E1000 Environment & Health I - Global Environmental Challenges and their Solutions

Faculty of Science
Autumn 2019
Extent and Intensity
0/1/0. 1 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
prof. RNDr. Jakub Hofman, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Jakub Urík, Ph.D. (lecturer)
RNDr. Mgr. Michal Bittner, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Peter Šebej, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. RNDr. Jana Klánová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Ing. Branislav Vrana, PhD. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Klára Hilscherová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Dr. Radim Tolasz (lecturer), prof. RNDr. Jakub Hofman, Ph.D. (deputy)
prof. Ing. Blahoslav Maršálek, CSc. (lecturer)
doc. RNDr. Pavel Čupr, Ph.D. (lecturer)
RNDr. Ondřej Mikeš, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. Jakub Hruška (lecturer), prof. RNDr. Jakub Hofman, Ph.D. (deputy)
Mgr. Jana Vašíčková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Ing. Kateřina Šebková, Ph.D., M.A. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Jakub Hofman, Ph.D.
RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: prof. RNDr. Jakub Hofman, Ph.D.
Supplier department: RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Timetable
Wed 13:00–14:50 D29/252-RCX1
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course aims to provide the knowledge to the students about major environmental problems, their origins and consequences, wider aspects and also possible solutions at different levels.
Learning outcomes
After this course, the student will be able to:
- to have an overview of the consequences of human activities for the environment
- to identify and summarize key environmental issues at global and regional levels
- to identify and describe their causes and consequences and understand the wider context of
- to describe and discuss possible solutions from individual level to internationally coordinated action
- to interpret and discuss the results of successful or unsuccessful solutions to environmental issues
- to link the presented problems to the experts dealing with it
Syllabus
  • Can be changed - please check regularly the webpage of seminar program on the link sent by teacher
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Environment, human and society - interdependence and interaction (components of natural environment, climate, biodiversity, resources, food, contamination, technological development, urbanization, overpopulation ...), multidimensionality and complexity of most problems, planetary boundaries
  • 3. Introduction to chemical pollution problem - significant groups of environmental contaminants, their sources, properties and behavior, contaminated sites and their remediation, exposure routes
  • 4. Air quality - pollution, atmospheric aerosols, long-range transport, relevant legislation and monitoring programs (J. Klánová)
  • 5. Global change and climate change - IPPC opinions, other opinions, controversies, indications, impacts (invited guests from CzechGlobe)
  • 6. Quality of surface and groundwater - water management, pollution, acidification of oceans, drinking water shortage, accidents, water treatment and purification, relevant legislation and monitoring programs (B. Vrana) 7. Soil quality - soil degradation and its protection, impacts of agriculture, forestry, transport, industry and urbanization, arable land loss, food security, erosion, contamination, remediation and reclamation (J. Hofman) 8. Ecosystem services - biodiversity loss, fisheries crisis, resources, raw materials, mining - their deficiency and environmental impacts, energy and its risks, clean energy
  • 9. Agriculture and landscape - organic farming, food chain, food amount and quality, food safety and exposure to toxicants (J. Hofman)
  • 10. Urbanization, industry and impacts - technological development, industry and waste, transport, indoor environment, new technologies and exposure reduction, smart cities
  • 11. colloquium
Literature
    recommended literature
  • Hamilton C, Gemenne F, Bonneuil C. The Anthropocene and the Global Environmental Crisis: Rethinking modernity in a new epoch: Taylor & Francis, 2015
  • Oosthoek J, Gills BK. The Globalization of Environmental Crisis: Taylor & Francis, 2013
  • Příležitosti a výzvy environmentálního výzkumu. Edited by Jan Frouz - Bedřich Moldan. Vydání první. V Praze: Univerzita Karlova, nakladatelství Karolinum, 2015, 310 stran. ISBN 9788024626673. info
  • Human-nature interactions in the anthropocene : potentials of social-ecological systems analysis. Edited by Marion Glaser. Abington, Oxon: Routledge, 2012, xvi, 231. ISBN 9780415510004. info
Teaching methods
Regular seminars are held weekly or combined, as needed, into smaller blocks. The individual themes are presented by experts from RECETOX Center and other relevant institutions. Each environmental problem is not only presented and explained, but also the latest areas of research are introduced and possible solutions to problems are discussed. The students will prepare independently a seminar work on selected topic given by the course tutor. Participation of students in the seminars is not passive; they are actively involved in surveys, queries, work in groups, etc. The students prepare themselves individually in advance according to given materials and instructions.
Assessment methods
The work and activity of students is monitored and evaluated throughout the semester. The condition of credits is to attend at least 12 seminars.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2020, autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2019, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/autumn2019/E1000