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As the effects of population pressure, unsustainable resource use and pollution increasingly influence natural systems, global social and economic stability and quality of life, an understanding of environmental issues is essential. This foundation course aims to develop informed and positive attitudes toward environmental issues, an understanding of the causes and symptoms of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, and of corrective actions and the policies that support them.

The course provides a general introduction and overview of the emergence of environmental issues at the global scale. An inter-disciplinary approach to the study of the environment is provided at a general level for students. The material is presented in a number of inter-related modules that cover the biophysical environment, politics, economy and society, and human impact on the natural environment. The course focuses on ecological principles for thinking about the environment, the links between society and environment and the concept of sustainability. Issues examined from a global perspective include land and water resource utilisation, mining and fishing, energy production and use, atmospheric pollution, urban systems and waste management. The role of politics and economics in the move towards environmental sustainability will also be examined.

On completion of this course students should be able to:

1. describe the ecological principles and patterns as a foundation to understanding global and regional environmental problems;
2. analyse the human species evolution, population growth and contemporary demographics in the context of environment and biodiversity;
3. describe the broad human interactions with the environment and the concept of the ecological footprint;
4. evaluate human impacts in the context of: land and water resources; energy and minerals; urbanisation and wastes; and atmosphere and pollution;
5. integrate the social, political, and economic aspects and biophysical aspects of the environment to contribute to a more sustainable future.