Environmental Studies Program

This course is an introduction to the discipline of environmental studies. A multidisciplinary, international view of human responsibility toward the natural world will be emphasized, focusing on significant contemporary environmental issues. Topics to be covered include environmental literature (both historical and current), economic and ethical environmental concerns, scientific methods of assessment and analysis of environmental problems, and possible solutions to representative environmental problems. The laboratory/recitation section will be utilized for field trips, guest lectures, demonstrations, and discussions. This course is a prerequisite for all upper-level courses entitled environmental studies. The course should be completed by the end of the sophomore year if it is going to be counted toward the major.

Exploration of the variety of past human societies and cultures through archaeology, with an emphasis upon the interplay between environment and culture. The course covers a wide time span, from the biological evolution of hominids and the origins of culture to the development of complex civilizations and the more recent historical past. (Also ANT 107)

An introductory course focusing on the chemical dimensions of current environmental problems such as global warming, ozone depletion, water and soil contamination, and non-renewable fuel consumption. Fundamental principles of chemical bonding, equilibrium and kinetics are studied as they arise in connection with each environmental issue. Inter-disciplinary aspects are explored to further understand the multiple dimensions of the problems. Intended for students planning to major outside the sciences. Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory each week. (Also CHE 110)

This course investigates the composition, structure, and dynamics of the solid Earth. The course reviews prominent theories for the origin of matter, the accretion and differentiation of the planets, and the structure of the Earth's interior. The role of plate tectonics in driving the exchange of matter and energy between Earth systems is a central theme of the course, providing the theoretical context for understanding geological phenomena such as seismic activity, volcanism and mountain building. The course is designed to provide the necessary scientific and intellectual background for understanding a wide range of Earth phenomena, and to give students a greater appreciation for the origin and evolution of their planet. Includes three lecture-hours per week plus lab. (Also PHY 140)

A study of the chemical reactions controlling the cycling of both natural chemical species and anthropogenic pollutants in the water, soil and air environments of our earth system. The chemical processes operating in the natural environment, including acid-base, complexation, redox, photochemical and biotic degradation phenomena are examined. Intermittently throughout the course, the chemistry underlying current issues of water, soil and air pollution, focusing on nutrient, metal and organic contaminants are studied. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory each week. Prerequisite: Chemistry 112. (Also CHE 210)

This summer course will investigate the complex ecology of the Bermuda Islands, the impact that human habitation has had on their natural history, and current environmental concerns and means of mitigating those concerns. Major areas of study will include (but not be limited to) coral reef ecology/symbioses, mangrove community ecology and environmental relevance, architectural and military influences during colonization, fisheries practices (past, present and future) and current concerns and problems, and ecotourism and associated environmental impacts.(Also BIO 221) Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 101, or Biology 111-112, or permission of the instructor.

This three-week-long summer course, offered in conjunction with the Universitad San Francisco de Quito, will investigate many of the world's most distinctive species of plants, animals, and marine life that inhabit the richly diverse ecosystems of Ecuador. In addition to learning about natural history in one of the most species-rich countries in the world, students will gain an understanding of Ecuador's social and economic issues and the challenges it faces as a developing country while attempting to conserve its natural resources. Topics investigated include (but are not limited to) conflict between conservation of the Amazon rain forest and oil exploration, the ecotourism debate, deforestation and biodiversity concerns, shrimp farming versus mangrove conservation and the fate of Galapagos tortoises and the Galapagos fisheries. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 101 or permission of the instructor.

An examination of prehistoric and historic societies in the Chesapeake Region. Archaeological, historical, and environmental evidence is used to understand cultural development and the relationships between people and their environment. Topics include the arrival of humans in the region, Native American groups, colonial settlement in the Tidewater, and the 19th Century. (Also ANT 137)

The study of scientific principles and methods in archaeology, with special emphasis upon earth sciences. Environmental reconstruction and site formation processes will be explored, along with methodologies such as remote sensing, geophysical prospecting, soil science, palynology, floral and faunal analysis, and radiometric dating. Pleistocene and post-Pleistocene geomorphology and environmental change in the Chesapeake will be examined, with field trips to local sites and local research projects. (Also ANT 308.) Prerequisite: Anthropology 208, Environmental Studies 101, or permission of instructor.

On-campus courses currently available in this category are offered by the Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Psychology Departments. The course is comprised of a ten-week summer project guided by a faculty member. The student and the faculty mentor develop a research project, supported by a reading list and involving theoretical laboratory or field investigations supervised by the faculty mentor. Participants will produce a final report detailing the findings of their research.

This is an interdisciplinary special topics course that extensively examines any number of current environmental issues utilizing both texts and original sources. The course is available to junior and senior Environmental Studies majors only.

A number of these have recently been offered. Students have received academic credit for summer work carried out at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, The Wildfowl Trust of North America, The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and the Joint Cooperative National Marine Fisheries Service/Maryland Department of Natural Resources Laboratory at Oxford, Maryland. Available to declared Environmental Studies majors only. Not open to first-year students. Internships receiving academic credit must first be approved by the Director of the Program.

Courses in this category are currently available in most disciplines. The course consists of an individualized research project chosen by the student in consultation with a faculty member. The student will, with the help of the faculty mentor, design a project to be implemented during the course of the semester. The student will conduct an appropriate literature search, carry out the research, and submit a written report by the end of the semester.

This course examines the basic processes operating in the physical environment and the resulting resource base, with particular reference to South Africa. Offered at Rhodes University Geography Department.

This course examines the relationship between people and the environment in two very different ways. The first part of the course looks at both rural and urban environments in sub-Saharan Africa; the second part examines how geographic information systems can be used in environmental management. Note: this course may not be taken with Education 311. Offered at Rhodes University Geography Department