The course covers the ecological basis for six broadly defined
environmental challenges threatening to undermine even the
loosest definition of a sustainable future for humankind.  These
include (1) Population Growth, how it is measured, what the
future trajectory of human population is, and why population
growth poses serious threats to the ability of the natural world
to provide clean air and clean water to burgeoning human
populations.  (2) Basic Ecological Principles, including
photosynthesis, predation and competition.  The course also
explores the ecological role of disturbance and life history
characteristics on the adaptive limits of animal and plant
populations.  (3) Global Climate Change, including issues of
global warming, ozone pollution, and hurricane frequency. 
Considerable time is spent on the power and limitations of
predictive climatological models.  (4)  Biodiversity, including
issues pertaining to evolution and extinction, and to the goods
and services provided to human societies by intact ecosystems. 
(5) Pollution of Air and Water, including information on the
water crisis, pesticides, and nuclear waste.  (6) Environmental
Ethics.  Almost all issues surrounding modern science and 
debates relating to the creation of a sustainable future are 
value laden.
We try to teach critical thinking skills and the scientific
method as a way to introduce facts into an arena in which
information and logic is often completely lacking.  We use
current environmental issues (global and local) to emphasize the
importance of the scientific information being studied.  No one
ever leaves this class wondering what the relevance of the 
course content is to their own lives or to the well-being of 
future generations.

I.  Introduction: Course organization and goals	
II. Population Growth
     a.	Population Growth 1:  Measuring population size
     b.	Population Growth 2:  Exponential Growth
     c.	Population Growth 3:  Limits to Growth
     d.	Population Growth 4:  Population trends in two Georgias
III.Ecological Principles
     a.	Ecological Principle 1:  Photosynthesis
     b.	Ecological Principle 2:  Disturbance and Competition
     c.	Ecological Principle 3:  r & K  Selection
IV.Global Climate Change
     a.	Global Climate Change 1:  Global Warming
     b.	Global Climate Change 2:  Coral Bleaching & Ocean       
       Temperatures
     c.	Global Climate Change 3:  Ozone
     d.	Global Climate Change 4:  Hurricanes
     e.	Global Climate Change 5:  War and the environment
V.Biodiversity
     a.	Old Growth Forests
     b.	Biodiversity 1:  Evolution and Extinction
     c.	Biodiversity 2:  Why preserve mother nature
     d.	Biodiversity 3:  Examples of how to get it right
VI.Water
     a.	Water Resources 1:  The water crisis
     b.	Water Resources 2:  River of Grass / Color of the Ocean
VII.Pollution
     a.	Pesticides
VIII.Energy
     a.	Energy 1
     b.	Energy 2: “The Day After Tomorrow”
     c.	Energy 3:  Chernobyl
IX.Environmental Ethics
     a.	The Effects of Naval Bombardment on Vieques, P.R.
     b.	Human Evolution & Genetically Modified Crops
     c.	What’s Killing Florida’s Coral Reefs
     d.	Whales
     e.	Native Peoples and the Environmental Ethic