Courses Offered
1. Humans and Nature in America
08W, 09W: 10
“The land was ours before we were the land’s,” Robert Frost wrote, summarizing in one line the history of American environmentalism. This course will look at the changing relation between Americans and their land over the past two centuries. Reading will include the journals of Lewis and Clark, and writings by Toni Morrison, Leslie Silko, Terry Tempest Williams and Edward Abbey. The course brings an interdisciplinary analysis to these writings, with an emphasis on appreciating the literary, scientific, social, and historical contexts that shape our view of nature.
Limited enrollment. Dist: LIT; WCult: W. Bolger, Osborne.
2. Introduction to Environmental Science
07F, 08F: 12
To understand current environmental problems, we need to study the physical, biological, chemical and social processes that are often the basis of those problems. This course will give the skills necessary to ask intelligent questions about—and perhaps obtain answers to—some of the environmental problems our planet is facing today by examining scientific principles and the application of those principles to environmental issues. This course will survey a variety of topics including pollution, biodiversity, energy use, recycling, land degradation, and human population dynamics. It is designed to introduce environmental science and environmental issues, topics which are explored in greater depth in other Environmental Studies courses. Dist: SCI. Friedland.
3. Environment and Society
08S, 09S: 12
An examination of the human sources of a variety of environmental problems and of human responses to environmental problems at the local, national, and international levels. The course will describe the actors in controversies over these problems and the institutions and rules which have so far been created to deal with the issues. The course will then proceed to the question: Will those current institutions and laws, originally devised to deal with the pollution of our natural environment, be able to resolve the more fundamental issues arising out of the increasing conflicts over land use, energy, food, and growth? Faculty from a number of different disciplines will participate. Dist: SOC. Howarth, Dorsey.
7. First-Year Seminars in Environmental Studies
Consult special listings
12. Energy and the Environment
08S, 09S: 10A
Energy, in a variety of forms, is a fundamental need of all societies. This course explores the scientific concepts and applications to society of the issues regarding energy extraction, conversions and use. It will examine the scientific basis for environmental and social concerns about our present energy mix including global climate change, toxic emissions and wastes from energy combustion, and nuclear proliferation. We will also consider choices that are made in the development and utilization of energy resources and the role of public policy. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 2 or permission of the instructor. Dist: TAS. Friedland.
15. From Pole to Pole: Environmental Issues of the Earth’s Cold Regions
08S, 09S: 10
The Earth’s high northern and southern latitudes share an extreme climate, but are vastly different in their histories, ecological systems and human cultures. Polar regions are increasingly under threat from climate change, resource extraction, and the loss of indigenous cultures. This course examines the major physical, ecological and human systems of high latitudes, including the circumpolar northern Arctic regions and the continent of Antarctica. Using an interdisciplinary perspective the course examines the science, societies, politics and policies that shape our viewpoints of major environmental issues facing cold regions. The connections of the polar regions to global processes and international issues (climate change, biodiversity, cultural preservation) will be emphasized.
Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 2 or 3 or permission of the instructor. Dist: TAS. Virginia.
20. Conservation of Biodiversity
08W: 2
On a global scale we are witnessing an unprecedented decline in what has come to be called Biodiversity. Human population growth, and increasing rates of material consumption and technological development have increased the rate and scale at which we impact populations of native animals and plants. One goal of the course will be to address the biological aspects of this issue. What is Biodiversity? How is Biodiversity distributed geographically and taxonomically? What does humankind do to cause animal and plant extinctions? Is there a Biodiversity crisis? What is the current rate of extinction and what is the natural extinction rate? What properties of individual species make them vulnerable to extinction? What are the major threats to Biodiversity? The second objective is to examine the social dimensions of Biodiversity. How do our cultural and political perceptions and institutions contribute to the loss of Biodiversity? What value is Biodiversity to humankind? What is being done to preserve Biodiversity in the realms of science, technology, and policy? These questions will be addressed through lecture material, course readings, and writing assignments.
Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 2 or Biology 16, or permission of the instructor. Dist: TAS. Bolger.
