Symphony of the spheres in change? Learning in environment for sustainable development in primary school with a scientific and longitudinal approach. This research deals with learning in science, including learning in environment for sustainable development. Learning in environment and sustainable development are obligatory perspectives in science as well as in other school subjects. The longitudinal study started in 2003, concerning 28 pupils nine years of age in a city in southern Sweden. Data collection has been caught in the pupils’ science lessons from year 2003 to 2006. In order to analyse the pupils’ development of concepts in science and in environment for sustainable development, I have videotaped a lot of sequences from the science lessons and followed up with questionnaires and questions in interviews. Stimulated recall is used to find the teacher’s intentions and reactions on the outcome of the lessons. The results are analysed according to the Earth System Science (ESS) model. It is a model, which describes the relations and interactions between the natural spheres: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere as well as the biosphere, including man, and the technosphere/anthroposphere. The longitudinal approach resulted in important findings regarding the changes in the pupils’ answers over time. They develop complicated 'concept webs'. The concepts found among the pupils in this study are e.g. the hydrological cycle; life; soil; water in every day life; pollution; non-polluting busses as well as waste; collecting batteries; corrosion; greenhouse and the increasing greenhouse effect. Some concepts e.g. the hydrological cycle, life and soil can from the beginning be classified as concepts used in science, but also to describe what happens in the environment. Concepts as pollution; non-polluting busses; collecting batteries; corrosion; greenhouse and increasing greenhouse effect are used by the pupils to express relations and interactions in and between the natural spheres including man. The relation between man and nature is for the pupils an area of conflicts through the entire study when the pupils from a scientific approach will be aware of the impact on living ecosystems including themselves, today and in the future. The concepts are often connected to each other in a more or less complicated network, 'concepts webs'. The obtained results indicate that the Socratic dialogue is a possible and successful method to use for the development of pupils’ concepts in environmental questions and issues. Another finding in the study is how different methods, e.g. Play and learning, support environmental learning and learning for sustainable development during the science lessons. Play is important in integrated learning and gives opportunity to understand others’ perspectives, Theory of mind. The results indicate an integrated learning process by the pupils, implying in what way they express human impact on nature.

This research deals with learning in science, including learning in environment for sustainable development. Learning in environment and sustainable development are obligatory perspectives in science as well as in other school subjects. The longitudinal study started in 2003, concerning 28 pupils nine years of age in a city in southern Sweden. Data collection has been caught in the pupils’ science lessons from year 2003 to 2006. In order to analyse the pupils’ development of concepts in science and in environment for sustainable development, I have videotaped a lot of sequences from the science lessons and followed up with questionnaires and questions in interviews. Stimulated recall is used to find the teacher’s intentions and reactions on the outcome of the lessons. The results are analysed according to the Earth System Science (ESS) model. It is a model, which describes the relations and interactions between the natural spheres: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere as well as the biosphere, including man, and the technosphere/anthroposphere. The longitudinal approach resulted in important findings regarding the changes in the pupils’ answers over time. They develop complicated 'concept webs'. The concepts found among the pupils in this study are e.g. the hydrological cycle; life; soil; water in every day life; pollution; non-polluting busses as well as waste; collecting batteries; corrosion; greenhouse and the increasing greenhouse effect. Some concepts e.g. the hydrological cycle, life and soil can from the beginning be classified as concepts used in science, but also to describe what happens in the environment. Concepts as pollution; non-polluting busses; collecting batteries; corrosion; greenhouse and increasing greenhouse effect are used by the pupils to express relations and interactions in and between the natural spheres including man. The relation between man and nature is for the pupils an area of conflicts through the entire study when the pupils from a scientific approach will be aware of the impact on living ecosystems including themselves, today and in the future. The concepts are often connected to each other in a more or less complicated network, 'concepts webs'. The obtained results indicate that the Socratic dialogue is a possible and successful method to use for the development of pupils’ concepts in environmental questions and issues. Another finding in the study is how different methods, e.g. Play and learning, support environmental learning and learning for sustainable development during the science lessons. Play is important in integrated learning and gives opportunity to understand others’ perspectives, Theory of mind. The results indicate an integrated learning process by the pupils, implying in what way they express human impact on nature.

