Program Chair: Theodore L. Steck, CLSC 157, 702-1329,

t-steck@uchicago.edu

Program Coordinator: Dave Aftandilian, CLSC 157, 834-0621,

daftandi@bsd.uchicago.edu

E-mail: envstd@uchicago.edu
Web: environment.uchicago.edu/studies

Program of Study

The Environmental Studies program addresses the full range of environmental issues¾scientific, political, social, and cultural. How do humans use the natural world and how does human activity impact on its natural legacy? How shall we best interact with our environment both for ourselves and on behalf of future generations and the web of life?

To explore these far-reaching questions, the Environmental Studies program offers a curriculum that is both broadly multidisciplinary and focused. The goal is to build mastery of topics of special concern on a general environmental education. Our approach includes not only didactic course work but also special seminars and individual senior research papers. The program is sponsored by the New Collegiate Division, a home for innovations in interdisciplinary undergraduate education.

Summary of Program

Students seeking to major in Environmental Studies should contact the program chair before the end of their second year. Their plan of study will be tailored to their individual interests, guided by the program chair and their College adviser. Below are suggestions of some appropriate courses.

General Education. Any undergraduate interested in the humanities and social sciences can satisfy the College general education requirements in the physical, biological, and mathematical sciences with the six-quarter environmental sciences sequence, ENST 12100-12202-12300-124XX-12500-126XX. This sequence is not required of Environmental Studies majors nor is it appropriate for students planning advanced scientific study. Other relevant introductory science courses include CHEM 11101-11201-11301; GEOS 13300 or 13400; or a biology sequence that includes ecology. Third- and fourth-year students who are not Environmental Studies majors may wish to consider a relevant Big Problems course, such as ENST 24400 (Is Development Sustainable?).

The Major. Students in Environmental Studies can take the required introductory course, ENST 21201 (Human Impact on the Environment), in their second, third, or fourth year. They must also take courses in economics and statistics in addition to two relevant social science and two relevant biological or physical science courses beyond their general education requirements (see below).

Relevant Biological and Physical Sciences Courses: BIOS 23246, 23351, 23406; GEOS 23900 (=CHEM 21000); and STAT 22000.

Relevant Social Sciences Courses: ENST 21800, 22000, 23100, 23600, 24100, 24300, 24700, and 24900.

Environmental Studies Seminar. Students and faculty associated with the program meet periodically to hear talks by visiting scholars. Senior papers are also presented in this forum. Environmental Studies concentrators are expected to participate in these events without course credit.

B.A. Paper. During their third year, students should begin to consider topics and a faculty adviser for their senior thesis (B.A. paper). Guidance is available from the program chair and the B.A. preceptor. By Monday of ninth week of Spring Quarter of their third year, students should submit to the program chair a brief plan for their B.A. project, identifying the topic, an adviser, and a list of relevant summer readings. Summer internships are often ideal starting points for B.A. projects. Students generally work on their senior thesis throughout their fourth year under the guidance of their faculty advisers and the B.A. program preceptor. These theses are submitted to readers and presented orally in the Environmental Studies seminar at the end of the Spring Quarter. Students seeking honors must submit their papers by seventh week of Spring Quarter; the deadline for other students is eighth week.

This program will accept a B.A. paper or project used to satisfy the same requirement in another major if certain conditions are met and with the consent of the other program chair. Approval from both program chairs is required. Students should consult with the chairs by the earliest B.A. proposal deadline (or by the end of third year, when neither program publishes a deadline). A consent form, to be signed by both chairs, is available from the College adviser. It must be completed and returned to the College adviser by the end of Autumn Quarter of the student's year of graduation.

B.A. Colloquium. Students preparing their B.A. papers are expected to enroll in the B.A. Colloquium during the Autumn and Winter Quarters. This two-quarter course, taken P/F, is intended to assist students with the research and writing of their papers.

Summary of Requirements

          1      ENST 21201

                                  1      ECON 19800 or higher

                                  1      course in statistics (ENST 12500 or higher)

                                  2      additional relevant social sciences courses

                                  2      additional relevant natural sciences courses

                                  3      additional courses in the area of emphasis

                                  2      B.A. Colloquium (ENST 29100 and 29200)

                                12

Grading. Courses required for the major may not be taken on a P/F basis without consent of the program chair.

Honors. Students may be nominated for graduation with honors on the basis of the excellence of their senior research papers if their overall grade point average is higher than 3.25. Students seeking honors must locate an additional reader for their senior papers, in addition to their adviser and the program chair, and submit their papers by seventh week of Spring Quarter.

Faculty

D. Archer, M. Arsel, T. Clark, M. Conzen, G. Eshel, J. Frederick, A. Gugliotta,
H. Henderson, A. Hunter, A. Kolata, A. McCright, R. Meyers, M. Mikesell, J. Opie,
R. Pierrehumbert, S. Shaikh, T. Steck, M. Stein, A. Turkewitz

Courses: Environmental Studies (enst)

L refers to courses with a required laboratory.

