ENV 2000: Introduction to Environmental Science

SYLLABUS

Overview | Goals | Objectives | Assessment | Required Text 
 Requirements and Grading | Schedule |  Instructions for Assignments 
  Grading for Papers | Guidelines for Authors: References

 
Course Overview
 
     This course reviews the scientific foundations and principles of environmental science and global environmental problems. Every society depends on the environment for survival and emphasis in this class is placed on critical international challenges in environmental management and solutions to these problems. The goal is to develop students problem solving skills and environmental awareness. It also explores opportunities for business and careers in environmental science and personal responsibility for future generations.
 

Course Goals for Understanding

1. Demonstration of a global outlook
2. Understanding of the interconnectedness and interdependence of individuals and cultures
3. Skill in critical thinking to assess the quality of information and its importance
4. Competency in interpersonal communication with oral, written, quantitative and computer skills
5. Understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge
6. Development of team work skills through the workshops
    

Course Objectives

1. Integrate each students unique experiences and background into this class
2. Understand the importance of culture on other cultures, the environment and on historical development patterns. Relate energy and environmental constraints to development patterns and sustainability
3. Develop increased respect and understanding of "others" and especially the skill and intelligence needed for subsistence and survival in difficult and changing environments
4. Apply critical analysis skills to interpreting regional history and current challenges
5. Interpret and present important history , newspaper, and web information for other classmates
6. Understand the inter-relatedness of all things and the importance of systems thinking to solve complex problems
7. Learn to work well with teams and with a partner in analyzing and presenting discussions and displays of important concepts and papers
8. Provide a meaningful project at the end of the class to help the campus understand it's environmental history and prepare for the future
   

Course Assessment

1. Class understanding, essays, presentation, essay questions and short answer exam questions.
2. Class participation, research papers, team project, exams.
3. Communication - analysis and presentation of a paper to class (seminar style), research paper, workshop project.
    

Required Text
 
McKibben, Bill. 1995. Hope, Human and Wild.

Meadows, Donella. 1991. Global Citizen.
 

Course Requirements and Grading

 
Schedule: week by week

1. Introduction: the global ecosystem 
The scientific method, environmental science, knowledge and understanding, statistics matter
McKibben Intro, Meadows 37-39, 45-47

2. Problem solving
Framing the questions, defining the problems, working to find solutions 
Meadows 273-275

3. Systems-connectivity, interaction, sustainability 
Meadows 1-12

4. Ecosystems of the world, biodiversity 
McK Ch. 1, Meadows 217-219 

5. Ecosystems of the campuses - San Diego, Mexico City, Kenya 
McK Ch. 2, Meadows 113-115 
 
Your home and human ecosystems - choosing a comfortable apartment, home or car. Calculating your ecological footprint 
Handout and Meadows 15-17 

6. Environmental risk -earthquakes, floods, fire 
Meadows 188-192 

7. Environmental problems--overview
Global warming carbon dioxide, methane 
Global nutrient change, nitrogen 
Meadows 199-214 
 
Chemical hazards 
Meadows 115-118, 181-187 

8. Resource depletion--resource management 
Assessing claims and information quality
Biostatistics papers, fatal flaws, The great unknowns
Meadows 278-280 
 
The fisheries 
Meadows 220-222 

9. Forestry--the tropics/the US 
Arid lands--desertification
McK Ch. 4
 
Agriculture 
Meadows 95-112

10. Solutions 
McK Ch. 3, Meadows 47-50

More environmental problem solving, adaptive environmental assessment and management. Finding consensus. Environmental economics, market forces and incentives.
 
Field trips may be included - these are typically on Saturday.
 

Instructions for Assignments

Paper Format
 
All class assignments should be typed, one and a half or double spaced in 12 point Times or similar font, 1.5 inch margin on the left and 1 inch margins on all other sides. Typographical errors, spelling mistakes, and poor grammar must be corrected by careful proofreading. Ask a friend to help.
 
PLEASE try USING RECYCLED PAPER. Papers with plastic covers or title pages will not be accepted. Papers without page numbers will not be graded. Papers without references will not be accepted. 
 
