During this period prior to the development of the MSc, the Centre delivered a number of pioneering multidisciplinary lecture series. A partial chronology of the activities of the Centre in this era:
1972: The Centre is established at Edinburgh University by Conrad Waddington as The School of the Man Made Future.
1977/78: Lecture series: Ecology and the Future of Mankind: An Enquiry into Human Need
1978: Lecture series: Population and Society
1979: Lecture series: Energy and Society & A Divided World
1980: Lecture series: A World Divided: the Outlook for the 1980s & Personal Involvement
1981: Lecture series: World in Crisis
1982: Lecture series: Politics of the Environment
1983: Lecture series: Patterns of Change in the Environment
1984: Lecture series: Barriers to an Ecological Society
1985: Lecture series: Steps towards an Ecological Future & The Resolution of Conflict
1986: Lecture series: Change and Conflict
The Management of conflict in organisations and society: Drummond Hunter, chairman of the Scottish Institute of Human Relations, Edinburgh
The Process of Residential Change: Dr Alison McCleery, Dept of Industrial and Social Studies, Napier University
The Creation of an Underclass- Living in two worlds: Graham White, director of the Environment Centre, Edinburgh
1986/87: Lecture series: Health for Land and People
Towards the Health of the World Environment: Professor Emeritus P Johnson-Marshall, Dept. of Urban Design and Regional Planning, Director, Patrick Geddes Centre for Planning Studies
The development and potential of organic agriculture methods in Scotland: Angus Marland, co-ordinator of Lothian Energy group, Centre for Human Ecology
Population, Resources and Wellbeing: Jane King, Centre for Human Ecology
1987: Lecture series: Ecology and Moral Choice
Atonement and Reversibility: the areas of decision-making: Carl Amery, essayist on ecological issues and co-founder of German Green Party, Munich
Poverty and the decline of justice: Kevin Dunion, Oxfam
1988: Lecture series: Ecology and Economic Choice & Initiatives towards Sustainable Development
1989: Lecture series: Projects towards Sustainability
1989/90: Lecture series: Ecology of Nations
1990: Lecture series: The Politics of Ecological Decision Making