Topic: History of the American Environment

Catalog description

This course will examine the whole sweep of how Americans have regarded their lands and waters, how government has come to play the key role in protecting the environment and conserving natural resources, what the science and practice of public health have meant, and how politics has influenced and been influenced by the environmental movement. The textbook will be A Fierce Green Fire by Philip Shabecoff, veteran environmental journalist, editor, and author. The textbook will be supplemented with readings from Emerson, Thoreau, John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, John McPhee, Barry Commoner, Bill McKibben, and Elizabeth Kolbert, among others. There will be two 3-5 page papers, and a 12-15 page final paper, as well as some quizzes. Class discussion will be an integral part of the course.