Many of the decisions we make have implications for our environment, particularly those concerning natural resources and waste. Taking account of environmental factors in decision making can be both complex and challenging. This free course, Introducing environmental decision making, considers decisions in their broader contexts and advocates a systems approach to environmental decision making.

Syllabus

Introduction
Learning outcomes
1 Introduction to decision making
1 Introduction to decision making
1.1 Approaches to decision making
1.2 Factors that influence decisions
1.3 Decision making and policy making
2 What do we mean by environmental decision making?
2 What do we mean by environmental decision making?
2.1 Concepts of environment
2.2 Environment and system
2.3 Characterising environmental decisions
2.4 Environmental decision making in the context of sustainable development
2.5 Sustainable development
2.5.1 Development
2.5.2 Sustainable development
2.5.3 United Nations initiatives for sustainable development and decision making
3 Values, power and evolving discourse in environmental decision making
3 Values, power and evolving discourse in environmental decision making
3.1 The importance of values
3.2 Power relations and sources within decision making
3.3 Evolving discourses concerning environmental decision making and sustainable development
4 Your experience of decision making and environmental decision making
4 Your experience of decision making and environmental decision making
4.1 Becoming aware of your actual and potential environmental decision making
4.2 Different levels of decision making
4.3 Recognising change and learning in decision situations
5 ‘Freedom to fly?’ A case study in aviation expansion
5 ‘Freedom to fly?’ A case study in aviation expansion
5.1 Introduction
5.1.1 The case study
5.2 The need for an ‘Aviation White Paper’
5.3 The process leading up to the publication of the UK December 2003 Aviation White Paper
5.3.1 Structuring the decision-making process
5.3.2 How much airport capacity?
5.3.3 How will the environmental impact be mitigated or paid for?
5.3.4 Response to national consultation
5.3.5 Where should the new airport capacity be located?
5.3.6 The SERAS process
5.3.7 Regional consultation on airport expansion
5.4 The December 2003 Aviation White Paper
5.5 Reaction to the Aviation White Paper
5.6 The future
5.6.1 The European Union Carbon Emissions Trading Scheme
5.6.2 Runway capacity issues
6 The T863 framework for environmental decision making
6 The T863 framework for environmental decision making
6.1 Environmental decision making as a learning process
6.2 The T863 framework and the case study
Conclusion
References
Acknowledgements