The Sustainability Imperative

In this course, learners begin with a macro-level view of the current state of the world and touch upon topics such as climate change, plastic pollution, social inequity, and the economic systems that got us to where we are today. Learners investigate how such an economy cannot sustain itself and the need for a rapid transition to something different. We define sustainability, the meaning of sustainable development, and the United Nations’ Sustainability Goals.

Recognizing that change is imperative, we begin looking at energy, and more specifically, power generation as this is widely understood as the leading cause of climate change today. We show why this is the case and explore pathways to reduce carbon emissions, such as through the transition from coal and natural gas to renewables such as wind and solar. The concept of the carbon footprint and how it is determined is introduced. Learners have the opportunity to calculate their own personal carbon footprint under a variety of power source options (coal, natural gas, or renewable), and discover what would happen to their personal carbon footprint if they moved toward renewable energies.