25. Ecological Agriculture
08X, 09X: 11, Laboratory Tuesday 9:00-12:00 or 1:00-4:00
This course will introduce the principles of ecological agriculture. Concepts from ecology and ecosystem science will be applied to the study of agriculture and the design of sustainable production systems. An introduction to soils and their management and controls on plant growth will be emphasized in the field and in the laboratory. Environmental issues associated with conventional and low-input agriculture will be considered. Visits to local farms and field exercises at the Dartmouth student organic farm will supplement the classroom material.
Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 2 or Biology 16 or permission of the instructor. Dist: TLA. Virginia.
28. Global Environmental Health
08S, 09S: 11
This course will focus upon the scientific and public health principles that govern environmental health outcomes at the individual to the global scale. Case studies will be used to illustrate the principles. Some of the issues that will be discussed include lead poisoning, mercury in the food web, the epidemic of tobacco use that is sweeping the world, the global movement of persistent organic pollutants, and natural contaminates in the human supply. These cases will increase in complexity with regards to causative agents and health outcomes. Lastly, trends of environmental diseases coupled with the prevention of these diseases will be emphasized.
Prerequisites: Environmental Studies 2 or Biology 16 or permission of the instructor. Dist: TAS. Roebuck.
30. Global Environmental Science
Not offered in the period from 07F through 09S
This course examines human influences on the major global biogeochemical cycles (water, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur). The emphasis is on understanding cycling processes in terrestrial (and, to a lesser extent, aquatic) systems and how human activities (e.g., air pollution, deforestation, desertification, changes in biodiversity) can disrupt these cycles, changing the ability of our global environment to support life. Important feedbacks between biological and physical processes and their effects on the atmosphere are emphasized. The response of natural and managed ecosystems to changing climate and resource availability will be discussed along with prospects for the future. The course also examines international science policies and programs to limit human interference in global cycling processes.
Prerequisite: Mathematics 3 or the equivalent, and Chemistry 5 (or Chemistry 3), and Environmental Studies 2, or the permission of the instructor. Dist: SCI.
39. Natural Resources, Development, and the Environment
08X, 09X: 10
How do countries develop their natural resources and also maintain environmental quality? How are water resources and food security maintained in the face of pressures for economic development? Using a multidisciplinary and comparative approach, this course explores the social, political, and scientific issues behind economic development and environmental preservation. Agricultural practices, resource conservation strategies, and tensions between development and conservation are interrogated. The course examines these issues in the historical, social, and political contexts of developed and developing countries, with an emphasis on the emerging nations of sub-Saharan Africa.
Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 2 or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor. Dist: SOC. Fox.
40. Foreign Study in Environmental Problems I
07F, 08F: D.F.S.P.
Natural Resources and Environmental Issues in Southern Africa. This course will examine the natural resource constraints and policy dilemmas faced by developing countries and the impacts of people on the environment. Topics will include land and water use, biodiversity and wildlife management, population and environmental health, agricultural practices and community dynamics, and development economics. These topics will be illustrated through field work at National Parks and safari areas, farming areas, and at community-based development projects. Dist: SOC. Shepherd, Mbora.
42. Foreign Study in Environmental Problems II
07F, 08F: D.F.S.P.
Social and Political Aspects of Development and Conservation in Southern Africa. This course will examine the historical, social, and political context of the interplay between resource use, economic development and environmental conservation in southern Africa. The impact of colonial and ethnic traditions and international institutions, on strategies for economic development, urban growth, wildlife management, ecotourism, resource conservation (especially water and soil) and land use will be discussed. Issues of gender in agricultural development and environmental protection will be considered. Dist: INT. Roebuck.
44. Environment and Politics in Southeast Asia (Identical to Geography 44)
07F, 08F: 2
Over the past several decades, the people and environments of Southeast Asia have confronted a host of political, economic and cultural processes commonly grouped together under the heading “development”. As witnessed by recent media reports detailing massive forest fires in Indonesia and dam controversies in Malaysia and Thailand, these development processes have resulted in drastic transformations in the landscapes, forests, and river systems of the region. These processes have likewise produced dramatic alterations in the livelihoods of the people who depend on and interact with the region’s ecological systems. Dist: SOC or INT; WCult: NW. Fox, Sneddon.
