Course Description
Introduction to the issues and practices related to sustaining functioning economic, social, cultural, and political systems as well as a supportive and healthy physical and biological environment.
Athena Title
Introduction to Sustainability
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in LAND 2310E
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Knowledge – A student successfully completing this course will demonstrate a clear understanding: - that science and scientific principles provide a critical underpinning for planning and design decisions. - of the consequences and interdependence of human activity and natural systems. - of the availability of environmental resources and the need to sustain them in the future. - of the environmental policies affecting the sustainability of the built environment. Skills – A student successfully completing this course will demonstrate the ability to: - anticipate the environmental impact of different land use and landscape design decisions. - critically evaluate environmental problems and solutions. - integrate information from a variety of sources and have an appreciation for interdisciplinary collaboration. Values – A student successfully completing this course will: - develop a land ethic. - recognize the value of services provided by intact ecosystems. - recognize and appreciate the local, regional, and global scale of environmental issues. - understand the social impact of environmental problems.
Topical Outline
METHODS Lecture, with lab assignments, readings, discussion, and campus field trips Course Outline - Introduction to Sustainability: Humanity and the Environment - The Evolution of Environmental Policy in the United States - Climate and Global Change - Biosphere - Physical Resources: Water, Pollution, and Minerals - Environmental and Resource Economics - Modern Environmental Management - Sustainable Energy Systems - Problem-Solving, Metrics, and Tools for Sustainability - Sustainability: Ethics, Culture, and History - Sustainable Infrastructure READINGS The required textbooks for the course are: 1. Theis, Tom and Tomkins, Jonathan, editors. 2012. Sustainability: A Comprehensive Foundation. Connexions. Rice University, Houston, Texas. Available online at: https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/96 2. Leopold, Aldo. 1949. A Sand County Almanac. Oxford University Press, Inc. Readings will be assigned primarily from the required text but may include various books, articles, and papers, as announced in weekly lectures. The material covered in readings will not necessarily be repeated in class but may be included in exams. If you have questions about the material in the readings, bring questions to the course instructor for discussion and clarification
Syllabus