ENVR 201 Class Schedule (Fall 2015)
The entries in the "Assigned Reading" column refer to readings covered in class. You are expected to read the references before class and prepare typed summaries (approximately one page) of each article, unless instructed otherwise. The references are available in electronic format, in which case a link is provided. This schedule is subject to change. Please refer to the assignments on Blackboard for the most current information.
| Date | Topic | Assigned Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 24 | Introduction to course. Overview of environmental studies. | Syllabus. Background: Vitousek et al., "Human Domination of Earth's Ecosystems" |
| Part I: Wilderness, Wildlife and Human Values | ||
| Aug 26 | Human attitudes toward nature | Reading 1 |
| Aug 28 | Historical development of attitudes towards nature in the US. The scientific conservation movement. | Readings 2-3 |
| Aug 31 | Conservation vs preservation. Case Study: Hetch Hetchy |
Readings 4-5 |
| Sept 2 | Public land use management | Taking Sides 2.1: 'Wild Lands' vs rural economies? |
| Sept 4 | The economic approach to the environment | Readings 7, 10 Background: Reading 8 |
| Sept 7 | The Land Ethic | Readings 16-17 |
| Sept 9 | Valuing ecosystem services | Taking Sides 1.3: Should we price ecosystem services? |
| Sept 11 | Case study: Rainforest destruction | Readings 11-12 |
| Sept 14 | Biological diversity and its loss | Reading 13 |
| Sept 16 | The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem health | Readings 14-15 |
| Sept 18 | The Endangered Species Act | Taking Sides 2.2: Does the ESA threaten species recovery, job creation, and economic growth? |
| Sept 21 | Part I: current events | Topics: biodiversity/extinction, public land policy |
| Sept 23 | TEST #1 | Old Tests |
| Part II: Human Pressure on Natural Resources | ||
| Sept 25 | Overview of natural resource depletion. Case study: Easter Island. | Reading 20 |
| Sept 28 | Human population growth | Readings 21-22 |
| Sept 30 | Overshoot and collapse | Summarize the movie "The Story of Stuff" (Trouble playing movie? Try going here.). Also helpful: an annotated script, and questions to consider. |
| Oct 2 | NO CLASS | Extra credit: Reading 23 |
| Oct 5 | The Technologists | Readings 24-25 |
| Oct 7 | Technologists vs Malthusians | Taking Sides 4.2: Does commercial fishing have a future? |
| Oct 9 | Common-pool resources | Readings 26-27 |
| Oct 12 | FALL BREAK | Enjoy the long weekend! |
| Oct 14 | Sustainable Development | Reading 28 |
| Oct 16 | Fossil Fuels | Taking Sides 3.3: Should we continue to rely on fossil fuels? |
| Oct 19 | Alternative Energy | Taking Sides 3.5: Is renewable energy green? (summary only, entire section) |
| Oct 21 | Food production | Readings 33-34 Extra credit: Reading 35 |
| Oct 23 | Synthetic organic pesticides | Readings 36-37 |
| Oct 26 | Sustainable agriculture | Taking Sides 4.3: Does the world need high-tech agriculture? |
| Oct 28 | Part II: current events | Topics: resource limits, energy sources, food production |
| Oct 30 | NO CLASS | UR President Inauguration |
| Nov 2 | TEST #2 | Old Tests |
| Part III: Effects of Chemical Pollution | ||
| Nov 4 | Case study: Love Canal | Reading 39 |
| Nov 6 | Environmental carcinogens and endocrine disruptors | Readings 41-42 |
| Nov 9 | Science and policy: risk assessment | Uncertainty as Information; Communicating Uncertainty in the Science of Climate Change Extra credit: Reading 43 |
| Nov 11 | The precautionary principle | Taking Sides 1.1: Do we need the precautionary principle? |
| Nov 13 | Overview of air quality problems | Air Quality Questions to answer before class (instead of a summary sheet) |
| Nov 16 | Air pollution mortality. Case studies: the PM controversy; killer smogs. | Readings 45-46. Background: A short summary on the PM/ozone controversy. |
| Nov 18 | Economic incentives for pollution control | Readings 47-48 |
| Nov 20 | Toxic waste sites. Superfund. | Taking Sides 5.3: Should agricultural wastes be exempt from Superfund requirements? |
| Nov 23 | Global climate change | Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis (summary for policy makers) |
| Nov 25-27 | NO CLASS | Enjoy turkey day! |
| Nov 30 | Environmental treaties. Case studies: Helsinki, Montreal, Kyoto | Reading 54. Background: UNEP, Action on Ozone |
| Dec 2 | Biogeoengineering | Taking Sides 3.2: Limits on geoengineering? |
| Dec 4 | Part III: current events | Topics: pollution effects/control, environmental treaties |
| Dec 8 (9am) |
TEST #3 (flexible scheduling) | Old Tests |