environmental studies courses |
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ES 101 Environmental Studies: Methods & Analysis | Thomas (Biological Sciences) | Fall | 1.0 unit | Explore the campus and beyond in an interdisciplinary manner. Topics include the movement of materials through the environment, sustainability, principles of resource management, and pollution control. Investigate timely environmental problems and work toward solutions using skills such as computer modeling, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and spatial data analysis using GIS. A combination of field and laboratory work will be integrated with discussion and readings. Because this course is an experiential introduction to environmental studies, AP credit in Environmental Science cannot be used to replace ES 101. One laboratory meeting and one discussion meeting per week. Either 101 or 102 may be taken first. (ES 101 replaces ES 100 for students fulfilling the old version of the major) Prereq: QR basic skills component. Open to first years and sophomores; juniors and seniors may only enroll with permission of the instructor. Dist: Natural and Physical Science. Fulfills the QR overlay requirement. Does not satisfy the laboratory requirement. |
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ES 102 Introduction to Environmental Studies: Issues & Concepts | Turner | Spring | 1.0 unit | This course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to environmental studies, with a focus on a single environmental issue. Major concepts that will be examined include: the state of scientific research regarding environmental issues, the role of science, politics, and economics in environmental decision making, and the importance of history, ethics and justice in approaching environmental issues. The central aim of the course is to help students develop the interdisciplinary research skills necessary to pose questions, investigate problems, and develop strategies that will help us address our relationship to the environment. The case study will be climate change and contemporary society. Either 101 or 102 may be taken first. Prereq: QR basic skills component. Dist: Social and Behavioral Analysis |
| ES 201/GEO 201 Methods & Problems in Environmental Science w/Lab | Brabander (Geosciences) | Spring | 1.25 units | Problems in environmental science are inherently multidisciplinary and often require a diverse skill set to analyze and solve. This course will focus on developing a toolbox of skills including field methods, geochemical analysis (natural waters, soils and other environmental materials), and modeling with a goal of being able to frame and solve environmental problems. Students will conduct semester-long research projects and will present their results in a final poster session. Laboratory. Fulfills the major distribution requirement in category A. Students may register for either ES 201 or GEOS 201 and credit will be granted accordingly. Prereq: One of the following: ES 101, GEOS 100, 101, 102 or permission of the instructor. Dist: Natural and Physical Science |
| ES 203 Cultures of Environmentalism | Not offered in 07-08, Offered in 08-09 | 1.0 unit | What is environmentalism? This course explores how different communities of people have answered that question in the United States and abroad. It focuses on the mainstream environmental movement and other formulations of environmentalism, such as environmental justice, deep ecology, animal rights, and indigenous peoples’ concerns for the environment. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to examining the role of culture in shaping how people have valued the environment and organized to protect it. What role do the arts, popular culture, and literature play in environmental activism? What are the ethical and philosophical foundations of modern environmental movements? How is environmental activism historically specific and shaped by particular constructions of race, gender, religion, and nature? The goal of this course is to consider how environmental activism and decision making can and must be sensitive to cultural context. Prereq: ES 101 or 102, or permission of the instructor. Dist: None. |
| ES 212/RAST 212 Lake Baikal: The Soul of Siberia | Not offered in 07-08, Offered in 08-09 | 1.25 units | The ecological and cultural values of Lake Baikal – the oldest, deepest, and most biotically rich lake on the planet – are examined. Lectures and discussion in spring prepare students for the three-week field laboratory taught at Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia in August. Lectures address the fundamentals of aquatic ecology and the role of Lake Baikal in Russian literature, history, art, music, and the country’s environmental movement. Laboratory work is conducted primarily out-of-doors and includes introductions to the flora and fauna, field tests of student-generated hypotheses, meetings with the lake’s stakeholders, and tours of ecological and cultural sites surrounding the lake. Students may register for either ES 212 or RAST 212 and credit will be granted accordingly. Not offered every year. Subject to Dean’s Office approval. Prereq: BISC 111, RUSS 101, and permission of the instructors. Preference will be given to students who have also taken HIST 211. Application required. Dist: Natural and Physical Science |