This thesis is a critical review of two central theories in the modern sustainability paradigm – namely… (1) the theory that the Earth’s geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere form a complex adaptive system – the Earth system, and (2) the theory that all human activities are intrinsically dependent on, and constrained by, non-anthropogenic states and processes in the Earth system. The thesis explains the origins and the logic of these theories, and subjects them to formal, semi-formal and comparative criticism. Ultimately, it refutes both on formal and comparative grounds. Most importantly, it shows that theories 1 and 2 are in conflict with the theory of evolution by natural selection, and with the hypothetico-deductive model of scientific research. It also shows that they are in conflict – both directly and indirectly – with the known laws of physics. While it is true that all human activities rely on biospheric resources today, there are no physical, or natural laws that make it impossible for us to break those dependencies over time. In fact, the thesis shows that it is possible in principle to satisfy any human need by strictly artificial means, and abiotic resources that exist in abundance both inside and outside of the Earth system. An important corollary to this finding is that social and economic progress is not inextricably tied – as the modern sustainability literature suggests – to the exploitation of finite and rapidly diminishing resources here on Earth. Theories 1 and 2 both contribute to this confusion, and hence, to the bleak and irrational Malthusianism that still permeates so much of the sustainability domain. In addition, they appear to blind many researchers to the ecological benefits of technological development. That humanity can break its dependence on the biosphere is a very good thing for its non-human inhabitants. As we become more technologically advanced, we will find it easier and easier to sustain ourselves without destabilizing the world's ecosystems. The Earth’s biosphere is an oasis of beauty, complexity and connection in a Universe that is overwhelmingly empty and boring. As the only animals capable of appreciating this fact, we have a clear moral duty to protect and preserve it. And we can protect and preserve it. If we just let go of the religious ideas that have dominated our field since its inception, we will find that our potential to do good in the world is far greater than we previously imagined.

This thesis examines the readiness and perception in the regions of Gothenburg and Bremen towards future sea level rise. It does so through the theoretical lens of risk psychology / policy research and of climate science research. Results are built on some of the most recent research of these fields, as well as interviews with 14 people on the local, regional and national level in Germany and Sweden. Key findings of this thesis are that both contexts struggle to deal with the great uncertainties inherent in sea level rise. On the German North Sea coast, there is long experience with sea level variation and extensive civil institutions created to deal with storm surges, dikes and sea level rise which may partially compensate for inherent vulnerability to future sea level rise in this region. The novelty of sea level rise in Gothenburg and Sweden means that it is in the process of creating similar institutions and national-regional divisions of responsibility from scratch. The great uncertainty around the pace and extent of future sea level rise is however an obstacle which may have to be overcome before a more coherent response may be developed. / Denna uppsats undersöker beredskap och uppfattningar kring framtida havsnivåhöjningar i Göteborg och Bremen. Detta görs med de teoretiska ansatserna riskpsykologi / beslutspsykologi och grundläggande klimatvetenskap. Uppsatsens resultat bygger på de senaste resultaten inom dessa fält, samt intervjuer med 14 personer på lokal, regional och nationell nivå i Tyskland och Sverige. Efter genomförd studie kan konstateras att bägge kontext har svårigheter att hantera de stora osäkerheter som havsnivåhöjningen medför. Tyska Nordsjökusten har mycket lång erfarenhet och kapabla offentliga institutioner vilka skapats för att hantera skyddsvallar, sjunkande landnivåer och stormfloder, vilket balanserar det prekära läge som området annars står inför. I Göteborg och i Sverige är havsnivåhöjning något fundamentalt nytt, vilket innebär att man nu försöker skapa liknande institutioner och ansvarsfördelning mellan nationellt och regionalt som de Bremen och Tyskland redan har. Ett hinder för detta är de stora osäkerheter som råder kring hastighet och absolut nivå på framtida havsnivåhöjningar. Dessa osäkerheter kan komma behöva reduceras innan problemet börjar hanteras på ett mer samordnat sätt.