ENV016 Sustainable development II - Environmental Issues

Faculty of Science
Spring 2019
Extent and Intensity
2/1/0. 3 credit(s) (fasci plus compl plus > 4). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: k (colloquium), z (credit).
Teacher(s)
RNDr. Mgr. Michal Bittner, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Jana Klánová, Ph.D.
RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: RNDr. Mgr. Michal Bittner, Ph.D.
Supplier department: RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Timetable
Mon 18. 2. to Fri 17. 5. Mon 13:00–15:50 D29/252-RCX1
Prerequisites
prerequisite for good understanding of the topics is completing the subject ENV015 Sustainable development I - introduction to the topic and global chalanges
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
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
- defend the meaning and importance of environmentalism in present world
- explain how the progression of environmental issues corresponds with apparently unrelated disciplines such as economy, technology ethics etc.
- propose possible solutions of contemporary environmental issues on various levels - from personal to international level
- analyse pros and cons of possible solutions
- assess contemporary approaches to solving the national and international environmental issues
- interpret and debate results of up to now successful and unsuccessful solutions of environmental issues
Syllabus
  • Environmental issues in Czech Rep. and world.
  • Roots of environmental crisis
  • Ecological determination of human-environment relationship.
  • Environmental consequences of food and energy production.
  • Relation of ecology and environmentalism - historical overview
  • Environmental ethics.
  • Environmental economy.
  • Technological solutions of environmental crisis and their limitations.
  • Environmental legislation and policy.
  • Solutions of environmental crisis based on personal values.
Literature
    required literature
  • BITTNER, Michal. Úvod do udržitelného rozvoje: souvislosti environmentálního pilíře. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2013, 250 pp. Edice RECETOX. ISBN 978-80-210-6622-9. info
    recommended literature
  • Cenia. Životní prostředí v ČR 1989-2004, Praha, MŽP ČR, 2005, http://www.cenia.cz/web/www/web-pub2.nsf/$pid/CENMSFP6KHRR
  • BINKA, Bohuslav. Environmentální etika. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2008, 157 s. ISBN 9788021045941. info
  • DIAMOND, Jared M. Kolaps : proč společnosti zanikají a přežívají. Translated by Zdeněk Urban. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2008, 751 s. ISBN 9788020015891. info
  • HOMER-DIXON, Thomas F. The upside of down : catastrophe, creativity and the renewal of civilisation. London: Souvenir Press, 2007, ix, 429. ISBN 9780285637948. info
  • JOHANISOVÁ, Naděžda. Kde peníze jsou služebníkem, nikoliv pánem. Sedmá generace. Brno, 2005, No 2, p. 18-21. info
  • MEADOWS, Donella H. and Dennis L. MEADOWS. Limits to growth : the 30-year update. Edited by Jørgen Randers. London: Earthscan, 2005, xxii, 338. ISBN 1844071448. info
  • LIBROVÁ, Hana. Vlažní a váhaví (Kapitoly o ekologickém luxusu) (The Half-hearted and the Hesitant: Chapters on Ecological Luxury). 1st ed. Brno: Doplněk, 2003, 320 pp. Společensko-ekologická edice, svazek 8. ISBN 8072391496. info
  • FROMM, Erich. Mít, nebo být? Translated by Jan Lusk. Vyd. 1. Praha: Aurora, 2001, 242 s. ISBN 80-7299-036-5. info
  • KOHÁK, Erazim. Zelená svatozář : kapitoly z ekologické etiky. Vyd. 1. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 1998, 203 s. ISBN 80-85850-63-X. info
  • SCHWEITZER, Albert. Albert Schweitzer - zastánce kritického myšlení a úcty k životu. Edited by Otakar Antoň Funda - Petr Pokorný, Translated by Jaroslav Kohout. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 1989, 308 s. ISBN 8070210109. URL info
Teaching methods
Education is performed as lectures with Powerpoint presentation. During semester, students work in groups of 1-5 on chosen environmental topic that is finally presented at the end of the course. Understanding of consequences is emphasized. Students are frequently asked to think about actual topic. They are encouraged to ask questions and interact with the lecturer.
Assessment methods
Attendance of the lectures is not mandatory but strongly recommended for full understanding of the educated subjects. For this reason, attendance is graded by points. Students get other points for presentation of their projects. Final assessment (at the end of semester) is by written examination. It is combination of multiple choice test and questions, which frequently require description, explanation or schematization of asked topic. Each question is for one point. Total count is 100 (including points from attendance and student's project) and to pass at least 50 points are needed.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, spring 2018.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2019/ENV016