| ES 214/POL2 214 Social Causes and Consequences of Environmental Problems | DeSombre (Political Science) | Fall | 1.0 unit | This course focuses on the social science explanations for why environmental problems are created, the impacts they have, the difficulties of addressing them, and the regulatory and other actions that succeed in mitigating them. Topics include: externalities and the politics of unpriced costs and benefits, collective action problems and interest group theory, time horizons in decision making, the politics of science, risk and uncertainty, comparative political structures, and cooperation theory. Also addressed are different strategies for changing environmental behavior, including command and control measures, taxes, fees, and other market instruments, and voluntary approaches. These will all be examined across multiple countries and levels of governance. Students may register for either ES 214 or POL2 214 and credit will be granted accordingly. Prereq: ES 101 or 102, or one course in political science, or permission of instructor. Dist: Social and Behavioral Analysis |
| ES 222 Dynamic Modeling of Environmental Issues | Not offered in 07-08, Offered in 08-09 | 0.5 unit | A hands-on introduction to the application of systems dynamics to developing computer-based models for complex problems, with an emphasis on the environment. Starting with simple closed systems, students will develop models of increasing sophistication and complexity for issues such as population dynamics, air and water pollution, energy production and usage, waste management and sustainable development. Emphasis will be placed on the principles of problem solving and systems dynamics and on developing models that reflect, as closely as possible, real-world situations and the interrelatedness of various environmental concerns. Prereq: ES 101 and completion of the QR requirement, or permission of the instructor. Dist: Natural and Physical Science or Mathematical Modeling |
| ES 234/ANTH 234 Cultural Ecology | Ruf (Anthropology) | Spring | 1.0 Unit | This course explores theoretical and methodological issues in the study of human culture and social activity in relation to ecological systems and the environment. Readings include both classic studies as well as contemporary research, with particular emphasis placed on the various dimensions and scales of social organization and activity, and on the role of cultural, religious, and political institutions in shaping ecological relationships as well as economic behavior. Students may register for either ES 234 or ANTH 234 and credit will be granted accordingly. Prereq: None Dist: Social and Behavioral Analysis |
| ES 299/HIST 299 United States Environmental History | Turner | Spring | 1.0 unit | This course examines the relationship between nature and society in American history. The course will consider topics such as the decimation of the bison, the rise of Chicago, the history of natural disasters, and the environmental consequences of war. There are three goals for this course: First, we will examine how humans have interacted with nature over time and how nature, in turn, has shaped human society. Second, we will examine how attitudes toward nature have differed among peoples, places, and times and we will consider how the meanings people give to nature inform their cultural and political activities. Third, we will study how these historical forces have combined to shape the American landscape and the human and natural communities to which it is home. While this course focuses on the past, an important goal is to understand the ways in which history shapes how we understand and value the environment as we do today. Prereq: ES 101 or 102 or an American history course, or permission of the instructor. Dist: Historical Studies |
| ES 300 Environmental Decision making | DeSombre (Political Science) | Spring | 1.0 unit | An interdisciplinary seminar in which students work together in small groups to understand and develop solutions for current environmental problems. Each year, we focus on a given environmental issue of concern to our community, e.g. environmental implications of building design, energy use, or water quality. In particular, we work to understand its scientific background, the political processes that lead to potential solutions, and the ethical and environmental justice implications. Student-led research provides the bulk of the information about the issue and its role in our local environment; lectures and readings provide supplementary information about the local situation and the global context. Prereq: A declared major or minor in environmental studies, ES 101 or 102 and completion of the three breadth distribution requirements, or permission of the instructor. This course is only open to juniors and seniors. Dist: None |
