SPRING 2016 COURSES
Courses for the ES Major: Social and Cultural Perspectives Track
Courses for the ES Major: Environmental Science Track
Courses for the ES Minor
Special Topics Course Descriptions
COURSES FOR THE ES MAJOR
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES TRACK
Foundation Courses:
- ES 100 Environmental Concerns in Perspective
Core Courses:
- ES 221 Sustainable Development
- GO 231 Environmental Policy and Planning
- ES 224 Political Ecology
Cluster A Courses:
- ES 221 Sustainable Development
- ES 352D Regenerative Urban Ecologies
- ES 352C US Public Lands & Oceans
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- FS 363 Beyond Saving the Rainforest
- GO 231 Environmental Policy and Planning
- GW 210 Ecofeminism, Women, and the Environment
- HI 116H Sea Changes: A History of the World's Oceans
- HI 267 American Indian History
- IA 101 Introduction to International Affairs
- MB 351C Sustainable Planet-An Exploration of Energy, Consumption, Food and Sacrifice
- RE 225 Religion and Ecology
- SO 326 Social Theories of the Environment
Cluster B1 Courses:
- BI 152 Topics in Biology: Ecology of the Adirondacks
- GE 101 Earth System Science
- GE 102 The History of Earth, Life and Global Change
- GE 251C The Coastal Ocean
- GE 305 Introduction to Remote Sensing of the Earth
Capstone:
- ES 375 Environmental Studies Research Capstone
Methods:
- EC 237 Statistical Methods
- ID 210 Introduction to GIS
- MS 104 Introduction to Statistics
- SO 226 Statistics for the Social Sciences
- SO 227 Social Research Methods
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TRACK
Foundation Course:
- ES 100 Environmental Concerns in Perspective
Disciplinary Foundation Courses:
- BI 106 Biological Sciences II
- CH 125 Principles of Chemistry
- GE 101 Earth System Science
Core Courses:
- ES 206 Watershed Assessment
Cluster A Courses:
- ES 221 Sustainable Development
- ES 352D Regenerative Urban Ecologies
- ES 352C US Public Lands & Oceans
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- FS 363 Beyond Saving the Rainforest
- GO 231 Environmental Policy and Planning
- GW 210 Ecofeminism, Women, and the Environment
- HI 116H Sea Changes: A History of the World's Oceans
- HI 267 American Indian History
- IA 101 Introduction to International Affairs
- MB 351C Sustainable Planet-An Exploration of Energy, Consumption, Food and Sacrifice
- RE 225 Religion and Ecology
- SO 326 Social Theories of the Environment
Cluster B2 Courses:
- BI 239 Parasitology, Epidemiology and Public Health
- BI 352 Tropical Ecology
- BI 351 Global Change Biology
- CH 221 Organic Chemistry I
- CH 222 Organic Chemistry II
- CH 232 Analytical Methods in Chemistry
- ES 206 Watershed Assessment
- ES 352D Restoration Ecology
- EX 242 Principles of Nutrition
- GE 251C The Coastal Ocean
- GE 305 Introduction to Remote Sensing of the Earth
- GE 320 Global Biochemical Cycles
Capstone:
- ES 375 Environmental Studies Research Capstone
Methods:
- EC 237 Statistical Methods
- ID 210 Introduction to GIS
- MS 104 Introduction to Statistics
- SO 226 Statistics for the Social Sciences
- SO 227 Social Research Methods
COURSES FOR THE ES MINOR
Foundation Courses:
- ES 100 Environmental Concerns in Perspective
- ES 206 Watershed Assessment
Cluster A Courses:
- ES 221 Sustainable Development
- ES 352D Regenerative Urban Ecologies
- ES 352C US Public Lands & Oceans
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- FS 363 Beyond Saving the Rainforest
- GO 231 Environmental Policy and Planning
- GW 210 Ecofeminism, Women, and the Environment
- HI 116H Sea Changes: A History of the World's Oceans
- HI 267 American Indian History
- IA 101 Introduction to International Affairs
- MB 351C Sustainable Planet-An Exploration of Energy, Consumption, Food and Sacrifice
- RE 225 Religion and Ecology
- SO 326 Social Theories of the Environment
Cluster B1 Courses:
- BI 152 Topics in Biology: Ecology of the Adirondacks
- GE 101 Earth System Science
- GE 102 The History of Earth, Life and Global Change
- GE 251C The Coastal Ocean
- GE 305 Introduction to Remote Sensing of the Earth
SPECIAL TOPICS COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:
BI 152 Topics in Biology: Ecology of the Adirondacks Instructor: E. Schielke
An introduction to the basic principles of ecology through the lens of the Adirondacks. We will explore the habitats of the Adirondack region, how organisms adapt to these environments, how they interact with one another, and the flow of energy and nutrients through these systems. Particular emphasis will be paid to the way in which environmental issues such as acid rain, invasive species, and climate change affect the ecology of the Adirondacks. Students will become comfortable interpreting and applying findings from the scientific literature, and analyzing coverage of ecology and environmental issues in the popular media. We will focus on interpreting and presenting ecological data, and communicating research findings to the scientific community and the public. Pre-requisite: QR1
