A) The students will learn in detail the current natural sciences knowledge on the subject of global environmental change. From there, they will understand the relationship between the conduct of human beings and the ecosystem, which will enable them to develop critical thinking and an ethical commitment. B) They will obtain knowledge and awareness to assess the effect of human actions on the environment, but also the environmental effects on the society and the economy. Such an interconnection will enable the students to manage information and to recognize the global and local social phenomena. C) They will base their knowledge in the theoretical study of the interaction between society and environment. D) They will know about the major challenges of human-ecosystem relationship, and how to interpreter them from a structured prospective. That will enable them to recognize the complexity of social phenomena. E) They will learn how to synthesize and analyze the course readings.

LESSON 1. Socio-environmental problems I: global environmental change and climate change. Causes, impact, consequences, evolution, social perception, policies. LESSON 2. Socio-environmental problems II: Air, water and soil pollution. Causes, impact, consequences, evolution, social perception, policies. LESSON 3. Sustainable development: definition, development, policies. LESSON 4. Universities and Sustainable Development. LESSON 5. The social movements in relation to the environment: the ecologist movement, green parties. LESSON 6. Sociological theories on the environment: classical sociology Human Ecology; contemporary sociology (environmental sociology, biocentric perspectives, social ecology, ecofeminism, ecological modernization). LESSON 7. Socio-environmental problems III: the energy model. Causes, impact, consequences, evolution, perception, policies.

Lectures (2 ECTS credit ) for the theoretical parts of the subject, SYNCHRONOUS ONLINE , using the tools that facilitate the presentation (slides, barrel of light), allowing time to solve the students questions. Practical sessions in the classroom (2 ECTS credit) in the form of exercises linked to the theoretical contents, to be discussed collectively by the teacher and the students, using computers, movies, documents, newspaper articles and more. Readings (2 ECTS credit ) designated by the teacher, from the themes of the subject, distinguishing between required and complementary, and done individually by each student. The student will present a brief essay on each of the required readings before each theme. To prepare the subjects, the student must have read the required readers for the theory class according to the schedule, and shall submit a text of about 2-3 pages to the teacher at the beginning of the class. The essay will include the following: 1) Summary of the main points raised in the text (as synthetic entries) 2) Identification of the strengths (the contain and what is well articulated, and why); 3) Identification of weaknesses (what is missed / or not well developed, and why); 4) Other topics that the student wants to emphasize, and why. The topics will be discussed together in the classroom, as a seminar, directed by of the teacher.