 
Assignment #1: RESUME 
 
A resume is critical part of your professional tool kit. It can be difficult to find a good job without an excellent resume. This is a paper presentation of yourself, your skills and experience. It cannot replace essential job skills and work habits--but it must reflect what you do know and can do in a clear, concise manner. A good resume can help you get the essential job interview. There are many formats and styles. This is a general version -- more attuned for academia than business. Find out what the preferred format is for the target company or job you are seeking. Resumes are increasingly computer scanned so don't get overly stylish, use simple fonts (no italics), simple layout (no bullets), and no color.
 
This must be typed, carefully edited and checked. (see sample)
 
 
Preparing your papers
 
Textbooks, encyclopedias, newspaper articles, and magazine articles can be useful to get started, but use professional journals, government documents, and scholarly books as primary source materials for the papers (minimum 5 citations per paper, no more than 2 from internet). Refer to the class handout on research and writing - it includes reference format. When you use an investigator's data, state his/her ideas, paraphrase his/her conclusions, or quote him/her directly, cite the reference as follows at the end of the sentence (Altieri, 1995). No need to use it another until you switch to a new source. Then include the full reference at the end of the paper - I learn from these papers and may look up the original papers. Follow the guidelines in the paper on Research and Writing.
 
TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR TOPIC AND SOURCES. (I can suggest topics and help with references in some cases). Every paper should include a computer data base search on one of the USIU library databases, the Melvyl system of the University of California, and a search engine such as Alta Vista, Google or Northernlight and words used in the search and number of hits.
 
 
ASSIGNMENT #2: First Short Paper 
 
(about 750 words, not counting references) Your first paper will describe an issue affecting A. sustainability of your favorite food (see example), B. sustainability of water or energy supply to your home, C. the ethical responsibility we have to future generations, or 4. a critical review of an important environmental science paper.
 
 
ASSIGNMENT #3: Second Short Paper 
 
(about 750 words, not counting references) Your second paper will be: A. an ecological footprint for your life or for a company, B. a critical evaluation of the Curitiba experience, e.g. what could your home town or city learn from Curitiba, C. a newspaper editorial. The discussion should include both environmental, economic, and cultural issues.
 
 
ASSIGNMENT #4: Team project 
 
(2-5 pages per person are expected and 5 citations) The teams will be determined based on experience and education of class members on an important environmental science topic.
 
 
Assignment #5: Presentation
 
Presenting ideas is critical in business and community life. Your short talk can cover any of your papers or the team project. Expect to talk for about 5 minutes. Prepare an outline of the key points and use graphic aids - either an OH transparency or a large chart or display must be turned in. Your time as presenter is valuable - make sure it counts. More details will be provided in class.
 
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ASSIGNMENTS OR EXPECTATIONS, PLEASE CALL 635-4616 OR VISIT MY OFFICE ANY TIME (CALL FIRST), OR CALL ME AT HOME BEFORE 9 PM. (858) 455-6336.
 

GRADING for PAPERS 
(I allow the two short papers to be corrected, resubmitted and regraded.)

*****  Deductions for spelling errors:  -5 points for each word  *****
*****  Deductions for wrong words:  -2 points for each word  *****
*****  Deductions for incorrect margins:  -5 points  *****
*****  No page numbers:  -10 points  *****
*****  Incorrect line spacing and font:  -5 points  *****
*****  Inappropriate topic:  up to -30 points  *******
Plagiarism (inappropriate copying of web page or other paper):  
no points, and no rewrite

Get a dictionary and use it!
 

Guidelines for Authors -- Ecological Economics (with minor revisions)
References

1. All publications used should be cited in the text. The full reference should be presented in a list of alphabetical listing of references following the text. These are not numbered. The spelling of authors' names and dates must be exactly the same in the text as in the reference list.
    

2. In the text refer to the author's name (without initial) and year of publication at the end of the sentence where this is used, for example (Peterson, 1989). If you rely on information from the same source for a whole paragraph you do not need to repeat it again. If you switch to a new source, then add the citation at the end of the first sentence where this information is used. If no none author use (Anon, 2000).
    

