Course Catalog 2008-2009

Associate Professor Abram Kaplan, Director

ENVS faculty:

Ron Abram (Art), Olivia Aguilar (Environmental Studies), Monica Ayala-Martinez (Modern Languages), Chris Barnard (Art), John Cort (Religion), Susan Diduk (Soc/Anthro), Quentin Duroy (Economics), Annabel Edwards (Chemistry), Thomas Evans (Chemistry), Tod Frolking (Geosciences), David Goodwin (Geosciences), Carol Goland (Environmental Studies), David Greene (Geosciences), Sarah Harris (Environmental Studies), Harry Heft (Psychology), Rebecca Homan (Biology), Abram Kaplan (Environmental Studies), Johanna Kieniewicz (Geosciences), Anthony Layson (Chemistry), Jonathan Maskit (Philosophy), Kent Maynard (Soc/Anthro), Andrew McCall (Biology), Kristina Mead (Biology), Marlee Meriwether (History), Alexander Mouton (Art), Bill Nichols (English), Jim Pletcher (Political Science), Jessica Rettig (Biology), Karl Sandin (Art), Tom Schultz (Biology), Geoff Smith (Biology), Douglas Spieles (Environmental Studies), Ann Townsend (English), Steve Vogel (Philosophy), Wes Walter (Physics and Astronomy), Andrea Ziegert (Economics); Academic Secretary Brenda Franks

Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary inquiry into the relationship between humans and the environment. Both a major and a minor are available to students with an interest in the rigorous study of these issues. The major requires students to develop a specific environmental focus as a concentration in addition to the environmental core and distribution courses. The minor in ENVS allows students to integrate an environmental perspective with their major field of study.

As an interdisciplinary area, Environmental Studies draws on work in the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts. It endeavors to bridge these many intellectual approaches and perspectives in the hope that students will gain deeper understanding both of the environmental problems facing the world and of proactive opportunities for change. Among issues of concern and investigation are resource utilization, the impact of technology on ecosystems, relationships between the environment and sociocultural systems, geographic information systems analysis, environmental economics and policy, conservation of biological diversity, nature writing, alternative dispute resolution, environmental psychology, and environmental ethics, among many others. See the Program web site www.denison.edu/academics/departments/environmental for details.

The Environmental Studies major involves 13-16 courses fromfour categoriesas follows:

Notes: One course can be double counted among the Core, Concentration and Distribution requirements.

Students wishing to minor in Environmental Studies must complete six courses: ENVS 101, ENVS 102, ENVS 240, ENVS 260, and two electives cross-listed with ENVS that are outside the student's major field of study. Double-counting between the ENVS minor and another major is prescribed by guidelines established in the Registrar's office.

Study Abroad Programs. Students are encouraged to participate in study abroad programs when appropriate to enhance the concentration area or otherwise supplement course offerings at Denison. Students wishing to study abroad should plan to do so during the spring semester of their junior year. Courses taken abroad that serve as substitutes for courses listed above or which are otherwise used to satisfy elements of the Environmental Studies major must be approved in advance of the student's departure for the off-campus program by the Environmental Studies Director. A maximum of three off-campus courses may be used to satisfy requirements in the major.

People and the Environment (ENVS-101).  A systematic introduction to multifaceted environmental problems facing the world today, primarily through the lenses of both the social science and humanities. The course provides an overview of solutions to present challenges through governmental action, collective effort, and personal initiative. We engage in the interdisciplinary study of the relationship between humans and the environment, looking at local, regional, and global scales. At the local level, the class may explore campus-level environmental issues, including the ecological renovation of Barney. We develop ideas about campus "greening," new technologies, and behavioral factors. At a global scale, we might investigate global warming, and the human dimension of its causes and solutions. Students will undertake research projects, debate topical issues, sleuth for information, think critically, and present findings to disparate audiences. Fulfills the "I" Interdisciplinary requirement. 4

