Introduction: Tackling the Environmental Challenges of the 21st Century
Course Content
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Lesson 1: Understanding the Challenges We Face
This introductory content sets the stage for why the problems we face are so urgent, and why it’s not an option to use only the tools and approaches that have been traditionally used in environmental conservation. An overview of the drivers of environmental problems will give you a sense of the different problems and opportunities you might engage in, and set you up to select a topic to work on.
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Lesson 2: Analyzing Complex Environmental Problems
In the face of pressing environmental problems, it is natural to want to jump straight into action and focus on an immediate solution. But in order to design successful, equitable, and lasting interventions, we need to take a step back and get a deep and contextualized understanding of the problem.
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Explore More
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Blue Ventures: a systemic approach to environmental solutions
In response to these wickedly complex challenges, there are many organizations doing incredible and impactful work. Blue Ventures, a social enterprise using a market-based approach to conservation, carefully balances the topics we cover in this toolkit: systems thinking, human-centered design, new technology, and a strong business case.
Reflect on Blue Ventures’ approach: What makes it strong? In which situations do you think it would work best? What shortcomings might it have, or what doubts do you have about it? What problems couldn’t be solved using this approach? Does it align with the tenets of environmental justice? Why or why not?