45. Colonialism, Development and the Environment in Asia and Africa (Identical to and described under History 75, pending faculty approval; also AAAS 50)
08W, 09S: 10
Open to all students. Dist: INT or SOC; WCult: NW. Hayes,
50. Environmental Problem Analysis and Policy Formulation
08S, 09S: 2
Students working together in groups will formulate and justify policy measures that they think would be appropriate to deal with a local environmental problem. The purposes of this coordinating course are to (1) give students an opportunity to see how the disciplinary knowledge acquired in their various courses and departmental major programs can be integrated in a synthetic manner; (2) provide a forum for an in-depth evaluation of a significant environmental policy problem; and (3) give students the experience of working as a project team toward the solution of a real-world problem. Considerable field work may be involved, and the final examination will consist of a public presentation and defense of student-generated policy recommendations.
Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 1, 2 or 3, and at least one upper-level Environmental Studies course, or permission of the instructor. Open only to seniors or to other classes with permission of the instructor. Satisfies the Culminating Experience requirement. Dist: SOC. Bolger.
52. Environmental Issues in Indian Country (Identical to Native American Studies 52)
08W, 09W: 10A
This course will explore a variety of approaches to studying environmental issues in Indian Country (in both the United States and Canada). While a number of academic disciplines will be investigated over the semester, students should form a synthetic understanding of the issues scholars face when taking on “Indian” and “environmental” issues in their studies. We will focus on three key issues: (1) The impact of the ‘invented’ Indian on understandings of Indigenous environmental practices, (2) The differences between Native and non-Native approaches to Indigenous environmental knowledge; (3) Resistances to colonialism and the maintenance of Indigenous knowledge within contemporary political and legal contexts. Open to all classes. Dist: SOC; WCult: NW. Ranco.
55. Natural Resource and Ecological Economics (Identical to Economics 55)
08W, 09W: 10
This course examines the use of economic concepts and methods in the management of natural resources and ecological systems. Topics including welfare economics, common pool resources, non-market valuation, and discounting procedures are developed and applied to problems such as fisheries management, forest management, and biodiversity conservation. The course explores the links between economic growth, resource depletion, and global environmental change and the use of economic and ecological indicators in measuring and achieving sustainable development. Emphasis is placed on both the disciplinary aspects of economic analysis and the role of economics in interdisciplinary problem-solving.
Prerequisites: Economics 1 and Mathematics 3 or the equivalent; Environmental Studies 2 or 3; or permission of the instructor. Dist: SOC. Howarth.
56. Environmental Economics, Policy and Management (Identical to Economics 56)
08S, 09S: 2
This course applies economic methods and concepts to issues of the environment, environmental policy analysis, and management. Topics include property rights, externalities, cost-benefit analysis, economic instruments for pollution control, and environmental policy and management applications (e.g. acid rain, global climate change, ozone, local air pollution, solid and hazardous waste). The course will combine lectures that introduce methods and concepts of environmental economics with classroom discussion of case studies.
Prerequisites: Economics 1 and Mathematics 3, or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor. Dist: SOC. Fisher-Vanden.
58. Environmental Justice Movements in the United States (Identical to Native American Studies 58)
07F, 08F: 10
This class will explore how communities of color have responded to the incidence, causes, and effects of environmental racism. Special attention will be given to how the critiques offered by these communities challenge the knowledge and procedural forms of justice embedded in environmental policy in the United States. Case studies will be drawn from readings on African-Americans, European-Americans, Chicano and Latino Americans, and Native Americans.
Open to all classes. Dist: SOC; WCult: CI. Ranco.
65. International Environmental Issues
08W, 09W: 10A
This course will examine key international environmental issues such as desertification, wildlife, fragile ecosystems, ocean issues, environmental health, and land use. The approach is from a social science, human ecology perspective. The United Nations Environment Programme will also be focused upon. Case histories will be drawn from the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, China, East Africa, and elsewhere. Readings will be from original materials and the current literature. Dist: INT. Dorsey.
