Teaching

UBC

BEST 202 Alternative Energy Systems

  • A comprehensive introduction to technologies for safe, clean, and sustainable supplies of energy. Examples include direct solar energy, bioenergy, liquid biofuels, hydro and tidal, wind, and geothermal. In addition to technological aspects, students will explore the economic, social, environmental, and policy issues raised by these systems of energy use and production.
  • Terms: 2020 W2, 2021 W2
  • Sample syllabus: BEST202_2021_W2_syllabus

BEST 402 Industrial Ecology

  • The students will learn the knowledge and skills of industrial ecology for solving the complex problems related to sustainable development. The course will integrate elements of science, technology, and policy into the learning activities covering key topic areas such as climate change, resource efficiency and sustainable bioeconomy. Guest lecturers from academic, industrial and governmental sectors will bring a diverse perspective of current progress and challenges in these topic areas. The students will gain hands-on experiences with major industrial ecology methods during tutorial sessions. The tutorial sessions will also include participatory exercises related to emerging topics with grand challenges to society, where the students will apply the knowledge and skills to design solutions to those grand challenges.
  • Terms: 2022 W1
  • Course wiki

WOOD 491 Environmental Facilities Design

  • This course will enable students to use the LCA method to evaluate the environmental impact of products and organizations from a life cycle perspective (i.e. from cradle-to-grave). Students will develop a ground-up understanding of LCA based on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14000 series of environmental management standards and the UNEP/SETAC Guidance on Organizational Life Cycle Assessment, and how they are applied in different sectors of the economy, including for corporate social responsibility and green building programs.The course will also prepare the students towards working as technical professionals or managers in wood products processing plants. Students will understand major hazards in the wood industry and learn the technological solutions to protect themselves and colleagues. Students are expected to grow big-picture environmental awareness, of the wood products sector in particular.
  • Terms: 2021 W2, 2022 W2
  • Sample syllabus: WOOD491_2021_W2_syllabus