'Global ecological disruption is arguably the 21st century's most underappreciated security threat'.

The world today and tomorrow might look terrifying, but ours is a story of resourcefulness, resilience, and adaptation. What do we know about the history of life on earth? Why and how did culture evolve and change? How did early Homo Sapiens view, understand, and conceive of the world? In this course, a radical way of looking at the world and our future will be outlined. We will examine a historian's perspective of the way climatic events and trends, geography, and human opportunism have intertwined to impact the world. We will ask: How did Homo Sapiens evolve a relationship with the planet? What makes climate change an essential element in the story of the past? We will explore the connection between pastoralists and nomads on the one hand and sedentary societies on the other. Which lifestyle is more conducive to Gaia's flourishing? What led to the formation of the first cities? What challenges did the corollary trade and globalisation present? How did the bureaucratic state arise? And how did patriarchy take hold?

Our core book, Peter Frankopan’s The Earth Transformed: An Untold History will be featured, over 18 weeks, in conversation with Kate Raworth, Doughnut Economics, Angela Saini, The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality, E. O. Wilson, Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life, Colin Renfrew, Prehistory: The Making of the Human Mind, and others.

Books to Purchase:

• The Earth Transformed: an Untold History 

Please note that this course has a maximum enrollment of 16 students and that TMI does not allow participants to audit courses for free.

Location: Atwater

First Session: Thursday, January 16th, 2025

Course Length: 18 weeks, Thursday, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Discussion Team: Paul Billette, Heather Stephens    

Degree Credit: 4.5 credits

Total Course Fee: 

220.00 (New Students)

220.00 (Special Bring-A-Friend Promotion: For Returning Students who bring a New Student to TMI. Register by phone.)*

325.00 (Returning Students)**

*Note on Bring-A-Friend Promotion for Returning Students: The special 140.00 price is applied immediately if the friend, the New Student, registers first. If the New Student has not yet registered, the regular 200.00 will be charged, and the discount will be refunded when the New Student registers. The discount can also be turned into a credit for a future course.

**Includes Standard Tuition + Admin Fee.

For 18-week courses, fees are refundable in full before the second session. If the participant withdraws after the second course, they will be charged a $50 fee. There is no refund after the third course has passed. Please note that non-attendance does not constitute a withdrawal.

Students pursuing studies for credit are encouraged to consult with their advisers as they register for courses.

Course leaders, and students wishing to use credit vouchers, should call (514) 935-9585 to pay by phone or to schedule an appointment to pay in person.