They have to learn to compromise. It's a wide range of learning experiences. S tudents spend two-thirds of the course studying earth system science related to the atmosphere, oceans, paleoclimate and environmental change. The last third concentrates on the search for sustainability-the relationship between human activities, ecosystem health and economic viability. The culminating activity is a greenhouse gas negotiation exercise where students are trained by university administrators, faculty, visiting scientists and policymakers as they prepare to role play positions in finance, campus and regional planning, energy management and governance, for example.
Human beings are truly a geologic force, acting on systems that affect the entire planet.
The concept of citizenship takes on a whole new meaning when viewed in this context. I'm an environmental engineering major, and I just didn't know all of this before. The fact sheets really helped me to see this. T he students think creatively and negotiate hard. E very group reaches a unanimous agreement.