A Circular Economy of Metals: Towards a Sustainable Societal Metabolism

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/circular-economy-metals

Introduction

# Course Review: A Circular Economy of Metals: Towards a Sustainable Societal Metabolism In an era where sustainability has become a vital focus for industries and individuals alike, understanding the role of materials—especially metals—in our economy is crucial. The Coursera course titled **"A Circular Economy of Metals: Towards a Sustainable Societal Metabolism"** offers a profound insight into the relationship between metals, society, and sustainability. This course is a must-take for anyone interested in environmental science, sustainable development, or the resource management sector. ### Overview of the Course The course delves into the pervasive presence of metals in our daily lives and industries. From construction to technology, metals like steel, aluminum, and intricate minor metals from the electronics industry feature prominently in our infrastructure and innovations. As we navigate the 21st century, the course highlights the increasing demand and corresponding environmental challenges posed by our reliance on these materials. This MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) provides an accessible yet comprehensive exploration of metals' critical roles and the pressing need for sustainable practices in their extraction and use. It aligns closely with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing a framework for examining the implications of metal use on our planet. ### Course Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Introduction**: The course begins with a warm welcome, emphasizing the importance of creating a community through introductions and discussions among classmates. This initial module sets a collaborative tone for the course. 2. **Metals in Society**: This week introduces learners to the properties and applications of major and minor metals. Understanding the critical roles these materials play, particularly in infrastructure, is essential. The intersection of metal use with various SDGs is explored, providing a solid foundation for the challenges to come. 3. **Metals Challenge**: In this module, the course shifts focus to the environmental impacts of metal extraction and consumption, highlighting issues like scarcity and criticality. It thoughtfully discusses the dichotomy between the increasing demand for metals and the imperative to protect our environment. 4. **Dynamics of Metal Systems**: A theoretical dive into stocks and flows of metals is taken, enhancing the learner's understanding of how these systems operate within societal frameworks. This knowledge is crucial for addressing the complexities of the metals challenge. 5. **Solutions to the Metals Challenge**: This week is packed with expert lectures addressing innovative solutions such as product design-for-environment, remanufacturing practices, and recycling strategies. Key barriers and strengths of these solutions are also discussed, equipping students with a comprehensive view of possible pathways toward sustainability. 6. **Circular Economy as an Overarching Solution**: The concept of a circular economy is examined in depth, addressing whether implementing circular practices could effectively resolve the metals challenge. Case studies, such as aluminum, provide tangible examples of how circularity can be achieved. 7. **Look into the Future**: The final week encourages learners to envision potential future scenarios concerning metal demand, environmental impacts, and the effectiveness of renewable energy systems. This thoughtful exploration invites critical reflection on how society can reconcile development goals with environmental sustainability. ### Target Audience This course is ideal for students, professionals, and anyone with an interest in understanding the intersection of material science, environmental policy, and sustainability. It is particularly relevant for those in engineering, environmental studies, resource management, and policy-making. ### Pros and Cons - **Pros**: - Comprehensive exploration of metals' role in society. - High-quality content presented by knowledgeable experts. - Engagement with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. - A strong focus on practical solutions and innovative strategies. - **Cons**: - Theoretical nature may be challenging for some learners. - Limited hands-on applications or simulations. ### Recommendation I wholeheartedly recommend **"A Circular Economy of Metals: Towards a Sustainable Societal Metabolism"** for anyone passionate about building a sustainable future. This course not only enlightens participants on the fundamental importance of metals in our economy but also equips them with the knowledge necessary to tackle pressing environmental challenges. The collaborative platform provided by Coursera fosters discussion and community-building, making this educational experience both informative and enjoyable. Embarking on this course is not just an investment in personal development but also a step toward contributing positively to global sustainability efforts. Enroll today and join a movement towards a more sustainable society!

Syllabus

Introduction

Welcome to the course! This first module aims at introducing you to the main topic of the MOOC and to the teaching staff that you will be seeing throughout the whole course. Before you start with the first lessons we encourage you to have a look at our introductory materials and to introduce yourself in the forum in order to meet your classmates.

In Week 1, you will be introduced to the world of metals. What are they, what are their properties, what are they used for and how essential are they? We will address the difference between major and minor metals. Major metals are used in large basic applications such as buildings, cars, pipes, cables, bridges, trains and airplanes. Minor metals that are used mostly in all kinds of electronics and in new technologies, for example for wind and solar energy. The amounts used are much smaller. The minor metals have more attention in the news, because of problems with the supply from international trade, and are subject to criticality assessments. The major metals, on the other hand, are even more important, although less in the centre of attention. Without them, society would fall apart. In this course, we will focus mostly on those major metals. We also introduce the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. These SDGs are agreed on by all nations that are part of the UN, and outline goals for the future of the global society. They include goals on economic development, social development, health and the environment and form a powerful framework to judge developments in resource use, including metal use.

In week 2, the metals challenge is outlined. Metals are indispensable for society, but they are also associated with environmental impacts, especially related to climate change. The challenge is defined as how can we provide society with sufficient metals, now and in the future, without compromising environmental quality? An important part of the challenge is caused by the rapidly rising demand for metals. Over the 20th century demand has risen steeply, and this is expected to continue over the next decades. In this week, we will teach the issues around metal supply, scarcity and criticality, and environmental impacts to sketch the magnitude of the metals challenge. We also will meet the apparent contradiction between some of the SDGs: we need metals to develop societies and build up the infrastructure, on the other hand, we also need to reduce environmental impacts that will only increase if we don’t do anything about it.

Week 3 and all subsequent weeks focus on solving the metals challenge. Obviously, we need to make changes in the metals system to reach a more sustainable situation and reconcile the different Sustainable Development Goals. When considering changes, it is important first to understand the system. We will be discussing stocks and flows of metals in society and see how they interact. In society, we do not just obey the laws of justice and economics, but also the laws of nature. It is important to realise that when contemplating solutions for the metals challenge. This week will be rather theoretical but will provide important information for the coming weeks.

Week 4 is rather packed with lectures on the different options to solve the metals challenge. You will meet experts from all over the world, who will lecture on materials and product design-for-environment and design-for-recycling, on the possibilities and also the barriers for remanufacturing, and on recycling as the last, but maybe most important resort to keep the metals in use. All these options aim at keeping up the stock-in-use of metals in society, while at the same time reducing the need to mine new metals. They all have their own strengths and limitations and can be regarded as pieces of the large puzzle aiming at solving the metals challenge, or in other words, reconciling the different SDGs.

In week 5, we try to get some idea of what the effectiveness could be of going for a circular economy. We do not consider all changes in society that have to be made to reach that, but simply have a look at whether or not, if we would reach a circular economy, we would indeed solve the metals challenge. Can we, theoretically, maintain supply and at the same time avoid supply problems and environmental issues in that way? And therefore, is it worthwhile pursuing a circular economy to reconcile the different SDGs? We use the case of aluminium to illustrate this.

In this final week of the course, we will look briefly into the future. What can we expect for the next decades or even the next century? We’ll introduce the concept of scenarios, storylines about the future that have no predictive value but have their value as imagination of what could happen, and what the consequences would be if it did. And we will apply that to our major metals. Will demand go on rising? What will happen with the environmental impacts? Does it help, from the point of view of metal production, to have a renewable energy system in the background? Will more circularity in our economy make a difference? In short, is it possible to reconcile the SDG development goals with the environmental ones?