Explore the nature of environmental problems and gain an overall understanding of the complexity of these problems.
An introduction to basic culinary and food preservation techniques and management of garden vegetables.
Explore the tensions between individual and collective action of Food Systems in relation to social and agrarian change.
Analysis of the causes and proposed solutions of environmental problems and of environmental issues and their political resolution.
Overview of the Sustainable Development focusing on its origins and meanings in both theory and practice. A geographic focus on countries in the Global South, exploring how sustainable development policies and programs have impacted levels of poverty and inequality, use of natural resources, as well as rural and urban livelihoods.
Examine interrelationships between human behavior and the environment. Review personal, social and structural dimensions of everyday life relating to the environment. Understand environmental problems and consider alternative behavior models.
Study past, present and future methods of energy production and limitations imposed by the laws of physics. Discuss applications to transportation, home and industry. Taught by the Physics department.
Study the chemistry of natural waters, the atmosphere, and geosphere and the chemicals used for agriculture, industry, home, and energy production that pollute them.
This course takes an interdisciplinary approach toward understanding modern and traditional agriculture, and the ways in which these agricultural forms both clash and coalesce.
Learn about the water cycle and how water moves through an environment. Students will build an understanding of how to identify pollutants within water and be able to assess different ways in which contaminants can be eliminated.
Concurrent Prerequisite
ENST 100 with a minimum grade of D-
Learn the characteristics of the major natural resources and the scientific basis behind current resource use practices. The environmental consequences of their use and abuse will be emphasized.
Explore career options for geography and environmental studies majors and practice professional development skills.
Explore the nature of environmental conflict and work toward understanding the range of processes and skills used to resolve them.
Concurrent Prerequisite
ENST 100 with a minimum grade of D-
An introduction to the study of the psychological relationships that exists between humans and the environment. Students will learn what attitudes, values and ethics humans have in terms of the natural world.
Analyze problems in nature-society relationships by exploring geographic theory surrounding environmental politics, surveying local and global actors in these conflicts, and addressing varied contemporary issues in resource management.
An exploration and analysis of the historical development of perceptions and worldviews about the environment and the natural world using the United States as a case study.
This course examines principles, procedures, methods, and applications of environmental impact assessment. Specific emphasis is on the history and implementation of the NEPA in the USA with some discussion of international impact assessment.
Identify and analyze relationships between the physical and cultural patterns, including land use, resource development, social, political and economic problems.
Anthropological perspectives and methods are used to critically examine the assumptions and actions underlying social and environmental contemporary human problems as well as those involved in efforts to address them.
Students will examine the strengths and weaknesses of economic theory in analyzing the seriousness of resource and environmental issues facing society.
Explore community-based approaches to designing sustainable food systems that draw from permaculture and urban agriculture principles and strategies.
Explore community-based approaches to designing sustainable food systems that draw from permaculture and urban agriculture principles and strategies.
Examine selected environmental issues, including climate change, environmental degradation, and resource depletion, focusing on the physical processes underlying these problems and how human activities contribute to environmental problems.
Discussion of the relationships of environmental pollution to the ecosystem and health of humans. Analyze major areas of environmental pollution: water, air, solid wastes, pesticides, radioactive wastes and population.
Examination of economic principles governing water planning, development and law. Discussion of supply and demand, quality and political issues. Relationship to Colorado and local situation.
Examination of the unequal distribution of environmental risks and benefits across populations, the environmental justice movement, environmental policies and regulatory practices.
Understand the leadership role of the individual and groups in building sustainable communities that enhance and capacity building for positive societal change.
Concurrent Prerequisite
ENST 100 with a minimum grade of D-
Explore human relationships with nature writing from various periods and cultures. Economic, scientific, philosophic and religious attitudes emerge from attitudes about nature. Do these influence human treatment of natural things?
This course examines the dominant trends and challenges affecting energy systems and policy around the world, including the evolution and economics of fossil fuels, alternative energy technologies, and clean energy policies.
Examine the sustainability of contemporary living patterns. Explore alternative approaches to meeting transportation, domestic power and heating, food production and waste disposal needs on the personal and community levels.
Use case studies to explore a general overview of commerce, economics, and business as it relates to the environment and human interactions.
Investigate and participate in the process of art as it relates to the different environments of human existence.
Exploration of human perception as it adapts to the built environment, including theories of environmental psychology.
Exploration of materials used in the built environment including: Properties and characteristics of a material, sustainable features, history of use, fabrication process, common uses for the material, and installation methods.
Exploration of the built environment including the characteristics of sustainability in: site selection, recyclable and renewable resources, embodied energy, building materials, and indoor air quality.
Discuss current environmental issues in depth and in detail, on the basis of student background, library resources, interviews and guest speakers. Individuals and small groups analyze and present problems.
Provides students with the skills and knowledge to design and implement effective conservation projects and to generate clear evidence of their progress toward achieving conservation results.
Individualized investigation under the direct supervision of a faculty member. (Minimum of 37.5 clock hours required per credit hour.)
Special Notes
Maximum concurrent enrollment is two times.
Identify meaningful patterns in the distributions of plants and animals and explain how/ why those patterns developed. Includes an examination of the role humans have played in shaping those patterns.
An examination of what causes climate to change across different time scales; how climate has changed in the past; how scientists use models, observations and theory to make predictions about future climate; and the consequences of climate change for our planet. One field trip required.
This course is a base to accompany an experiential practicum in organic farming and gardening.
Determinants and consequences of behavior and response to environmental extremes, technological emergencies, and acts of mass violence.
Introduces the research process through identification and framing of a research proposal following accepted and standard protocols. Topics include hypothesis formulation and testing, designing a research project, and career preparedness.
Research selected environmental and geographic topics based on ENST/
GEOG 490 Proposal. Course focuses on the assessment of students' environmental and geographic knowledge base, research and analysis skills.
Permission of Environmental Studies coordinator. Practical experience and training in areas related to the environment. Credit hours and nature of experience arranged individually.
Give students experience in community engagement and service learning through a real community immersion process. S/U graded.
Experience in assisting in instruction of an introductory environmental studies course. S/U graded.
Study for undergraduate and graduate students in various topics of sustainability.