Global Change Biology

Description

This course focuses on the fundamental biology underlying the major global change issues that humanity currently faces. Strong emphasis will be placed on the critical interconnections among issues across hierarchical levels from molecule to biosphere that explain the patterns and mechanisms which have led to our current environmental predicament. Learning Hours: 117 (24 Lecture, 18 Tutorial, 12 Group Learning, 24 Online Activity, 3 Off-Campus Activity, 36 Private Study) Requirements: Prerequisite BIOL 300 /3.0 and a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the Biological Foundations List. Course Learning Outcomes: - Describe the patterns and causes of previous civilisations' rises and falls to appraise our current global environmental predicament within an historical context. - Explain and contrast the major global environmental issues that our civilisation faces. - Identify and analyze the fundamental biological root causes of our civilisation's current environmental predicament, and use that assessment to develop lasting personal solutions for coping with, and constructively responding to, the major global change issues of the 21st century. - Identify and organize the principal interactions among the major global change issues that ramify their impacts by developing and applying an over-arching conceptual framework. - Summarize the impacts of western "progress" based, individualist, and capitalist ideologies on humanity's relationship with the rest of the nature, and contrast those with the more holistic ideologies of Indigenous and eastern cultures. - Use concepts such as Progress trap, Global Planetary Boundaries, the Anthropocene, Deep Ecology, Socio-Ecological Stewardship, and Complex Adaptive Systems to discuss, evaluate, and critique potential solutions for addressing individual global change issues. Assessment/Exam Context: Course assessment and examinations vary by course; Queen's notes that eligible exchange students whose first language is not English may receive extra final-exam time. Exchange Registration Note: Arts and Science courses are open to exchange students subject to prerequisites and space. Most courses should be in Arts and Science; other faculties may be limited. Education, Medicine, and Nursing are not open to incoming exchange enrolment.