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Environmental Studies Courses

In the following course descriptions, L refers to courses with laboratory.

111-112-113. General Chemistry I, II, III (=Chem 111A-112A-113A). PQ: Good performance on the mathematics and physical sciences placement tests. This course fulfills the Common Core requirement in the physical sciences. A discussion of atomic and molecular theories, chemical periodicity, and types of chemical reaction is followed in the first quarter by the chemical importance of pressure and temperature, phase diagrams, and acid-base and heterogeneous equilibria. The second quarter studies the principles of chemical thermodynamics, with applications to chemical and biological systems and to phase equilibria and electrochemistry. In the third quarter, ideas of atomic structure and chemical bonding are studied along with the special features of liquids and solids and the chemistry of the representative elements. Laboratory work includes some quantitative measurements, the properties of the important elements and their compounds, and experiments associated with the common ions and their separation and identification by semi-micro methods. This sequence emphasizes the role of chemical and physical processes in the environment, especially in water and in the atmosphere. R. Clayton, Autumn; D. Oxtoby, Winter; G. Fleming, Spring. L: R. Gomer, Autumn, Winter; L. Butler, Spring.

133. The Atmosphere (=GeoSci 133). PQ: Calculus and Chem 111-112 or higher, or consent of instructor. An introduction to the fundamental physical and chemical factors that determine the observed composition, structure and circulation of the earth's atmosphere. Specific topics to be studied include: global energy balance and greenhouse warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, tropospheric pollution, atmospheric dynamics, and cloud processes. J. Abbatt. Spring.

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212. The Human Environment (=NCD 212). This course analyzes the impact of human activity on the natural world that sustains it. Topics include human population dynamics, economic growth and industrial activity; our use of land, waterways and energy sources; the decline in biodiversity; consequences of environmental change for human health and well-being; the prospects for sustainable development around the world; and the role of cultural institutions and values in these processes. T. Steck. Autumn.

213. Managing the Environment (=LL/Soc 213, NCD 213, PubPol 213). PQ: Econ 198 or higher. This course analyzes human interaction with and intervention into the environment. Topics include resource management, environmental and economic policy, environmental law, business initiatives, and global environmental legislation. Also assessed are major national legislation on Superfund, resource conservation and recovery, air quality, water quality, hazardous chemicals, and endangered species. D. Coursey. Winter.

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214. The Politics of the Environment (=PolSci 285). Through the introduction and development of core principles of American politics and liberal democracy, this course explores a topic that is receiving more and more attention: how to think about the environment as a political issue in America. We begin with a discussion of normative and ethical issues, surveying the various schools of environmental thinking. After exploring the history of American conservation and environmental movements, we move to the interplay between environmental goals and the implementation of environmental policy. Topics include legislative strategies, problems of implementation, judicial behavior, and the desirability of market solutions. S. Liebell. Spring.

220. The Anthropology of Development (=Anthro 220/355). This course applies anthropological understanding to development programs in "underdeveloped" societies through case studies of food production, nutrition, and health care practices. We pay special attention to the role and impact of indigenous and anthropological concepts in the design and implementation of development projects. Topics include development within the world system, the role of national and international development agencies, both public and private (non-governmental), the cultural construction of well being and deprivation, the impact of world market mechanisms and consumerism on underdevelopment, local resistance and engagement in development, the politics of underdevelopment, and future scenarios of development. A. Kolata, J. Fernandez, R. Fernandez. Spring.

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265. Environmental Economics (=Econ 265). PQ: Econ 201 or consent of instructor. This course applies price theory to the following environmental issues: externalities, distorted incentives, and the market's failure to yield optimal outcomes. Topics include taxes, subsidies, and quotas as solutions to these problems, welfare and efficiency implications, property rights and fisheries; exhaustible and renewable resources; evaluating environmental regulation, government as an autonomous maximizing agent, and divergence between social and governmental interests. S. Wilson. Winter.

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