Human Uses of the Earth System
Code: 102837 ECTS Credits: 3| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2501915 Environmental Sciences | OB | 1 | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Marc Gavaldà Palacín
- Email:
- Marc.Gavalda@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- catalan (cat)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Teachers
- Marc Gavaldà Palacín
Prerequisites
They have not been established
Objectives and Contextualisation
Contextualization
The subject Human Earth Uses of the Earth System (UHST) belongs to the subject "Economics for the environmental sciences" of the Degree in Environmental Sciences taught by the Faculty of Sciences. This subject concentrates all the subjects of economics, that are distributed by professors of the Faculty of Economy and Company.
Specifically, UHST is part of the block of basic and compulsory basic education subjects programmed in the field of environmental sciences.
The main purpose of this first group of subjects is to provide students with the knowledge and the primary analytical and methodological tools to begin to develop cross-curricular competencies in the area of environmental science studies.
In this sense, UHST contributes essentially to the process of learning and learning of the 1st Course because it allows to examine the relationship between human systems and the Earth system. In particular, we explore the biophysical analysis of the economic process, in what use humans use the different resources and services that the Earth system offers us.
In addition, it participates in the professional training of the students given that it fosters learning in a series of general competences (among them, the ability to reason critically and improve self-employment strategies), transversal (for example, to know how to select and generate the information necessary to understand the economic dynamics of the present and its relation to the environment and the use of natural resources) and specific (to distinguish the biophysical aspects of human activity and to identify and analyze the environmental impacts of economic activity) that will be very useful for future professionals in the analysis, conservation and management of the environment and natural resources.
Training objectives
The objective of the subject is to help understand human systems as systems open to the entrance of energy and materials, and tothe exit of waste. That is, the functioning of "social metabolism" and the role that natural resources play in the maintenance of the economic system are studied. A fundamental factor of analysis will be, therefore, the population, its evolution and the impact on the environment.
In general, he proposes developing criteria to answer questions such as' What forms of use and appropriation of the environment are better for individuals and society and the rest of living organisms? ',' How to take stock of economic benefits and environmental impacts? '. In short, the course seeks to show how the environmental sciences have an interdisciplinary and integrated vision of our world and integrate biophysical and socio-economic components in the environment.
At the end of the course the student will have a clearer idea of:
- The basic literature of the methods and concepts presented;
- The relationship between the economic process of human systems and the land system, as well as the different approaches used to analyze this interaction.
Competences
- Adequately convey information verbally, written and graphic, including the use of new communication and information technologies.
- Analyze and use information critically.
- Collect, analyze and represent data and observations, both qualitative and quantitative, using secure adequate classroom, field and laboratory techniques
- Demonstrate adequate knowledge and use the tools and concepts of the most relevant social science environment.
- Demonstrate concern for quality and praxis.
- Demonstrate initiative and adapt to new situations and problems.
- Teaming developing personal values regarding social skills and teamwork.
- Work autonomously
Learning Outcomes
- Adequately convey information verbally, written and graphic, including the use of new communication and information technologies.
- Analyze and use information critically.
- Analyze the political processes of environmental conservation internationally.
- Critically analyze basic environmental science literature in Catalan, Castilian and English.
- Demonstrate concern for quality and praxis.
- Demonstrate initiative and adapt to new situations and problems.
- Describe and analyze the process of change in the natural environment.
- Distinguish the biophysical aspects (resource use and waste generation) related to the process of economic activity.
- Identify and analyze the different instruments of environmental policy, and quantitative limits, environmental taxes or trading systems of resource use rights.
- Identify environmental and social impacts associated with human activity.
- Observe, recognize, analyze, measure and adequately represent economic processes applied to environmental sciences.
- Properly use the analytical concepts of environmental science.
- Recognizing the effects of human activity on the environment.
- Scientifically describe the major environmental problems of today (loss of biodiversity, climate change, desertification).
- Teaming developing personal values regarding social skills and teamwork.
- Work autonomously
Content
1. The Economy as an open system
Neoclassical Economics
Ecological Economics
Basic reading: Martínez-Alier and Roca pp. 11-21.
2. Sustainable development and macroeconomic accounting
Economic growth and sustainable development
Environmental criticisms of macroeconomic accounting
Attempts to build an ecologically correct GDP
Sustainability weak and strong
Monetary and biophysical indicators of sustainability
Basic Reading: Martínez Alier y Roca Págs. 66-101; 367-388; 409-420.
Complementary readings: Azqueta 197-236; Jacobs 363-390; Carpenter 329-428.
3. Population and natural resources
The environmental impact of population growth
The notion of "load capacity". Is it applicable to the human being?
The endosomatic and exosomatic use of energy by humans
The dematerialization of the economy
Poverty relationship - environmental degradation
Basic Reading: Martínez Alier y Roca Págs. 388-408; 421-440.
Complementary Reading: Azqueta 337-362; Jacobs 65-72; Carpenter 70-82.
- Economic power and corporate power
- Financing of the planet
- Ecologically unequal exchange
-Ecological debt
-Ecologism of the poor
Basic Reading: Martínez-Alier, 2004. Pages. 26-33; 324-340. Fernández-Durán, 2014. Pages: 11-84.
