＜概要/Course Content Summary＞
The global environment provides the resources that drive human societies. This interaction can be one of over-exploitation, placing both natural and human systems in peril, or one of sustainability, where the needs of both systems are met over the long-term. Contemporary global society faces a plethora of environmental issues that require urgent and meaningful responses. In this class, we 1) survey a broad spectrum of environmental challenges from developed and developing societies all over the world, 2) explore important concepts necessary for thinking critically about global society’s place in the environment, and 3) encourage reflection on humanity’s (and our own) relationship with the natural world. We hope you will join us! Please note that there may be minor changes to the syllabus due to a change in lecturers this year. The final details will be confirmed in the first class.
＜到達目標/Goals,Aims＞
The goals of this class are: 1) to deepen our understanding of global environmental issues we currently face today 2) to improve our conceptual understanding of the different approaches people have taken to frame and provide solutions to these issues 3) to explore the complexity, diversity, and universality of the challenges we face and their possible solutions.
＜授業計画/Schedule＞
（実施回/
Week）
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（内容/
Contents）
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 1
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（内容/ Contents）
Introduction to class and Welcome to the Anthropocene
An introductory to the class, lecture on the overall state of our earth today and the scale of human impacts on the environment as we enter the age of the Anthropocene.
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Week 2
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（内容/ Contents）
What is sustainability?: Footprints, planetary boundaries, and carrying capacities
In this class, we explore the various ways in which the idea of sustainability is discussed and defined, and elaborate on the implications.
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Week 3
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The hottest year — again: what climate change means for life on earth
How will climate change affect humans, animals and plants globally? What does it mean for our everyday life? How can we adapt to a changing climate?
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Week 4
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Sustainable Consumption: How to be a conscious member of society
In this class, we explore the concept of sustainable consumption, ecolabeling, and the tricks of marketing and green washing.
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Week 5
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Green cities? Urban life and the environment
Most people live in cities, both in Japan and worldwide. We take a look at why social and environmental issues are often urban issues, and explore how cities can contribute to building a sustainable future.
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Week 6
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Tropical rainforests: treasures for exploitation?
In this class, we explore the issues that face our rainforests and the people that inhabit them.
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Week 7
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Sanitation around the world
Taking care of pollution from human waste is an issue facing millions of people. In this class, we look at examples in Zambia, Indonesia, and Hokkaido of how the challenge of sanitation is being met.
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Week 8
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Global agrifood system sustainability: the big picture
Food is one of the most critical resources on the planet. How is it made? How does it reach our mouths? and what does it all mean for sustainability.
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Week 9
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Food Sovereignty: concept, history, application today
Given climate change and environmental injustice, how have people conceptualized their struggle, and what are its implications to our daily lives?
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Week 10
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From the Field: Japanese agriculture: Then, Now, and Future
An overview of the history of agriculture in Japan, contemporary issues, and their implications for the future.
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Week 11
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Commons: our shared resources
In this class we explore various forms of “commons” (resource, knowledge, etc.) and the ways in which non-renewable resources been managed in the past. How have these practices changed and how are resources managed today? What are the possibilities?
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Week 12
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From the Field: Food production in the Global South
In this class we explore cases of food production from developing countries, such as Africa, how these systems have developed over time, and how certain crops were propagated and diffused over the world.
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Week 13
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Human-nonhuman relations: living as one species among many
From everyday life to the ongoing extinction crisis, we examine how our relations with animals, plants and other non-human life change us all — and what it means to share a planet. The case of human-dolphin interaction at Taiji-cho, Japan, and Japanese whaling will be of particular interest.
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Week 14
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Environmental justice: concept, examples, consequences
Environmental issues are not affecting everyone in the same way. We examine how place, race, gender, social status and other factors create environmental injustice, and what that means for finding solutions.
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Week 15
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Transitions to a sustainable society— changing systems, practices, and values
How do societies move toward greater sustainability? Here we examine various theories of social change and case studies from around the world.
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＜成績評価基準/Evaluation Criteria＞
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Participation
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35%
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Active contributions to the class discussion are highly valued! Please come to every class prepared to discuss that week’s relevant theme. Students will also be graded on their level of involvement and engagement with the class proceedings and discussions.
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Final Report
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35%
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Students are assigned a final report that needs to be completed and sent to us via email within 10 days of the final lecture. The topic for the final report will be determined by the student based on a class theme or another appropriate issue. Final reports should be, at a minimum, 6 full A4 pages in length, written in English.
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Required reading presentation(s)
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30%
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Students will be asked to present a summary of required class readings using power point slides, outlines, or other appropriate means as decided by the student. The presentations will be graded on the accuracy of the summation of the journal article(s) content and quality of presentation.
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＜テキスト/Textbook＞
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No textbook will be used for this class.
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Each class has required readings (journal articles) that will be available online. Students will be required to complete assigned readings before the corresponding class.
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