“About 80 percent of the global population lives in countries that are net-importers of fossil fuels–that’s about 6 billion people who are dependent on fossil fuels from other countries, which makes them vulnerable to geopolitical shocks and crises. In contrast, renewable energy sources are available in all countries, and their potential is yet to be fully harnessed. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that 90 percent of the world’s electricity can and should come from renewable energy by 2050.Renewables offer a way out of import dependency, allowing countries to diversify their economies and protect them from the unpredictable price swings of fossil fuels, while driving inclusive economic growth, new jobs, and alleviate poverty.”

–United Nations Climate Action

Instructions

Global Solutions for Sustainable Living identifies the laws of nature that are inherent in the diverse ecosystems that comprise and sustain all life on earth. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the energy we need to sustain ourselves, the food we eat and the buildings we live in are all influenced by the natural systems where we live. Our goal in this course is to identify the critical environmental issues we face in each of these areas: Ecosystems, Architecture and the Built Environment, Air, Water, Renewable Energy, and Agroecology and find solutions to create greater sustainability for our planet. There are no textbooks for this course.

The course structure includes six modules:

1. Ecosystems
2. Architecture and the Built Environment
3. Air
4. Water
5. Renewable Energy
6. Agroecology

Internet resources from the United Nations Environment Programme, World Economic Forum, TED talks, Youtube videos, and listed websites will provide course participants with introductions to each topic. Listed websites and internet resources will help you (the student) understand how solutions are being implemented across the world in real time to solve the critical environmental problems the world is facing. You will develop your own solutions for the problems you wish to explore in each module. Six examples of topic questions, and solutions, are provided for each module. Once you have developed a solution for the problem you will design and present a project to solve the issue you have identified. Solutions can be applied on an individual, local, state, national or international level.

Renewable Energy (Fifth of 6 modules)

Global Solutions for Sustainable Living: Renewable Energy