Environment, Ethics and Technology

General data

Course ID:	WF-OB-SANDLER2-ER
Erasmus code / ISCED:	07.2 Kod klasyfikacyjny przedmiotu składa się z trzech do pięciu cyfr, przy czym trzy pierwsze oznaczają klasyfikację dziedziny wg. Listy kodów dziedzin obowiązującej w programie Socrates/Erasmus, czwarta (dotąd na ogół 0) – ewentualne uszczegółowienie informacji o dyscyplinie, piąta – stopień zaawansowania przedmiotu ustalony na podstawie roku studiów, dla którego przedmiot jest przeznaczony. / (unknown)
Course title:	Environment, Ethics and Technology
Name in Polish:	Environment, Ethics and Technology
Organizational unit:	Center for Ecology and Ecophilosophy
Course groups:
ECTS credit allocation (and other scores):	(not available) Basic information on ECTS credits allocation principles: the annual hourly workload of the student’s work required to achieve the expected learning outcomes for a given stage is 1500-1800h, corresponding to 60 ECTS; the student’s weekly hourly workload is 45 h; 1 ECTS point corresponds to 25-30 hours of student work needed to achieve the assumed learning outcomes; weekly student workload necessary to achieve the assumed learning outcomes allows to obtain 1.5 ECTS; work required to pass the course, which has been assigned 3 ECTS, constitutes 10% of the semester student load. view allocation of credits
Language:	English
Subject level:	intermediate
Learning outcome code/codes:	OB2_W09 OB2_W12 OB2_U01 OB2_U09
Short description:	This course studies issues at the intersection of the environmental and technology. Among the topics to be covered include the use of biotechnology in conservation, the role of technology in climate change mitigation, geoengineering, and agricultural technologies (including bioengineering and synthetic meat production). In addition to studying these issues, the course will cover different critical perspectives on technology and its uses. Students will be encouraged to think critically about the role that technology ought to play in addressing environmental challenges.
Full description:	- Technology and climate change. Technology has the capacity to contribute enormously to mitigating climate change. This section of the course will consider how to critically evaluate different mitigation strategies. This section will also look at the possibility of deploying geoengineering in response to climate change, including solar radiation management and carbon capture and storage. Students will be encouraged to critically evaluate geoengineering proposals. - Technology and agriculture. Technology has repeatedly transformed food production and delivery systems. This course will examine emerging agricultural technologies – such as genetically modified organisms and synthetic meat production – and discuss whether or not they should be supported. - Technology and conservation. Conservation biologists and ecosystem managers are increasingly interested in deploying biotechnology in conservation efforts. This section of the course will study and evaluate proposed applications, including cloning, deextinction, and gene drives. - Philosophy of technology. Throughout the course students will be exposed to different theories and critical perspectives in the philosophy of technology that can be applied to help analyze and evaluate environmental technologies and their applications.
Bibliography:	”Technology and Ethics,” Ronald Sandler, in R. Sandler, ed., Ethics and Emerging Technologies (Palgrave, 2014). "Solving the Climate Problem,” Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow, https://cmi.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/wedges/pdfs/climate_problem.pdf "Beyond Business as Usual," Philip Cafaro, https://overpopulation-project.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/cafaro-beyond-business-as-usual.pdf “Ethics and Genetically Modified Food,” Gary Comstock, reprinted in R. Sandler, ed., Ethics and Emerging Technologies (Palgrave, 2014). “Women and the Gendered Politics of Food,” Vandana Shiva, reprinted in R. Sandler, ed., Ethics and Emerging Technologies (Palgrave, 2014). “The Ethics of Agricultural Animal Biotechnology,” Streiffer and Basl, in R. Sandler, ed., Ethics and Emerging Technologies (Palgrave, 2014). “Artificial Meat,” Thompson, in R. Sandler, ed., Ethics and Emerging Technologies (Palgrave, 2014). “How Far Should We Go to Bring Back Lost Species?”, Various Authors, http://www.humansandnature.org/how-far-should-we-go-to-bring-back-lost-species “Re-coding for Conservation,” Alison Hawkes, http://baynature.org/article/re-coding-conservation/ “’Gene Drive’ Technology will let us Edit Life in New Ways, But Should we Use it?”, Gregory Kaebnick and Jenifer Kuzma, http://www.humansandnature.org/gene-drive-technology-should-we-use-it “The Geoengineering Option: A Last Resort Against Global Warming?” David Victor et.al., https://www.jstor.org/stable/20699494?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents “Is ‘Arming the Future’ with Geoengineering Really the Lesser Evil? Some Doubts about the Ethics of Intentionally Manipulating the Climate System,” Gardiner, http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/docs/GJConf08-09-GardinerGeoengineeringDRAFT.pdf “Ethics and Intentional Climate Change,” Dale Jamieson, http://wiki.umt.edu/odccss/images/1/1f/Jamison.pdf
Efekty kształcenia i opis ECTS:	Students will think critically about the role that technology ought to play in addressing environmental challenges.
Assessment methods and assessment criteria:	Methods of knowledge verification - Exam - Short Essasy

This course is not currently offered.

Course descriptions are protected by copyright.
Copyright by Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw.