SPRING 2014 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:
- EC 104E Introduction to Microeconomics
- ES 221 Sustainable Development
- EN 229 Literature and the Environment
- GO 231 Environmental Policy and Planning
Cluster A Courses:
- AN 352C Ancient Ecosystems Engineers
- EC 104E Introduction to Microeconomics
- EC 316 Economics of Development
- EN 229 Literature and the Environment
- ES 221 Sustainable Development
- ES 352C Environment and Development in the Middle East
- ES 352C Human Rights and Development
- ES 352D Environmental Education
- ES 352D Environment and Systems Thinking
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- GO 231 Environmental Policy and Planning
- HI 264 The American West
- HI 280 Science and Nature in the Renaissance
- IA 101 Introduction to International Affairs
- RE 225 Religion and Ecology
Cluster B1 Courses:
- BI 152 Ecology of the Adirondacks
- ES 252D The Engineering and Ecology of Energy
- GE 112 Oceanography
- GE 211 Climatology
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 106 Chemical Principles II
Core Courses:
- ES 206 Watershed Assessment
Cluster A Courses:
- AN 352C Ancient Ecosystem Engineers
- EC 104E Introduction to Microeconomics
- EC 316 Economics of Development
- EN 229 Literature and the Environment
- ES 221 Sustainable Development
- ES 352C Environment and Development in the Middle East
- ES 352C Human Rights and Development
- ES 352D Environmental Education
- ES 352D Environment and Systems Thinking
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- GO 231 Environmental Policy and Planning
- HI 264 The American West
- HI 280 Science and Nature in the Renaissance
- IA 101 Introduction to International Affairs
- RE 225 Religion and Ecology
Cluster B2 Courses:
- BI 252 Evolutionary Biology
- BI 316 Animal Behavior
- BI 327 Conversation Ecology
- BI 351 Microbial Biotechnology and Environmental Application
- CH 222 Organic Chemistry II
- ES 252D The Engineering and Ecology of Energy
- GE 301 Hydrogeologic Systems
- GE 316 Stratigraphy
Capstone:
- ES 375 Environmental Studies Research Capstone
Methods:
- ID 210 Introduction to GIS
- MS 104 Introduction to Statistics
COURSES FOR THE ES MINOR
Foundation Courses:
- ES 100 Environmental Concerns in Perspective
- ES 206 Watershed Assesssment
Cluster A Courses:
- AN 352C Ancient Ecosystem Engineers
- EC 104E Introduction to Microeconomics
- EC 316 Economics of Development
- EN 229 Literature and the Environment
- ES 221 Sustainable Development
- ES 352C Environment and Development in the Middle East
- ES 352C Human Rights and Development
- ES 352D Environmental Education
- ES 352D Environment and Systems Thinking
- EX 131 Introduction to Public Health
- GO 231 Environmental Policy and Planning
- HI 264 The American West
- HI 280 Science and Nature in the Renaissance
- IA 101 Introduction to International Affairs
- RE 225 Religion and Ecology
Cluster B1 Courses:
- BI 152 Ecology of the Adirondacks
- ES 252D The Engineering and Ecology of Energy
- GE 112 Oceanography
- GE 211 Climatology
SPECIAL TOPICS COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:
AN 352C Ancient Ecosystem Engineers - Instructor: M. Kroot
Humans have been shown to consistently transform the environment for their own benefit. However, humans can also frequently be blind to many of the unintended negative consequences of such interventions. This course will look at anthropological case-studies of human-environment interactions in the past to understand how human practices have been shaping ecosystems for millennia. These studies range in time from the end of the last ice age over 10,000 years ago to the ethnographic present and across such diverse regions as North America, the Amazon, the Middle East, and Australia. It will primarily use archaeological methods as well as ethnographic, historical, and paleo-environmental data to show how new and frequently surprising examples of human ecosystem engineering in the past have been identified. Prerequisites: AN-101 and AN-102, or ES-100 and one anthropology course.
BI 152 Ecology of the Adirondacks - Instructor: Erika 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.
BI 351 Microbial Biotechnology and Environmental Application - Instructor: Sylvia
McDevitt
An advanced exploration of the seemingly unlimited variety of microbial metabolic
activity and its possible applications. Students will study the metabolic processes
in bacteria and how our understanding of these processes can be applied in microbial
biotechnology. Linking physiology, basic genetics and microbial diversity, we will
discuss the use of microbes in areas like bioremediation, bio-fuel production, plant
biotechnology, as well as vaccine and antibiotic development. Prerequisite: BI106 and one 200-level BI or ES course.
ES 252D The Engineering and Ecology of Energy - Instructor: Julien Bouget
Energy is at the center of our lives. Although it is a necessity for many of our
daily needs such as cooking, heating, and transportation, the excessive consumption
of energy is unsustainable. Environmental awareness requires considerations about
energy, but it is challenging to understand and quantify the advantages and disadvantages
of an energy option, solution or technology. Energy choices should be based on a balance
between engineering challenges, cost constraints, and environmental impacts. Keeping
this in mind, we'll explore the world of energy, from energy efficiency to sustainable
energy sources. This class will introduce students to the fundamental physics of
energy; the evolving designs, technologies and efficiencies of more traditional and
alternative energy production; and the comprehensive ecological impacts of various
energy sources and systems such as Solar, Wind, Hydro, and Biomass. This class will
also provide students with the analytical tools to seek and find answers to a myriad
of questions about energy, from the big-picture to specific details.
Course work includes a mid-term and final term examinations, individual and group
case studies, a final written assignment as well as some workshops, labs, and field
trips. The class shall be a dynamic interaction between the instructor and the students.
I expect students to come up with their own questions relevant to the subject and
seek out the answers (case studies) under the instructor's guidance. Prereqs. ES 100 and QR1.
ES 352C Environment and Development in the Middle East - Instructor: N. Atalan Helicke
The Middle East immediately brings to mind religious and political complexities.
However, Middle Eastern nations also face distinctive environmental and development
challenges. In this class, students will study the natural and human environment
in the Middle East, addressing major development and environmental topics such as
the impacts of oil and other natural resource use; modernization and large dam projects;
population growth and access to water, energy and food; and climate change and transboundary
environmental issues. Students will explore the complex and interdisciplinary characteristics
of Middle East environmental issues at both the regional and global scales through
the examination of case studies from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon,
Israel, Jordan, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates.
The course work includes an exam, a research project, individual and group work on
case studies. Prerequisite: Familiarity with international policy making and world geography; permission from
the instructor. Fulfills the Nonwestern requirement
ES 352C Human Rights and Development - Instructor: N. Atalan Helicke
Human rights and development have evolved largely in separate tracks historically.
However, we observe convergence between these fields in theory, applied research and
practice. Many bilateral and multilateral aid organizations, non‐governmental organizations
and development workers now profess to implement “rights‐based approaches” to development.
These re‐orientations have been warmly embraced in some, but not by all, quarters.
This course will critically examine the convergence between human rights and development,
through a mix of lectures, group‐work discussions and practical exercises. The course
will explore the contemporary conceptions and meanings of human rights and development,
laying the ground for a more detailed examination of the points of convergence ‐ as
well as tensions ‐ between these fields. We will consider how international human
rights standards and principles have influenced technical approaches of development
agencies, and key public policy debates concerning international aid, trade, the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), poverty reduction strategies, climate change and anti‐globalisation
critiques. We will closely examine the roles and functions of United Nations development
agencies, international development and financial institutions including the World
Bank and International Monetary Fund, transnational corporations and business entities,
set against political debates on human rights and development in inter‐governmental
bodies.
This is a separate class from GO 340, The International Human Rights Regime: Promise
and Peril. Students who have taken EC316, Economics of Development, and GO 340 are
welcome to take the class. Prerequisites: IA 101 or GO 103 or GO 201 or ES 100.
ES 352D Environmental Education - Instructor: AJ Schneller
Do you have a deep appreciation for environmental protection and a genuine concern
about environmental problems that will affect the Earth and future generations for
years to come? Maybe you also feel the need to share this positive passion for the
environment with children, your friends, and interested members of the community?
Then it's very possible that YOU should explore the field of environmental learning,
and how to become an effective environmental educator! This course will especially
be of interest to future teachers, non-formal environmental educators and advocates,
and students interested in outreach, education, and communications for the non-profit
and government sector. Students will learn about the history and current state of
environmental learning in the US, as well as the various pedagogical tools, programs,
and resources that are available for the global dissemination of environmental learning.
We’ll explore the innovations and philosophies behind experiential and authentic environmental
learning; sustainability education; research on environmental learning (knowledge,
perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors); environmental service learning; earth education;
emancipatory education; critical pedagogy; and issues investigation and action training
(IIAT), etc. Students will research and critique existing environmental education
programs as well as undertake a partnership with a local school, outdoor education
center, National, State, or City Park, youth organization, hospital, non-profit organization,
etc. in order to design and implement an age appropriate, innovative, and inspirational
environmental learning unit. Students will be required to take one mid-term examination,
take quizzes, as well as submit various written assignments.
ES 352D Environment and Systems Thinking - Instructor: S. Brown
Most if not all environmental problems are “complex” in their nature. Air pollution, watershed degradation, waste mismanagement, habitat destruction, and global warming are just some of the problems that typically involve the interaction of many variables, time scales, and even perspectives, frustrating our attempts to understand, let alone address, them using conventional analytic approaches. Ironically, in many cases, environmental policies have compounded the problems they were designed to fix. As they tackle issues such as environmental risk communication and management, new environmental governance approaches are beginning to take into account complexity using ideas and tools that fall under the heading ‘systems thinking. New This course introduces students to the basic concepts and methods of complex systems thinking which are currently redefining environmental science, policy, and governance. Through readings and classroom discussion of works by some of the field’s leading proponents, students will learn precepts of the “systems approach,” with its emphasis on relations, and how this approach differs from the more conventional focus on entities and quantities. Applying these concepts, students will then survey problems currently being posed by complex systems research within the field of environmental studies, including socio-ecological systems coupling, cusp catastrophes, resilience, and sustainability. Students will also get a broad overview of systems modeling methods ranging from qualitative techniques (including storytelling) to computational modeling. Case studies will illustrate how systems concepts and methods have been applied to environmental problems, including those afflicting our urban areas. The course culminates with a research project where students will build a rudimentary model of an environmental problem with the aim of identifying potential leverage points for bringing about system change. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to reflect on both the advantages and limitations of modeling and the role modeling should play in environmental decision-making. Participation in class discussions is crucial to success in the course. Assignments include weekly reading digests, collaborative in-class exercises, and a research project. Prerequisites ES 100 or the permission of the instructor.
