ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES: COURSES
58-100. Introduction to Environmental Studies
This course introduces concepts, issues, and practices of Environmental Studies, emphasizing social, political, cultural, ethical, and ecological interactions between nature and society and involves concepts and research strategies from across the social and physical sciences. Topics may include conservation and development, forestry management, desertification and agricultural sustainability, energy production and use, the politics and science of global climate change, and the role of geographic scale in framing environmental problems. (Open only to students in the BES program.)
58-110. Humans and the Environment
Humans use energy and resources from our natural surroundings to live, and to develop our societies and cultures. This use has an impact on other animals and plants, and on the air, water, and land. Our impact is now so great that we are in danger of depleting or destroying many of the natural systems on which we depend. This course examines our relationship with the environment: the impact of our activities on the environment, and the natural world’s impact on us. Key concepts for understanding this relationship are developed through a survey of current environmental issues, which may include topics such as: resources and sustainability, energy, population growth, globalization, urbanization, food and agriculture, and climate change. (May not be used to fulfill the major requirements for the B.E.S. degree.) (Can be taken as a Social Science option.)(Three lecture hours per week)
58-210. Canadian Regional Environments
Canada is a complex and varied nation. The environmental issues that concern each region of the country are also complex and varied. This course surveys the dominant environmental issues and impacts in each region of Canada, and explores the reasons for the regional variation through a variety of lenses: its physical landscape, its resource opportunities and challenges, its historical settlement patterns and economic development, and its social, cultural, and demographic structure. This context is used to develop an understanding of current environmental news and events across the country. (Can be taken as a Social Science option.) (Three lecture hours per week.)
58-499. Environmental Studies Research Project
Each student will be required to carry out an original research project in environmental studies and write a report under the supervision of one of more faculty members. The research topic can be in an area relevant to Environmental Studies (e.g., physical geography, sociology, philosophy, political science, etc.) Or be interdisciplinary. (Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the BES program with semester 7 or 8 standing, and with a minimum major average of 73%. Students must consult with an Environmental Studies Coordinator and an appropriate faculty supervisor prior to enrolling in the course.) (6.0 credit hour course which counts as two courses, 2 semester course.)