Creative problem solving for a sustainable future

"We cannot solve today's problems on the same scale that they were created."

The threats facing humanity and the global environment have never been greater than they are today. But neither has our abilities and powers to deal with problems on such a large scale. The outcome is largely dependent upon how we, the human family, react to the problems that we face, and we will not need only technology, but ethics, creativity and imagination to overcome challenges on such a large scale.

Inspiration: Watch this presentation by Ken Robinson and consider what he has to say about how schools kill creativity? What do you think? How will you develop your creativity?



Above and beyond that, have you ever wondered what really makes us human beings happy? Professor of Psychology, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has and come to the well-researched conclusion that money and possessions cannot make us happy, and that lasting satisfaction only comes about through engaging in challenges that bring about a state of "flow".



The Task

You are to select a problem confronting the future of humanity that has a social, environmental, economic or political dimension. You need to and investigate this issue and devise a hypothesis as to what the main causes of this problem are and therefore, what the principle solutions must be. You may need to modify and adapt the investigation according to the nature of the evidence and the resources available. In outlining your solutions, you must demonstrate that your understanding that decisions on environmental, political and legal issues are influenced by and impact on natural, economic and social systems. Finally you need to analyse the validity and consistency of conclusions made by yourself or others according to the sufficiency of evidence gathered and avowed values positions.