Science and the Environment (ENVS-102).  This course provides an introduction to the biogeochemical aspects of environmental problems. Students will gain an understanding of the structure and function of ecological communities, as well as the non-living factors that regulate ecological change. Global chemical cycles are presented as a unifying theme for human interactions with nature and are the basis for discussion of environmental problems associated with agriculture, water use, atmospheric change, land and resource use, and waste disposal. The laboratory component of the course exposes students to methods of measuring and monitoring environmental quality. Labs include experiential introductions to ecological relationships, toxicology, water and soil analysis, and geographic information science. Students will apply concepts of experimental design, statistical sampling, and data analysis to evaluate environmental questions. 4

Varieties of Environmentalism (ENVS-196).  What is environmentalism? How is environmentalism practiced in the developed First World (the North) and the developing Third World (the South)? What are the similarities and differences of environmentalism in the North and the South? How is environmentalism related to issues of human inequality on bases such as race, class, gender, caste, and nationality? What are the causes and consequences of environmental change: who pays the costs and who receives the benefits? How do intra-human questions of justice intersect with inter-species questions of justice? (Not offered 2007-2008) 4

Topics in Environmental Science (ENVS-199).  A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit. 1-4

Environmental Geology (ENVS-200).  A broad survey of the geologic aspects of environmental issues, emphasizing human interactions with the geologic environment. Topics include geologic hazards, such as earthquakes, landslides and flooding; global water supply and water quality issues, especially groundwater contamination and remediation; and global environmental change, with emphasis on climate change and global warming. Prerequisites: A 100-level course taught by Geoscience faculty. (Normally offered Spring Semester) 4

Ecology and Evolution (ENVS-202).  This course explores the fundamental concepts of ecology and evolution and integrates them in a study of the interactions between organisms and their environment and how those interactions shape the history of life on Earth. With a thorough understanding of population genetics and natural selection, this course addresses ecological questions at the level of the individual, population, community and ecosystem. A common thread that binds the course is the role of deterministic and stochastic processes in shaping ecological systems and macroevolutionary patterns. Prerequisite: BIOL 150 or Consent of Instructor. Three class periods and one laboratory weekly. 4

Religion and Nature (ENVS-205).  An investigation of the religious value of nature in Christianity and Buddhism, particularly in America and Japan. We look at how people in these cultures have viewed the place of humanity within the world of nature, and the relationships among humanity, God and nature. (Not offered 2008-2009) 4

Environmental Chemistry (ENVS-212).  A study of the chemistry of the atmosphere, natural water, and soils with a special focus on acid precipitation, greenhouse gases, ozone depletion, urban and indoor air pollution, water and soil pollution, solid and hazardous waste disposal and risk assessment. Prerequisites 121-122. Three class periods and one laboratory weekly. This course can be used to satisfy minor in chemistry. Safety glasses required. (Offered every other year in spring semester only) 4

Environmental Psychology (ENVS-225).  An examination of the relationship between the environment and psychological processes. Topics examined in this course include how the character and the design of our environments can affect psychological well-being, and how certain ways in which we perceive and think can constrain our efforts to comprehend and confront environmental problems. Other topics explored are early environmental experiences and development, environmental stressors such as crowding and noise, territoriality and privacy, environmental aesthetics, cognitive maps and way-finding behavior, effects of institutional size on performance, and attitudes toward the natural environment. Prerequisite: PSYC 100. 4

Introduction to Environmental Mapping (ENVS-230).  Approximately 80% of all data used by businesses and the US government has a geographic component. Aerial photography, satellite imagery, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are extremely useful tools in environmental planning, resource management and risk assessment. This course is designed to introduce students to GIS and remote sensing spatial analysis techniques. By the end of the course, students should be able to plan an environmental assessment project within a GIS framework, read and understand maps, interpret aerial photos, collect data using GPS technology, import data from internet and government sources, conduct basic raster and vector GIS analyses, understand the basics and principles of satellite remote sensing, and present and critique GIS/ remote sensing projects. This course is designed as a prerequisite to Geographic Information Systems Analysis, which will focus on more advanced GIS analyses and independent projects. 4

