Is it possible to eradicate poverty? What steps should be taken to ensure an environmentally sustainable future for our planet? Rio+20 is a United Nations conference that draws in participation from all over the world attracting members of governments, the private sector as well as NGO’s amongst the thousands of guests who attend. The primary reason being to develop strategies to reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection as we look to the future. In this collection Open University academics reflect on its progress and prospects, and demonstrate that international gatherings of political leaders are not (fortunately?) the only game in town.

The relationship between sea and land has always been one of dynamic change. Yet, as rising sea levels threaten habitats for wildlife and humans alike, we are today more vulnerable than ever. The 11 video tracks on this album address the complexities of environmental change, focusing on the Blackwater Water Estuary in Essex where a coastal retreat scheme is in operation, managed biodiversity at Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire, and the search for sustainable forms of development along the River Severn. This material forms part of the course U216 Environment.

This innovative album introduces one of the biggest, and most complex, of today’s environmental problems – climate change. It features the hard-hitting, "Who Will Pay", selected as a finalist in an international film competition on "Vulnerability Exposed: The Social Dimensions of Climate Change" organised by the World Bank. This 'Earth in Crisis' album offer a sophisticated understanding of the processes and players that shape contemporary international environmental problems, evaluates what can and should be done in the future, and explores how responses to these dilemmas are intertwined with issues of development, international justice and responsibility. The eleven video tracks focus on climate change induced flooding in the delta regions of Bangladesh and in the Thames region of the UK. In the first five audio tracks, members of The Open University course team explore the main issues raised in the videos. The final three audio tracks explore some of the wider political and scientific dimensions of climate change. This material forms part of The Open University course DU311, Earth in crisis: environmental policy in an international context.

Should natural resources be exploited to support economic development? In Siberia, Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and contains one fifth of the world’s freshwater. It has developed over 25 million years to be a truly unique eco-system - yet this lake is now an environment at serious risk. This album focuses on the growing environmental threats to the region, which was named a World Heritage Site in 1996. Industry and new businesses flocked to the once-isolated region, inducing massive economic growth, but at what cost to the natural habitat? On top of this threat, the invasion of alien species and rising water temperatures due to global warming throw up questions, conflicts and challenges about sustainable development and how we are to manage the consequences of our actions responsibly. This material forms part of the course U216 Environment.

Is 'natural selection' inimical to bio-diversity? Why is the natural world not dominated by a few 'super' species? And in the future, can the richness of nature be preserved? In this album, Jonathan Silvertown, Professor of Ecology at The Open University, explains how Darwinian theory uses the concept of niche specialisation to account for the diversity of flora and fauna on Earth. If it were not for environmental niches, Darwinian 'demons', might emerge, powerful species whose evolutionary fitness makes them all conquering. However, according to Darwin, the natural world is infinitely complex and inhabited by a multitude of different species, each of which is peculiarly adapted to its local environment.
The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © British Council 2009.

This is a one-week residential course which introduces a range of practical skills appropriate to the study of environmental science. You visit a variety of sites where you apply your knowledge of biology, chemistry, earth sciences and physics to study interactions and feedback in the environment, including landforms, soils, water and vegetation. These field studies are supported by tutorials and laboratory sessions in which you analyze your observations and the data that you have gathered; the course includes an introduction to statistical analysis. This material is taken from The Open University course SXR216 Environmental Science in the Field.

Most people throw coal on the fire and put petrol in their cars without really thinking about it. But, looking at sediment deposits can reveal what type of environments created our coal and oil hundreds of millions of years ago. The five video tracks in this album examine the role of geology in determining the global distribution and availability of these valuable resources. They look at the formation of coal and how to mine it safely, the extraction of crude oil from the Athabasca oil sands and Colorado oil shale, and how we discovered reservoirs of oil in Jurassic rocks under the North Sea. This material forms part of S278, Earth's physical resources: origin, use and environmental impact.

How we can be sure our air is safe to breathe? This album introduces the principles and concepts of air quality management and looks at how we analyse pollution control problems. Five video tracks review the nature and characteristics of air pollution today and demonstrate how air quality data is interpreted. They include a comparison between shipping and car emission levels, the processes used to remove pollutants from the air, and ways in which British Aerospace could limit its Volatile Organic Compound emissions in the future. This material forms part of T308 Environmental monitoring, modelling and control.

Do you know what happens to the things you throw away? Sustainable management of municipal and industrial waste is essential in any society, but is particularly crucial for a future in which we face diminishing resources and a growing population. This album considers the issues that are driving the waste management industry across the EU, looking in depth at processes of recycling, landfill, incineration, obtaining energy from waste, and composting. In the bonus audio tracks Professor Andrew Porteous of The Open University explains why the case studies were chosen, and Dr Suresh Nesaratnam gives an overview of the academic context in which waste management is studied. The material forms part of The Open University course T210 Environmental control and public health.