| Unit name | World in Crisis? |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GEOG16001 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Jim Freer |
| Open unit status | Open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Geographical Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Global warming, burgeoning populations, unplanned urbanization, logging of tropical forests, loss of biodiversity, modification of gene pools, aging workforces, natural disasters, pandemics, pollution .... newspapers, television reporting, books and films portray a world undergoing radical changes. The concerned citizen is bombarded with information about these "crises" but may legitimately feel that finding a solution to the problems requires an extremely broad knowledge base and that in many areas our knowledge is incomplete. This unit is open to all undergraduates with an enquiring mind and will examine some of the issues that face humankind at the beginning of the 21st century and show how geographers approach the problems facing the modern world. The unit will take topics that are currently reported in the media and examine the realities and uncertainties behind these issues, focusing particularly on the tools available to address key questions. Our aim is to facilitate cross-disciplinary discussion and to promote an in-depth understanding of problems facing us all.