BI 239 Parasitology, Epidemiology and Public Health Instructor: J. Ness
Explores the intersecting central tenets of Parasitology, Epidemiology, and Public Health and exploits their commonalities to better understand the dynamics of antagonistic networks. The overarching topics, methodologies and conclusions of this trio have a variety of applications that include, but are not limited to, veterinary and human medicine, agriculture, and conservation. Furthermore, the trio are essentially ecological disciplines (i.e., focusing on organism – organism and organism-environment interactions) that are practiced using a variety of hierarchical frames (sub-cellular to landscapes and social networks). As a consequence, this course is an opportunity for students to gain, share and merge knowledge from these disciplinary frames. In addition, the course contrasts the insights, opportunities, and methodologies particular to correlative studies, manipulative experiments, in-silico experiments, and meta-analyses, and is grounded in an analysis of current published research. Pre-requisites: BI105 and BI106.
BI 328: Global Change Biology Instructor J. Ness
Explores five major facets of recent, ongoing global change and their interaction as they relate to living organisms in their current and emerging environments. These are: 1) the redistribution of greenhouse gases and limiting nutrients, 2) climate change, 3) urbanization and associated novel contaminants, 4) habitat fragmentation, and 5) the redistribution of biodiversity. Students will study ongoing change in terrestrial, marine, and freshwater environments; explore responses by microbes, protists, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates, as well as the processes that link the taxa; and make significant use of predictive and descriptive quantitative models. Prerequisites: BI 106 and any two 200-level biology courses except BI 299 or BI 275. ES 205 or ES206 may be substituted for one of the 200-level Biology courses.
ES 352C US Public Land and Oceans: Policy, Management, and Current Events Instructor: AJ Schneller
Public lands and oceans are our natural and national heritage. State and federal agencies manage, and at times mismanage, public lands and oceans for their diverse recreational, wilderness, resource, economic, ecosystem, watershed, range, and wildlife values. Through case studies and issue investigation, this class will examine the policies, laws, philosophies; the social, cultural, religious, economic, political interests; and the science that influence the management of state and federally owned public resources. We will explore active stakeholders in the public lands and oceans policy arena, which include a diversity of advocates, agencies, tribes, non-governmental organizations, researchers, and industries. This class will include special guest speakers, films, and field trips. Students will take a participatory role in current environmental policy and resource management decisions by offering written comments through the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and Letters to the Editor of newspapers. Students will also work in pairs on a semester-long Issue Investigation and Action Research Project that includes a research paper and oral presentation as well as take an in class midterm examination. Prerequisites: ES 100 or the permission of the instructor.
ES 352D Restoration Ecology Instructor: Wendy Mahaney
Human societies depend on ecosystem services such as maintenance of water quality and soil fertility, climate regulation, and providing vital natural resources. However, the ability of an ecosystem to provide those services is often affected by human actions, policies, and cultural viewpoints. This course is intended as a broad overview of restoration ecology; we will examine factors leading to the degradation of ecosystems, the complex ecological/social/political aspects associated with restoration, and evaluation of restoration success. The entire process of ecological restoration will be examined, including setting restoration goals, design, implementation, and evaluation. Topics include 1) basic ecological concepts, 2) valuation of lost ecosystem services and subsequent restoration, 3) social and political aspects of restoration, and 4) evaluation of restoration success.
