University of Colorado Boulder - Sustainability and the Circular Economy
- Offered byCoursera
- Public/Government Institute
Sustainability and the Circular Economy at Coursera Overview
Duration | 23 hours |
Total fee | Free |
Mode of learning | Online |
Official Website | Explore Free Course  |
Credential | Certificate |
- Overview
- Highlights
- Course Details
- Curriculum
Sustainability and the Circular Economy at Coursera Highlights
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- 23 assignments
Sustainability and the Circular Economy at Coursera Course details
- Understand the reasons for climate change and its ramifications
- Explain how power is generated today, and its associated impact on global warming
- Recognize how sustainability applies to transportation, homes and cities, food and fashion
- Describe the principles of the Circular Economy, and how the Butterfly Diagram can be used in product design
- As the world's population continues to rise toward an expected 10 billion citizens by 2050, it is imperative that business practices change to ensure a high quality of life is possible for all of us, both human and non-human
- Today's learners are very aware of this. Moreover, they are highly motivated and have the extraordinary capacity to create a future that provides both economic success and a more enduring, resilient, and sustainable planet
- If you are one of these learners, then Sustainability and the Circular Economy is a course for you
- Sustainability and the Circular Economy is the first course in the Applied Sustainability for Technical Managers specialization
- It aims to provide learners with the strategies and tools to realize their vision by integrating sustainability into everyday life, and in the companies where they work
- The course opens with an examination of climate change and human impact on the environment, and the opportunities created for innovative solutions that drive real change
- We then explore the sources of many of our environmental challenges, and the need to transition to a zero-carbon energy future
- A sustainable future is more than just renewable energy, as we need to pay attention to our ever-growing desire for products that add value to our lives
- Therefore, the course explores how we're electrifying transportation, making our homes more energy efficient, eating more sustainable food grown with regenerative agricultural practices, and wearing clothes designed to last and made from more natural materials using fair and equitable labor
- It is important to recognize that many of the 10 billion global citizens will want the same products and lifestyles as citizens in wealthier industrialized nations
- Yet products require materials - and our current extractive approach to resources will not meet this burgeoning demand
- The course concludes with an overview of the Circular Economy, an innovative way of decoupling such economic growth from traditional resource extraction
- Sustainability and the Circular Economy provides the foundation for the next two courses in the Applied Sustainability specialization
- This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder's Master of Engineering in Engineering Management (ME-EM) degree offered on the Coursera platform
- The ME-EM is designed to help engineers, scientists, and technical professionals move into leadership and management roles in the engineering and technical sectors
- With performance-based admissions and no application process, the ME-EM is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience
Sustainability and the Circular Economy at Coursera Curriculum
Global Challenges and Some Good News
Introduction to the Course
Course Overview
Introduction to Module 1
Is the Planet Warming?
Consequences of a Warming Planet
Ocean Acidification
Plastic Planet
Biodiversity on the Brink
Welcome to the Anthropocene
Finally Some Good News
Earn Academic Credit for your Work!
Course Support
WWF Living Planet Report 2022
Planetary Boundaries
Planetary Boundaries Quiz
Graded Reflection - Project Drawdown
End of Module 1 Graded Assessment
Let's Meet!
Drawdown Solutions Discussion
Sustainability Defined and How We Got Here
Introduction to Module 2
Sustainability Defined
The IPAT Equation
The UN's Sustainable Development Goals
The Business of Business The Ideas Behind Neoliberal Economics
Doughnut Economics and Progressive Capitalism
The UN Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022
Graded Reflection - Doughnut Economics
Practical Challenge #1: Working with Sustainable Goals
Your Doughnutty Reflections
The Science of Climate Change
Introduction to Module 3
Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect
GHGs are Increasing
GHGs are Increasing Due to Us!
GHGs Not Just CO2
Albedo and Reinforcing Effects
Sources of Anthropogenic GHGs
The Paris Accord and the Need for Change :Part 1
The Paris Accord and the Need for Change :Part 2
Understanding Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect
Calculating GHGs
Understanding the Sources of GHGs
Paris, Kyoto, and the U.S.
End of Module 3 Graded Assessment
GHGs and Electric Power Generation
Introduction to Module 4
Power Generation Basics
Energy and Heat Getting our Units Right
Determining GHGs from Power Plants
Nuclear Power Plants and How they Work
Nuclear Pros and Cons and Technologies on the Horizon
Making the Transition to Renewable Energy
Pathways to Net Zero Part 1
Pathways to Net Zero Part 2
Calculating Power Generation
The Truth About Nuclear Power
Understanding Renewable Energy
Understanding "Net- Zero"
End of Module 4 Graded Assessment
Your Stance on Nuclear Energy
Sustainable Solutions in Daily Life
Introduction to Module 5
Sustainable Transportation - Part 1: GHGs from Transportation
Sustainable Transportation - Part 2: Our Transportation Carbon Footprint
The EVs are Coming - Part 1: EVs are an Old Idea!
The EVs are Coming - Part 2: EVs Hit the Tipping Point
The EVs are Coming - Part 3: Electrification of Everything Else
Sustainable Homes
Livable Cities
Our Current Food Production Systems
Sustainable Food and Regenerative Agriculture
The Challenges of Fast Fashion
Sustainable Fashion
Redesigning Fashion's Future
How to be a Fashion Revolutionary - Booklet
H&M Annual Sustainability Disclosure Report
Quantifying Sustainable Transportation
Sustainable Homes and Livable Cities
What Regenerative Agriculture Means for Sustainable Food
A Fast Take on Fast Fashion
End of Module 5 Graded Assessment
The Transition to EVs
Introduction to the Circular Economy
Introduction to Module 6
Introduction to the Circular Economy
The 3 Principles of the Circular Economy
The Butterfly Diagram – Technical Nutrient Cycles
The Butterfly Diagram – Biological Nutrient Cycles
Course Wrap-Up
Lessons From Ellen MacArthur
The Butterfly Diagram
Linear Vs Circular Economies
Graded Reflection - Lessons from Ellen McArthur
Circular Economy Principles
Understanding the Butterfly Diagram
Practical Challenge #2: Circular Solutions
Discussing MacArthur's Story
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