Notes from all 12 lectures of this *new* course (Feb – March 2021)*
** Cleanly organised & easy to follow! ** Topics included: Sustainability in an Uncertain World, Planetary Health, Pathways to Sustainability, European Union (EU) Environmental Governance, Glyphosate saga, Precautionary Princip...
EPH 1024: Healthy Environments and Sustainability in the EU
Lecture 1: Course Introduction (Dr. Carijn Beumer)
A systems perspective
Complex systems and zooming in and out between local, national, European, and global
levels – need to be constantly doing this. Sustainability & Health problems are systemic and
require us to look at them from all these different levels.
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,Our privileged position brings responsibilities. Taking responsibility is minding the stories we
tell.
This course aims to envision a thriving future and stay optimistic, dealing with uncertainty
and taking responsibility.
Chaos is a lack of certainty, logical linear progression, order & pattern, and control. Crisis,
collapse of the system and pessimism. Doom and Gloom.
Complexity can be possibilities, non-linear change, and new emerging patterns. An
evolution of system and optimism. Window of opportunity.
“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings” – Lao Tzu
Understanding how emerging patterns will impact the future:
• Initial conditions
• Feedback loops
• Attractors (direction of change)
• Interdependencies
• Evolution / change
• New systems emerging
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, Lecture 2: Complex Adaptive Systems and Sustainability (Dr. Carijn
Beumer)
“Humans have changed the way the world works. Now they have to change the way they
think about it, too” – The Economist, May 26th 2011
Biosphere -> Society -> Economy
Humans are an egotistic, competitive species. But we are also a co-operative species and
our evolution is testament to the success of our cooperation. Our current crisis is an
invitation to imagine what is possible and be creative in solutions.
Complexity and Change Dynamics
Newtonian Science / Mode 1 / Positivism / Order (the ‘caterpillar perspective’)
• Looking at single elements/ingredients = single systems that are not connected
• Linear causality / linear transfers (A leads to B) = The promise you can predict things
from previous actions and, as an example, plan interventions and know the outcome
• Mono-disciplinary explanations / single perspective view (e.g. only looking at COVID-
19 from a virologist perspective and not considering other systems)
• The promise of high predictiveness = an expectation of high Certainty and Order
• Chaos is seen as an anomaly (also the perspective of classical science)
Emergence: 1+1=3 (adding single elements together / the interaction of single elements
that creates something more than just a sum of the parts)
Systems Science / Mode 2 / STS / Complexity
(doesn’t discard Newtonian Science / Mode 1 as they are still necessary and valid, but shows
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, it’s not the only part; that connections, relations and interactions between elements
[feedback] are important)
• Connections / Relations between the ingredients lead to Nested Systems
• Feedback loops (interactions between the elements in the systems)
• Scenarios (there are many possible outcomes and you are never completely sure
what the outcome will be)
• Multi/Transdisciplinary (virologist perspective only of COVID-19 is not enough)
• Accepting Uncertainty (hard for humans as we like certainty)
• Exploration
• Resilience
Resilience is like cooking a curry and it won’t immediately change into something else
(similar to dynamic equilibrium)
“An optimal level of diversity and connectivity”
Diversity and Connectivity – ingredients interacting with each other, but not excessively. If
you blended a curry it would be too interconnected and it wouldn’t be a curry anymore. The
ingredients are only connected to an optimal level.
Emergent property is the product of mixing these elements. It’s the curry that’s created by
mixing the ingredients. It’s the new ‘order’: if you reduce order in one place and create
chaos a new order will emerge. Mixing the ingredients is chaotic, but from the chaos you get
a delicious dish. Embracing the chaos!
Entropy: “Increasing disorder” (see later) but closed systems only exists inside laboratory
settings. Our world is characterised by open systems where feedbacks occur where system
changes lead to new systems/patterns.
When energy dissipates and leaves one system it puts energy into another system which
may lead to new structures or systems.
Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS)
“Complexity can be simple”
Adaptation: “The shape of the flock of birds is always evolving through feedback, into new
emergent patterns” – feedbacks (air pressure, predators, sounds, insects they are chasing)
lead to the intricate shapes formed in the sky
Complex adaptive system require:
• Critical Mass
• A mass that is connected, in(ter)dependent and adaptive/reactive
• Reacting to feedbacks inside and outside their own system
• Simple rules (the birds have to fly forward & keep distance between each other) ->
complex behaviour
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