72. Nature Writers
08S: 10A
This course combines reading, writing and field work to explore the breadth and richness of the Nature Writing genre. It will be a literature class that will expose you to a variety of nature writing forms; a field course, in which you will take to the field a number of times during the term to put yourself in the practical position of a nature writer; and a writing workshop in which you will write your own literary nature-related essays and critique each other’s pieces in class.
Enrollment is limited, and students interested in the course must apply. Applications will include a writing sample-a 3-page personal narrative based on a nature-related experience; the forms should be requested from the instructor. Applications are due on the last day of classes of winter term (the term before the class is offered), and students who are accepted will be informed on or before the first day of class. Dist: LIT; WCult: W. Osborne.
79. The Soil Resource (Identical to and described under Earth Sciences 79)
08S: 10A
Dist: SLA. Bostick.
80. Seminar in Environmental Studies
08S: 11, 2A
This course may be offered any term and the content varied according to the interests of the instructor. Seminars explore contemporary issues and problems in environmental science, environmental policy, and environmental topics from the humanities and social sciences. Seminars are primarily designed for juniors and senior but others may seek permission to enroll. Admission for all students requires the permission of the instructor. Dist: Varies.
In 08S at 11, Environmental History, Politics, Cultural and Ecological Changes. As present-day environmental problems and conflicts over resources become more and more complex, the need to understand the political, cultural, economic and technological circumstances under which problems have emerged and evolved over time—in short, their history—becomes increasingly important. This course focuses on the work of environmental historians writing within a variety of historical and geographical contexts, from environmental changes in eighteenth century New England to the millennia-long ecological histories of Africa, Latin America and Asia. Dist: INT or SOC. Sneddon.
In 08S at 2A, Integrated Assessment Modeling of Global Climate Change. Integrated assessment models which combine simplified representations of the socioeconomic determinants of greenhouse gas emissions, the atmosphere and oceans, and impacts on human activities and ecosystems have been used extensively to analyze the impacts of a warmer climate and possible mitigation policies. This seminar will examine the issues that modelers face when building integrated assessment models of global climate change. This course is modeling intensive and students will be required to complete a number of model building exercises.
Prerequisites: Mathematics 3 or the equivalent, or permission from the instructor. Dist: TAS. Fisher-Vanden.
84. Seminar on Environmental Issues of Southern Africa
07F, 08F: D.F.S.P.
This seminar will coordinate and supplement the material in courses and field work of the program, using guest speakers and student presentations. Students, working in small sub-groups, will undertake multidisciplinary studies of specific regional environmental issues in southern Africa. These projects will lead to a single major paper produced by the group on an environmental topic selected in consultation with the instructor. The paper will be -printed in a volume for use by future students and by interested individuals in the U.S. and in southern Africa. Satisfies the Culminating Experience requirement. WCult: NW. Roebuck.
89. Forest Biogeochemistry
Not offered in the period from 07F through 09S
This seminar will examine elemental cycling and related biogeochemical processes in terrestrial ecosystems with a strong focus on forests of the temperate and tropical zones. Emphasis will be placed on nutrient cycling, particularly the nitrogen cycle, and trace metal cycling, particularly lead. There will be some discussion of water dynamics in forests during the growing season and during winter.
Prerequisites: Environmental Studies 2 and 30; or Chemistry 5 (or 3) and an advanced course in ecology or earth sciences; or permission of the instructor. Dist: SCI.
90. Independent Study and Research
All terms: Arrange
Permission is required from the faculty whom the student will work and the Program Chair.
91. Thesis Research in Environmental Studies
Independent study of an environmental problem or issue under the supervision of a member of our staff. Open only to Environmental Studies majors. May be taken two terms, both for course credit, but can only count once toward the major. Credit requires completion of a suitable report. See description of the Honors Program in Environmental Studies.
Prerequisite: Permission of the faculty advisor.