5. Socio-economic metabolism of societies
Types of systems
The laws of thermodynamics
Economies as open systems
Consumption of materials in economies
Materials Flow Analysis (AFM)
Basic Reading: Ramos Martin 2003a
Complementary readings: Carpenter (2003); Carpenter (2005): 113-159.
6. Energy flows and evolution of societies
Types and sources of energy
Exosomatic evolution of societies
Importance of energy in the economic process
Instruments of measurement of energy metabolism
Basic Reading: Ramos Martin 2003b; Ramos Martin 2004.
Complementary readings: Eisenmenger and others 2007
7. Oil Economics
The era of cheap oil
Life cycle of hydrocarbons
Political ecology of energy conflicts
Peak oil and energy crisis
Proposals for energy transition
Basic Reading: Fernández-DurányGonzález, La Espiral de la Energía, Libros en Acción, 2nd edition, Madrid, 2018
Complementary readings: Gavaldà, M., La Recolonización, Icaria, 4a ed. , Barcelona, 2006; Gavaldà, M., Amazonian Gas, Icaria, Barcelona, 2013.
8. Climate Change
Historical evolution of the climate challenge: from negationism to late mass
Geopolitics of climate change: IPPC, Stern Report, Kyoto, Paris ...
Human ecology of climate change: environmental refugees
Decarbonization of the economy
Recommended readings: Monbiot, G., Calor. How to stop global warming, RBA, Barcelona, 2008; Klein, N., This changes everything, Paidós, Barcelona, 2015.
Methodology
1. Master class
The teacher will perform an analytical conceptualization and an updated synthesis of each of the subjects of study shown in the four didactic units. The objective of this activity is to facilitate the transmission of knowledge and the motivation for the analysis of the relationship between human activity and the environment, which are focused in order to promote active and cooperative learning.
2. Practical sessions
They are structured based on a research work on environmental conflicts and the relationships of the actors involved. With these activities the students will not only consolidate the knowledge learned in the master classes but will learn to do individual and group research, analyze information, synthesize it, defend it, and discuss it.
3. Tutorials
The process of learning and acquisition of competences will be supervised by the teacher through individual and / or group tutorials. The teacher of the subject will be available to the students to solve the doubts and follow the evolution of the mentioned process of learning and acquisition of competences of the students.
4. Virtual campus of the subject
In face-to-face teaching, the Virtual Campus is a useful tool, so that students have a complementary space where they can access different types of materials that the teacher considers essential to advance in the learning process of the subject. To access it you just have to go to the website of the UAB and there you will find the link (http://www.uab.es/interactiva/default.htm), or be directly on the campus webpage virtual (https://cv2008.uab.cat/).
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Solving problems classes (research work environmental dispute) | 10 | 0.4 | 4, 2, 5, 14, 7, 10, 1, 16, 15 |
| Teaching master class | 15 | 0.6 | 4, 14, 8, 10, 13 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Preparation of practical presentations following the teacher's guidelines | 10 | 0.4 | 4, 2, 14, 10 |
| Tutoring | 3 | 0.12 | 2, 5, 1, 16 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Continuous assessment | 2 | 0.08 | 2, 6, 5, 9, 11, 1, 16, 12 |
| Reading and theory study | 25 | 1 | 2, 16 |
| Search information | 3 | 0.12 | 2, 16, 15 |
| Teaching laboratory preparation | 4 | 0.16 | 4, 2, 5, 14, 8, 10, 13, 1, 16, 15, 12 |
Assessment
The evaluation of the subject will be based only on the continuous evaluation of the process of acquisition of knowledge and competences on the part of the student. there is no possibility of submitting to the final examination of recovery if at least the two tests of knowledge have not been done.
The assessment will consist of:
- A single proof of knowledge that will be able to combine the test and thematic questions, and that will be worth 40% of the final grade.
- A practice note (20%) related to the applied work consisting of an oral presentation and a written work (in the form of poster or dossier) per group. This part will have a value of 20% of the final grade. The Virtual Campus will host a document explaining the practical activity and the written work, which will serve to direct the work of the students.
- A second individual proof of knowledge that will be able to combine the test and thematic questions, and that will be worth 40% of the final grade.
In order to be able to make average of the different tests of the continuous evaluation it is necessary to remove a minimum of a 3.5 (out of 10) in each one of the tests.
The students who have suspended the continuous assessment will have the right to a theoretical final exam. In order to be able to present itself to the recovery the student must have been previously evaluated in a set of activities whose weight equals to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade of the subject. Evaluation activities that can be recovered are the two individual tests only (the practice note has no possibility of recovery). Only continuous assessment can be followed.
"Not assessable" is considered as a student who has not followed the continuous assessment.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participation in the Environmental Conflict Seminar and presentation of a thematic poster | 40% | 1 | 0.04 | 4, 2, 6, 5, 14, 1, 16, 15 |
| Proof of knowledge (2 x 1 hour) at the mid term and at the end of the course | 30% each one | 2 | 0.08 | 4, 3, 2, 14, 7, 8, 10, 9, 11, 13, 1, 12 |
Bibliography
English bibliography will be supplied during the course.