Environmental Studies

This course provides a systematic overview of the key topics of environmental ethics. It focuses on three protracted and heated debates at the interface of environmental ethics and ecological restoration. The first debate is about the value of ecological restoration (including ‘nature development’). The second debate is about the moral status of animals within ecological restoration projects. Here the course distinguishes between (complementary) two cases: the first one is about the (re)introduction of indigenous species that were once pushed out of their native environment; the other one is about the elimination or eradication of exotic and alien species that have invaded and degraded ecosystems. Both cases show that there is considerable tension between environmental ethics and animal welfare ethics. The third debate is about the role of human intervention in the Anthropocene. Old-school conservationists want to restore and protect pristine nature and call for an attitude of humility. Ecomodernists, on the other hand, see the Anthropocene not as an ecological disaster, but as an opportunity to increase human welfare and protect nature with the use of technology.

This course teaches the usage of R for the analysis of ecological data. It introduces several different analysis options for biological or ecological data (focusing specifically on community-level data) using the free and open-source statistical, mapping, and graphing platform R. Broad topics covered will include: introduction to R language and basic functions / graphics; basic mapping options; diversity measurement; univariate, multivariate, parametric and non-parametric analysis and their basis; functional diversity; and ecological time series analysis. Students will require a laptop for sessions. Schedule is subject to changes according to student progress.

The extraction, production, distribution and use of energy sources has significant environmental, social, political and economic impacts. Impacts are multi‐scalar, ranging from global climate change to socio‐cultural disruption at local, national and regional scales. This module exposes students to these impacts and related energy geopolitics with detailed case studies. The module also gives students a comprehensive background of the development and use of promising future post-carbon alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, and biofuels. It discusses how to build the energy-efficient architecture of a low carbon economy and develop sustainable energy system design for the future.

This course develops an understanding of physio-chemical and ecological aspects of the freshwater systems, especially for Taiwan rivers; explains the causes and consequences of human modification of fresh waters, and their implications for conservation of aquatic biodiversity and maintenance of human well- being; describes the techniques which may be used to quantify the status of (and monitor the changes in) instream and riparian ecological niches; and introduces the range of management strategies that can be used to reduce or mitigate human impacts on freshwater ecosystems and maintain water quality; and the concept of drainage basin management. Assessment: final exam, coursework, assignments, projects.

This course examines the relationship between science, policy and society. It explores how different knowledge traditions – the scientific method, post-positivist science, Indigenous and local knowledges, citizen science, and the knowledge-industrial complex – converge or collide in real policy arenas. It focuses on translation and impact: how evidence informs legislation, markets and multilateral agreements; how scientists and communities communicate more effectively with policymakers; and how non-expert knowledge can reframe agendas. Learning is interactive, combining lectures, class discussions and practical activities to critique “truth” claims and better understand evidence-informed action.