This module provides students with a broad overview
of the human dimensions of global environmental change. The complexity of
global change is reduced to four basic and interactive parts: human actions
that initiate changes in the structure and operation of the biosphere; the
consequences of these actions on terrestrial ecology; the combined effects
of the two on potential climate change; and human responses to global change,
with a focus on climate change. The following graphic illustrates these four
components and serves as a framework for the module:
The phrase "human dimensions of global change" refers to the entire matrix
shown above, not just to the left hand side, although the module emphasizes
driving forces and human responses/impacts. The module has five broad objectives:
- To provide an overview of the problem and study of global environmental
change;
- To demonstrate the complexity of this change and its origins in society
and nature;
- To demonstrate the interconnections of its basic human and natural components;
- To involve students in activities that demonstrate the complexity and
interconnectivity of the subject and its basic components; and
- To illustrate to students the extent to which they may affect and may
be affected by aspects of global environmental change.
The module activities draw out the linkages and the human components of
the topic; they also raise broader questions about the concept of global change
as a whole (for example, how certain we can be of research findings provided
to date). Students actively engage with the material through role-playing,
group discussions, map interpretation, creative writing, debates, and quantitative/qualitative
data analysis and interpretation.
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