SERS Stories: “Communicating political ecology”:

Thursday, January 21, 2021
by Jennifer Nicholson

ERS 400 Undergraduate students showcase their skills

Communicating complex sustainability issues is not easy but it's needed if want to move towards a better understanding of real-world problems for grounded solutions. With the availability of technology and growing awareness of science communication, there are many ways to tell a compelling story, synthesise key information and present ideas creatively. Students in the course ‘Sustainability Approaches’ (Fall 2020) had an opportunity to do just that. “It's not an easy task to do but it's so needed in today's world. I was amazed at the overall high standard of creativity and content students produced ”, said course co-instructor Ella-Kari Muhl.

Tasked with developing a short podcast or video, students in the class addressed a wide range of topics – from climate vulnerability to fast fashion, restoration, community science and anti-racism in the environment. Check out just a few examples of how SERS students are communicating complex sustainability issues.

Breaking the Circular Dis-economy (.mp3)

By Maggie Chang

Starting with an exploration of the “vote with your dollar” advice, this podcast dives into the concept of the circular dis-economy which exposes systemic injustices and structural violence.

Dumpster Diving (.mp3)

By Savita Owens

Dumpster diving, urban foraging, garbage eating… This podcast is about finding and eating food from commercial dumpsters, and about the different ways of rejecting consumerism and helping the environment.

Freshwater Resource Politics

By Ashoke Mohanraj

This video will explore how the availability of freshwater as a global common is transforming as a result of climate change, and how we can use game theory to analyze its political implications in both cooperative and competitive situations.

Remote video URL