collaboration

4. MANAGEMENT Weighting % 10. organisation and effective presentation of the work. application of effective time management . utilisation of appropriate referencing. breadth, depth and volume of work

Intended Learning OutcomesIntended Learning Outcomes

The Cognitive Domain: Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Synthesis

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to

. explain key aspects of international and European environmental policy-making and governance, and describe how these translate into national policy-making frameworks

. evaluate the social, environmental and economic impacts of consumption to highlight the complexity of sustainable development decision-making

. apply a relevant sustainability metric, identify and evaluate an impact reduction strategy

. exploit current media technology as a means of documenting, analysing, observing and reflecting on behavioural practices

The Affective Domain: Attitude and Values

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to

. acknowledge and question the relationships among economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainable development.