Climate, sustainability and society

The Climate, Sustainability and Society subject is available for students at La Trobe’s three largest campuses: Melbourne, Bendigo and Albury-Wodonga, studying in three different Faculties (Law and Management, Science, Technology and Engineering and Humanities and Social Science).

The subject also aims to engage local communities on the issue of climate change and sustainability. As these issues have greater impact on the future, multi-disciplinary subjects delivered via cross faculty collaboration such as CSS will provide students the opportunity to tackle these issues with knowledge and expertise from a variety of disciplines.

The subject’s principles were based on a need for climate change education and discussion based on that:

  • Climate change will directly or indirectly dominate the period students will live through.
  • Climate change will penetrate the working lives, public and personal lives of students.
  • Climate change research, policy and public understanding requires interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists, economists and social scientists.

The subject includes three public presentations from prominent speakers on the issues of climate change and sustainability. These lectures and subsequent discussions are presented live on each of the three campuses the subject is offered, and broadcast via video link to other campuses. In 2010, the lectures were:

‘Lies, Damn Lies and Climate Change’ – Professor David Karoly

‘Climate Change: a diabolical policy issue’ – Professor Ross Garnaut

‘Here on Earth’ – Professor Tim Flannery