3. For two authors use both last names (Smith and Botkin, 1998). If reference is made in the text to a publication written by more than two authors, the name of the first author should be used followed by "et al." For example, (Smith et al., 1999). This indication, however, should never be used in the list of references. In the reference list, names of first author and all co-authors should be listed.
    

4. Citations listed together in the text should be arranged chronologically (Smith, 1975; Kebbe, 1998). A semicolon is used between the authors citations.
    

5. Use the following system for arranging your references:
    
   The references should be arranged alphabetically on authors' names, and chronologically per author. If an author's name in the list is also mentioned with co-authors, the following order should be used: publications of the single author, arranged according to publication dates; publications of the same author with one co-author; publications of the author with more than one co-author. Publications by the same author(s) in the same year should be listed as 1974a, 1974b, etc. Or (Anon, 1999a; Anon, 1999b).
    

   1. For periodicals 
       
      Volume number, issue number, pages are indicated by: 3(7):33-44. This would be volume 3, number 7, pages 33 to 44. There should be a period after the page numbers. For newspapers note edition, section, and column as appropriate.
      
      Ayres, R.U. 1993. Cowboys, cornucopians and long-run sustainability.
           Ecological Economics. 8(1):189-207.
       

   2. For edited symposia, special issues, etc., published in a periodical
       
      Reiche, E.W. 1993. Modelling water and nitrogen dynamics on
           catchment scale. In: B. Breckling and F. Miller (Editors),
           State-of-the-Art in Ecological Modelling. Ecol.ogical Modelling,
           75/76:371-384.
       

   3. For books
       
      Ahmad, Y., El Serafy, S. and Lutz, E. (Editors). 1989. Environmental
           Accounting for Sustainable Development. The World Bank,
           Washington, DC. 100 pp.
       

   4. For multi-author books
       
      Daly, H.E. 1991. Ecological economics and sustainable development.
           In: C. Rossi and E. Tiezzi (Editors), Ecological Physical Chemistry.
           Elsevier, Amsterdam. pp. 185-201.
       

   5. For unpublished reports, departmental notes, etc.
       
      Goodland, R., Daly, H.E. and El Serafy, S. 1991. Environmentally
           Sustainable Economic Development: Building on Brundtland.
           Environment Working Paper No. 46, World Bank, Washington, DC.
           101 p.
       

   6. Internet sites should refer to the author or use Anon. The full reference includes the author, date, title, and browser used to find it, and the complete URL. For example:
       
      Riter, J. and Riter, M. 2000. Control erosion with rolling grade dips.
           International Mountain Biking Association.
           http://imba.com/resources/trail_building/gradedips.html. 
           Northern Lights. 11/17/00.
       

6. Do not abbreviate the titles of periodicals.
    

7. In the case of publications in any language other than English, the original title should be retained. However, the titles of publications in non-Latin alphabets should be transliterated, and a notation such as "(in Russian)" or "(in Greek, with English abstract)" should be added.
    

8. In referring to a personal communication, the two words are followed by the year, e.g., (J. McNary, personal communication, 1992). In the reference section you would provide further detail.
    
   McNary, J. 1992. Personal communication. Program manager, Owens Energy
        Task Force, PO Box 32322, Bishop, Ca 92187.
    

9. Nomenclature All biotica (crops, plants, insects, birds, mammals, etc.) must be identified by their scientific names when first used, with the exception of common domestic animals (cow, horse). The scientific name should be italicized, the Genus is capitalized the Species is not, for example for corn the scientific name is Zea mays.

For further information, please contact me at: 
David A. Bainbridge
Environmental Studies Coordinator
Department of Global Liberal Studies
United States International University
10455 Pomerado Road, San Diego, CA 92131
E-mail: bainbrid@usiu.edu
 
©1998-2001 David Bainbridge. All rights reserved.

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Last Updated: Saturday, February 16, 2002 - 07:37 PM Pacific Time