Environmental Politics and Decision Making (ENVS-240).  This course gives students a chance to explore the realm of proactive change in the environmental arena. It combines the theories of policy, the tools of problem solving, and the practice of dealing with environmental challenges in the real world of American government. The premise of the course is this: if you want to improve the state of the planet, you have to propose a solution. To make a solution happen, you should understand the process of getting an idea through the decision-making system. Effecting change requires a background in the system(s) that make things happen, whether you ultimately want to work within the system or outside it. This course is divided into two main components: an overview and implementation of problem solving techniques, and an in-depth examination of the U.S. Congress' role in environmental policy formation. The latter section culminates in a "Moot Congress" undertaken by students at the end of the semester. Prereq: ENVS 101. This is a core course in the ENVS major and minor. Not recommended for first year students. Fulfills the "R" Oral Communication requirement. 4

Environment, Technology and Society (ENVS-244).  This course analyzes the social causes and consequences of environmental change. We explore the relationship among production, consumption, population, technology, and environment. We ask: do the social benefits of economic growth outweigh environmental costs? Does population growth lead to environmental problems? Can technical "fixes" solve environmental problems? Are "indigenous" technologies superior to "western" technologies? We'll also analyze human responses to change: policy and regulation, "green" capitalism, environmental movements, and environmental counter-movements. We ask, how can we shape our future? What alternatives are likely and possible? Will the U.S. experience ecotopia or ecocide in the years to come? Will the Third World become the First World's dumping ground or will sustainable development provide environmental equity? This course is cross-listed with Environmental Studies and has a prerequisite of either S/A 100 or ENVS 100. 4

Farmscape: Artistic Perspectives on Farmland Preservation (ENVS-256).  Farms are being paved over and bought out; farmers are an increasingly rare breed. Preserving precious farmland has become a critical challenge, and our well-being - not to mention our nutrition - may be contingent on this fundamental need. Farmscape provides a hands-on exploration into the many facets of farmland preservation, with an emphasis on photographic imagery of the landscape. Students will learn about farmer motivations to protect their land, the preservation tools they can use, and the stories behind the headlines about lost family farms, suburban sprawl, rural decline, and social factors that steadily reduce our agrarian culture. We will examine the utilitarian side of farming, but our focus will turn primarily to the view through the lens: documenting and representing farmland preservation through artisitic media. This course immerses students in the visual imagination. 4

Environmental Ethics (ENVS-260).  This course investigates the question of our ethical relations and responsibility to objects and systems in the natural world, including animals, other living beings, non-living entities, ecosystems, and "nature" as a whole. It also asks about nature as such: what nature is, what the place in it is of humans, the role of human action in transforming nature, etc. The question of the relation of the natural to the social will receive special attention. Prerequisite: One previous course in Philosophy or Environmental Studies or consent. (Fall and Spring) 4

Environmental Dispute Resolution (ENVS-262).  An in-depth investigation of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as an improved means to affect change in environmental conflict. Both an intellectual and hands-on introduction to the theory and practice of ADR, relying on research into theoretical aspects of conflict, attendance at both conventional litigatory and ADR hearings, and actual participation in ADR exercises. Prerequisite: ENVS 101 or 102. 4

Ecosystem Management (ENVS-274).  Many of Earth's ecosystems are stressed and degraded as a result of human activities. Ecosystem management is the process of evaluating the biotic and abiotic features of ecosystems and stressors and manipulating those features toward a defined goal, such as conservation or restoration. In this course, students will apply aspects of systems ecology to management scenarios in particularly stressed ecosystems. Students will gain an understanding of systems ecology and will learn how ecological communities function within ecosystems and landscapes. After establishing this foundation, students will lead the exploration of some of our planet's greatest ecological systems. Lab sessions will give the students an opportunity to construct a computer-based simulation of an ecosystem and to apply ecological modeling as a management tool in both lab and field settings. 4

Environmental Planning and Design (ENVS-284).  This course examines a variety of local environmental planning processes and issues, focusing primarily on the communities surrounding Denison (Granville, Licking County), as well as the theories, concepts and tools of design, both at a community level and for individual buildings. Particular attention will be paid to controversial models of architecture and planning in order to understand some of the negative implications of conventional approaches. Field trips, group exercises, research and project competitions will form the basis for course evaluation. Prerequisite: ENVS 101 or 102 or consent. 4

Special Topics in Environmental Studies (ENVS-290).  This course provides students with an opportunity to investigate particular issues from diverse perspectives in the environmental area. Environmental challenges and solutions of local, national and global scale are addressed, typically with a hands-on and interactive format. This course is offered on an irregular basis with unique topics in each version: students may enroll in this course more than once. Prerequisite: ENVS 101 and 102. 4

