Introduction to Environment Studies: Home

This course is a basic introduction to environmental studies. Students will learn to apply various concepts in the biological, physical, social sciences and humanities in order to understand the causes and consequences of environmental problems facing the world today, and what can be done to address them. Students will also be encouraged to explore how these concepts and issues relate to their own lives, from both global and local perspectives. One weekend field trip is required.

The student will be able to:

1. Explain general concepts and principles in environmental science and their relationship to understanding and addressing local and global environmental problems;
2. Grasp the complexity of environmental issues in their real-world context, including their various economic, political, cultural and philosophical dimensions;
3. Explain the changing nature of our understanding of the environment and the effects of human actions on it;
4. Explain and evaluate the changing nature of public awareness and perception about environmental issues, from both historical and cross-cultural perspectives;
5. Explain and evaluate the changing nature of policies, laws and regulations that have developed to address the effects of human actions on the environment;
6. Explain the concept of sustainability and the importance of considering environmental, social and economic issues in order to arrive at long-term solutions to environmental and other problems                                                       
7. Employ the concepts and methods learned in class to conduct independent literature research and analysis into the causes and consequences of particular consumer products and behaviors;
8. Analyze and evaluate the behavior of individuals and institutions in terms of their intentions and consequences for the environment and society.
9. Analyze and evaluate solutions offered to address environmental problems