| ES 307/BISC 307 Advanced Topics in Ecology w/Lab | Hughes (Biological Sciences) | Spring | 1.25 units | We live on an increasingly human-dominated planet. We must now take responsibility for and stewardship of Earth’s resources, both living and non-living, which we are changing at unprecedented rates. Our course covers terrestrial, fresh and saltwater habitats - their diversity and ecology, current status and sustainability, and the role of humanity in both their endangerment and salvation. We will examine the sources and importance of species diversity, and explore the often contentious issues of species and ecosystem preservation and conservation, the design of natural sanctuaries, and whether altered ecosystems can be managed and restored. Laboratory activities will include measurement of species diversity in soil and aquatic samples, successional dynamics, ephemeral habitat biology and ecology, geographic informational analysis, and an independent project. Students may register for either ES 307 or BISC 307 and credit will be granted accordingly. Prereq: BISC 201, BISC 210, or permission of instructor. Dist: Natural and Physical Science |
| ES 315/GEOS 315 Environmental Geochemisty w/Lab | Brabander (Geosciences) | Fall | 1.25 units | Accurately predicting the fate and transport of naturally occurring toxic elements and anthropogenic compounds in the environment requires a broad set of multidisciplinary skills. This course introduces geochemical approaches including mass balance, residence time, isotope fractionation, and thermodynamic and kinetic modeling necessary to fingerprint sources of pollutants and track them in water, soil, and plants. These fundamentals will be explored in several classic case studies and in semester-long geochemical research projects conducted by small groups. Laboratory. Normally offered in alternate years. Students may register for either ES 315 or GEOS 315 and credit will be granted accordingly. Prereq: One course above the 100-level in two of the following disciplines: geosciences, chemistry, biological sciences or environmental studies, or permission of the instructor. Dist: Natural and Physical Science or Mathematical Modeling |
| ES 381/POL1 381 United States Environmental Politics | Not offered in 2007-08 | 1.0 unit | This course examines the politics of environmental issues in the United States. The course has two primary goals: First, to introduce students to the institutions, stakeholders, and political processes important to debates over environmental policy at the federal level. Second, to develop and practice skills of analyzing and making decisions relevant to environmental politics and policy. Drawing on the literature of environmental politics and policy, this course will consider how environmental issues are framed in political discourse, various approaches to environmental advocacy and reform, and the contested role of science in environmental politics. The course will be organized around environmental case studies, including endangered species conservation, public lands management, air and water pollution, and toxics regulation. Prereq: ES 101 or 102, or POL1 200, or permission of the instructor. Dist: Social and Behavioral Analysis |
| Individual Study ES 250 or 350 (Research or Individual Study) can be advised by any member of the advisory faculty in environmental studies. They may count towards the area of concentration. A half-unit course may only count as credit towards the major when combined with another half-unit course. Only two units of independent study may be counted towards the major. ES350 courses may not be used to fulfill the minimum requirement that two electives be at the 300-level. |
| ES 250 Research or Individual Study | Fall and Spring | 1.0 unit | Prereq: Permission of instructor, ordinarily limited to students who have completed at least three units toward their major. Dist: None |
| ES 250H Research or Individual Study | Fall and Spring | 0.5 unit | Prereq: Permission of instructor, ordinarily limited to students who have completed at least three units toward their major. Dist: None |
| ES 350 Research or Individual Study | Fall and Spring | 1.0 unit | Prereq: Permission of instructor, ordinarily limited to students who have completed at least five units toward their major. Dist: None |
| ES 350H Research or Individual Study | Fall and Spring | 0.5 unit | Prereq: Permission of instructor, ordinarily limited to students who have completed at least five units toward their major. Dist: None |
| ES 360 Senior Thesis Research | Fall and Spring | 1.0 unit | Prereq: By permission of the advisory faculty. See Honors in Environmental Studies. Dist: None |
| ES 360 Senior Thesis | Fall and Spring | 1.0 unit | Prereq: ES 360 and permission of the department. Dist: None |
Maintained by: Jay Turner