• We explore the growing anthropogenic causes and implications of our changing climate. 
• We examine ways in which we can best respond to them. 
• This element is present throughout the course and connects all other themes. 

• Systems thinking equips us with dynamics and principles that help us make sense of even the most complex system. 
• Understanding the world this way provides transferrable skills allowing for a greater understanding of the dynamics of any situation. 
• We learn to see the dynamics holding our current systems in place and where to intervene to create positive, lasting change. 

One of the foundational premises for Common Earth is the centrality of thought and our ability to influence how we experience the world around us. Once we understand that this is common to all human systems, it becomes that much easier to see how we can write a different story that better serves us and the planet.

Every civilization has an origin story. These stories bind a community together and give meaning to individual lives. While honouring the world’s cultural diversity, the world now needs a globally unifying story of how we came into being.  

We explore deep time and the history of the universe to give us a more expansive perspective on both present and future generations.  

Modern mathematical cosmology is the awe-inspiring story that unifies all beings on the planet and addresses the oneness of it all. 

With the support of new economic theories, we explore how our current economic systems are contributing to the climate crisis.  

From corporate monopolies to the role of growth, debt, and the concentration of wealth; we  explore how these aspects of our current economic and social systems accelerates the climate crisis.  

With this understanding, we explore more inclusive economic models that can move us towards a more just and sustainable world.

Through an exploration of fundamental physics principles of thermodynamics, we reach a richer understanding of how energy systems work and our dependency on them in our daily lives. This will empower us to understand the constraints we have to work with, and will inform us on how to move to a post-carbon caring society. 

An exploration that allows us to contrast the idealized image of food production with the reality of the industrial food system.  

This system is nested within other complex systems, including ecology, economics, and culture.  

To create a sustainable food system, we must address its complexity, reevaluate practices, and adopt a regenerative agriculture model that will allow us to nourish the planet and ourselves. 

Regenerative agriculture approaches farming with a focus on growing healthy soil, plants, and ecosystems while putting carbon in its place.

The field of biomimicry looks at our most challenging issues and applies solutions inspired by nature. From aerodynamics to colour-changing properties, the natural world has elegant solutions to our sustainability problems if we only look to the wisdom of nature to guide us.

With a deeper understanding of how natural communities work through support and reciprocity, we become empowered to see the possibility in our own lives. This enables us to create stronger, more caring communities for ourselves and our planet.