Course Catalogue

Earth Futures: Thinking and Planning for the Anthropocene GEOG4103

  • Academic Session: 2026-27
  • School: School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
  • Credits: 10
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2 (Alternate Years)
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course provides an introduction to global environmental management in the Anthropocene, focusing: on the rapidly changing nature of a future-orientated geopolitics; the design and testing of geoengineering solutions; grass-roots anxieties, organising and responses to the Anthropocene; and the manner in which future thinking about the Earth reworks geographies of proximity and distance.

Timetable

There will be five - two hour lecture/seminar  sessions delivered over 5 weeks.

Requirements of Entry

Entry to Level 3 Geography

Assessment

Course exam (100%)

Main Assessment In: December and April/May

Course Aims

■ To introduce core debates on the condition of the Anthropocene from diverse disciplines

■ To critically assess the past, present and potential future of global environmental management

■ To introduce current ideas and practices regarding geoengineering and grass-roots responses to the Anthropocene

■ To explore rapidly shifting imaginaries of the Earth and its possible futures

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Discuss and reflect upon debates and approaches on the condition of the Anthropocene

■ Identify key authors and contributions

■ Critically assess relevant bodies of practice such as geoengineering

■ Explain past and present linkages between geoengineering and geopolitics

■ Identify issues in primary sources, and critically assess and contextualize current news stories

■ Explain what makes a geographical perspective important

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

No exceptions