Nature and the Literary Imagination (ENVS-291).  A study of humanity's relationship with and shifting conceptions of the nonhuman world. Reading selections vary, but generally include past and contemporary writers who reflect different ethnic and regional outlooks and who work in various modes, including literature, memoir, natural history and science. 4

Environmental Practicum (ENVS-301).  This keystone course is primarily for ENVS majors; minors are welcome. This course provides the opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience working on real-world environmental problems. As a group, students work in an intensive format with a real "client" and real deadlines to research a problem, assess options, recommend solutions, and evaluate outcomes. Examples of projects include energy and water conservation, local land use planning, wetlands managements, reuse/recycling programs, agriculture preservation, and environmental education. (Fall only; should be taken junior year). Prerequisites: ENVS 101 and 102; ENVS major or minor. 4

Wetland Ecology (ENVS-310).  This course is a comprehensive study of wetland ecology, management, and policy. The main emphasis is on biological, chemical, and physical aspects of major wetland ecosystems found in North America. The course also deals with valuation, classification, and delineation of wetlands. A significant portion of the course focuses on local and regional wetland ecosystems: their history, ecology, and current status. Labs will be field-based explorations of the biology, chemistry, and ecology of these regional wetlands. Prerequisite: BIOL 202 or consent. 4

Politics of the Global Environment (ENVS-328).  This course is about the theoretical, political, and practical problems associated with environmental action. Course materials analyze various theoretical perspectives on the relationship between humans and nature, and they illustrate how different ethics lead to widely different prescriptions for personal and political action. Course materials also offer examples of how environmental problems have in fact been addressed or not by governmental, non-governmental, and international institutions. This is not a course on the physical processes of environmental problems, but rather it emphasizes the political, economic, and theoretical contexts within which efforts are made to act on environmental threats. No prior knowledge of environmental or political science is required. However, students should be prepared to read and interpret detailed social science texts, to formulate and articulate cogent arguments, and to conduct independent research. 4

Sustainable Agriculture (ENVS-334).  This course provides an ecological and sociocultural exploration of Sustainable Agriculture, as practiced primarily in the contemporary United States. We establish the historical and cultural roots of conventional agriculture and determine the environmental and social consequences of conventional practices. While not intended to be an agronomy course, we will discuss the agroecology of sustainable food production, including principles of soil management, pest control, and crop rotations. We will also study agriculture in its sociocultural context in order to assess what kind of social and cultural changes would be required in order to create a truly sustainable food production system. An important component of the course is field trips to conventional and alternative farms. Prerequisite: ENVS 101 or 102 or SA 100 or consent. 4

Advanced Geographic Information Systems Analysis (ENVS-351).  Using ArcGIS software, students will explore advanced applications of GIS in environmental assessments, natural and physical science applications, and spatial problem solving. Topics will include surface analyses, terrain modeling, network analysis, and 3-D simulations. The course will focus on case study analysis/ discussions, applied problem solving assignments, and independent projects. Prerequisite: ENVS 230 or consent. 4

Directed Study (ENVS-361).  1-4

Directed Study (ENVS-362).  1-4

Independent Study (ENVS-363).  1-4

Independent Study (ENVS-364).  1-4

Advanced Topics in Environmental Studies (ENVS-399).  A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit. 1-4

Environmental Senior Project (ENVS-401).  This course is required for ENVS majors with senior standing unless they are pursuing senior research (ENVS 451/452). This course provides an integrating and culminating experience for students, individually or in small groups, to engage with an environmental issue, either by conducting research related to this issue or by taking action on it in a way that is informed by their academic understanding The primary objective is to integrate their study of environmental issues at Denison and to develop skills in critically analyzing environmental problems and promoting environmental change. Prerequisite: ENVS 301 or consent of the instructor. 4

Environmental Economics (ENVS-427).  Course listed as ECON 427. See listing under Economics. 4

Senior Research (ENVS-451).  4

Senior Research (ENVS-452).  4

Honors Project (ENVS-461).  4

Honors Project (ENVS-462).  4