Economic growth cannot continue exponentially in a finite world. Human activity and human numbers threaten the possibility of irreversible damage to the fragile biosphere on which all life depends. The threat of nuclear exchange looms amidst a politically charged atmosphere.
The current generation of students is the first one to face such existential problems and it may be the last one that can solve them. This course aims to direct the energy and passion of UC Berkeley undergraduates to learn, problem solve, create networks of interest groups, and develop a commitment and advocacy for change.
The challenge is to change human behavior. That requires knowledge , objectivity, a sense of scale, a sense of justice, and empathy for the suffering. That is what a sustainable world is creating.
This course is a partnership between students and faculty. Every week, a guest lecturer will give a one-hour talk on their expertise (which include such topics as energy consumption, food security, population growth and family planning, climate change). The second half of class is reserved for students to discuss and present possible challenges and solutions for that week's topic. Lectures are supplemented with discussion sections led by teacher scholars. The course culminates with the capstone project, which will explore a selected issue and propose an in-depth solution to combat it.
CCN: 39844 | This course is 3 units, consisting of a 2 hour lecture and a 1 hour discussion section each week. Additionally, the class satisfies the Social Science and Behavioral Science breadth. This course was in part patterned upon the PH 116 Health and Apprenticeship Program, a student-led class that has been running for 30+ years.
Take a look at some of the amazing projects from last semester!
Resources are available for students to increase food security, but students aren’t fully utilizing them. In order to address this issue, we created a CalCentral alert notification system for eligible CalFresh students and explored other alternative solutions.
Discusses the state of contraception within the local area (CA) and unmet need statistics. In order to solve educational barriers involving the usage and acquisition of contraceptives, we designed an app to efficiently serve users the information they need to practice safe sex.
Analyzing the different solutions to rising ocean levels as a result of climate change and the discussing the best plan of action to combat food insecurity, specifically on coastal communtities.
Human energy, from walking around and general fitness, expends energy that could be harnessed. This alone will not solve climate change or ensure future energy stability, but every little change matters.
207G University Hall
potts@berkeley.edu
226 Giannini Hall
f.castillo@berkeley.edu