- Introduction to Sustainability and Environmental Studies

Catalog description

In this course, students consider environmental problems through the lenses of many different academic disciplines. The purpose of this approach is two-fold: 1) to enhance the student’s understanding of environmental issues as multi-dimensional dilemmas, and 2) to evaluate and promote sustainable alternatives to business-as-usual. In the first part of the course, students consider the human relationship with the non-human world, including problems of ethics, social and psychological connections with nature, ecological services, and common pool resources. The subsequent sections address historical and current environmental concerns, including population growth, food systems, resource limitation, pollution, biodiversity, and environmental justice. We explore sustainable solutions, remedies, and actions, including regulation and law, restoration, and sustainable lifestyles. The laboratory component of the course exposes students to local and regional environmental geographies, problems, and tools for sustainable solutions. Field trips, guest speakers, and films emphasize the necessity of multidisciplinary integration in the design of sustainable environmental systems.