ES 352D Regenerative Urban Ecologies: Tools and Concepts for Building Socially and
Environmentally Resilient Cities
(4 credits) Instructor: Scott Kellogg
As a greater number of Earth's population moves into cities, it is becoming increasingly
critical that we re-design our urban environments to be more sustainable: capable
of meeting the needs of their residents while simultaneously improving their ecological
and social health. Accomplishing this goal will become of dire importance as the complex
interplays of climate change, energy constraint, and economic inequality converge
upon us. This course will give students a toolkit of frameworks, methods, and strategies
for addressing these challenges, ranging from top down governance and policy approaches
to highly practical "hands-on" ecological technologies.
Topics discussed will include:
- New paradigms in sustainability studies: resilience, regenerative design, and the Anthropocene
- Cities as Complex Adaptive Socio-Ecological Systems: cyclical versus linear urban metabolisms
- Cross-scale interactions: grassroots to policy-based perspectives
- Urban agriculture and food security
- Biodiversity enhancement and reconciliation ecology in the city
- Waste to soil: composting, soil building, and bioremediation of toxins
- Blue urbanism: cities and their connection to the watershed
- Solar cities: energy transformations and increasing the adaptive capacity of the grid
- Resilient airsheds: addressing air pollution and climate in the urban atmosphere
- Teaching ecological literacy to urban youth
- Green jobs and equitable economies
This class will consist of a combination of lecture and discussion, site visits, and a participatory design component.
FS 363 Beyond Saving the Rainforest: Environment, Culture, and Communication in the
Spanish-Speaking World
Instructor: Oscar A. Pérez
This course will explore the complex relationship between environment and culture in Spanish America and Spain. In the first half of the semester, we will study the evolution of environmental thought in this region through the lens of artistic representations. By critically reading various texts (including short stories, theater, poetry, visual arts, etc.), students will be able to analyze the different ways that people in Spanish-speaking societies have perceived, thought about, and represented their relationship with the environment. In the second part of the semester, we will cover the foundations of environmental communication, rhetoric, and discourse, with special emphasis on the distinctive forms they take in the Spanish language. We will review some grammar, vocabulary, and frequent expressions used in genres of environmental communication and dissemination of scientific/environmental knowledge, including documentary film, environmental journalism, and research posters and presentations. Also, students will become familiar with databases of academic and non-academic publications in Spanish, such as RedALyC, Dialnet, Latindex, and SciELO, invaluable directories of works that look at the confluence of environmental, social, and cultural issues. The goal will be to encourage informed and contextualized conversations that lead to innovative and creative points of view and actions. Prerequisites: FS 208 or permission of the instructor.
GE 251C The Coastal Ocean Instructor: M. Estapa
An exploration of the physical, biological, and anthropogenic processes that impact marine environments extending from estuaries to the edge of the continental shelf. With the majority of the global human population living near a coastline, the rationale for studying coastal ocean dynamics has never been stronger. We will discuss topics such as river deltas, estuaries, beaches, coastal circulation, and nearshore marine ecosystems. An emphasis will be placed throughout the course on the ways humans interact with and impact the coastal ocean (e.g. pollution, eutrophication, coastal development, resource extraction) 3 credits. 3 hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: GE-101 or GE-112, or permission of the instructor.
GE 305 Introduction to Remote Sensing of the Earth Instructor: M. Estapa
An exploration of methods of remote sensing used in modern observations of Earth processes. The physical principles of remote sensing will be introduced within the context of key Earth systems such as the atmosphere, the cryosphere, and the terrestrial and ocean biospheres. We will explore topics such as vegetation cycles, weather observations, the atmospheric ozone layer, and digital elevation model development. Laboratory work and student projects will include manipulation and interpretation of remote imagery to classify ground cover, detect environmental change, and observe spatial and temporal patterns in Earth processes. 4 credits, 3 hours lecture/3 hours lab per week. Prerequisites: GE-101 (or concurrent enrollment in GE-101) and ID-210 (or approved GIS course); or permission of the instructor.
MB 351C Sustainable Planet - An Exploration of Energy, Consumption, Food and Sacrifice Instructor: C. Hill
Our energy infrastructure is aging, the fuel mix for electrical generation is changing, the way we consume resources is becoming untenable, the way we feed our growing population is becoming unsustainable, and the climate is warming - with devastating effect. Foreign governments, politicians, environmentalists and even the Pope are calling for change. In this course we will discuss how to effect fundamental change to support an economy, environment and world that focuses on a sustainable planet.