11101-11201-11301. General Chemistry I, II, III: Variant A. (=CHEM 11101-11201-11301) PQ: Good performance on the mathematics or calculus placement test. The first two courses in this sequence meet the general education requirement in the physical sciences. For course description, see Chemistry. S. Sibener, Autumn; T. Oka, Winter; G. Hillhouse, Spring. L: M. Zhao. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

12100. Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Quality. (=NTSC 12100, PHSC 13500) PQ: MATH 10600, or placement in MATH 13100 or higher. This course considers: (1) the chemical, physical, and radiative processes that determine the composition of the atmosphere; and (2) the effects that increasing global industrialization and agriculturization are having upon the atmosphere. Particular attention is given to stratospheric ozone depletion, the chemistry of the global troposphere, the quality of urban air throughout the world, and the formation of acid precipitation. The extent to which locally-released pollutants affect the atmosphere on a global scale is addressed. J. Frederick. Autumn. L.

12202. Biological Issues and Paradigms. (=BIOS 10110, NTSC 12202) This course addresses the question "what is life?" with a discussion of topics that range from the essential properties characteristic of all life to the complexities of evolution and interactions between all forms of life in the biosphere. Students develop a broad common core of understanding of the nature of life through lectures, small group discussions, writing, and laboratory investigations. A second biology course (listed under topics courses, below) builds on this core knowledge by focusing on a specialized topic of biological inquiry. T. Christianson, A. Hunter, B. Fineschi, R. Zaragoza, I. Pavlova, E. Larsen, C. Andrews. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

12300. Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast. (=GEOS 13400, NTSC 12300, PHSC 13400) PQ: ENST 12202 or consent of instructor. This course presents the science behind the forecast of global warming to enable the student to evaluate the likelihood and potential severity of anthropogenic climate change in the coming centuries. It includes an overview of the physics of the greenhouse effect, including comparisons with Venus and Mars; an overview of the carbon cycle in its role as a global thermostat; predictions and reliability of climate model forecasts of the greenhouse world; and an examination of the records of recent and past climates, such as the glacial world and Eocene and Oligocene warm periods. D. Archer, R. Pierrehumbert. Spring. L.

Students completing the six-quarter environmental sciences sequence to meet the general education requirements in the natural sciences choose one course from 124XX.

12402. Topics in Environmental Biology. (=BIOS 11122, NTSC 12402) PQ: BIOS 10110 or consent of instructor. This course qualifies as a topical course in the biological sciences general education requirement and as the second biological sciences course in the environmental sciences sequence. We consider human interaction with the natural environment at several levels of basic biology: molecular, cellular, genetic, and ecological. T. Steck, A. Turkewitz. Winter.

12403. From Ecology to Agroecology. (=BIOS 13323, NTSC 12403) PQ: BIOS 10110 or consent of instructor. This course qualifies as a topical course in the biological sciences general education requirement and as the second biological sciences course in the environmental sciences sequence. We examine how ecosystems function with and without human management. Topics include nutrient cycles in soil and plants, relationships among plants and animals, and biodiversity and environmental conservation. Agroecosystems illustrate ecosystem complexity and human impact. N. Gift. Autumn.

12404. Environmental Ecology. (=BIOS 13107, NTSC 10400) PQ: NTSC 10300, or BIOS 10110, or consent of instructor. This course emphasizes basic scientific understanding of ecological and evolutionary principles that relate most closely to the ways humans interact with their environments. Topics include population growth, adaptation, and ecosystem structure and function. We also discuss the regulation and consequences of biodiversity. Discussion required. T. Price. Winter.

12500. Quantitative Methods in Environmental Science. (=NTSC 12500, STAT 12300) PQ: NTSC 12400 or consent of instructor. This course studies statistical models and methods as applied to scientific and environmental issues raised previously in this sequence. Three principal tools are: probability theory as a way to quantify uncertainty, the analysis of observations of natural processes that vary across time, and the application of computer simulations to understanding such processes. V. M. Dukic. Winter.

Students completing the six-quarter environmental sciences sequence to meet the general education requirements in the natural sciences choose one course from 126XX. Courses are offered in alternate years.

12601. Environmental Science and Society. (=NTSC 12601) PQ: NTSC 12500 or consent of instructor. In this course, we apply the knowledge and the methods of science to an exploration of humanity's use of its natural environment. We explore the meaning of scientific knowledge and how it is applied to problems in human affairs (e.g., the use of scientific evidence in policy and public debates). Of particular interest is the nature and application of energy. We also explore the parallels between science and art. Spring, 2005.

12602. Planetary Consequences of Human Diet. (=NTSC 12602) PQ: NTSC 12500 or consent of instructor. In this course we first survey various large-scale consequences of production of various food items, agricultural practices and subsidy structure of various food products. We then follow various food choices all the way back from our plate to their elemental building blocks and analyze each in terms of inputs (e.g., water, surface area, air quality). The method of linear programming is introduced (mostly heuristically) and employed in the comparison of various dietary choices. Throughout the course, the overt, as well as the carefully hidden, political aspects of food production are discussed. Spring, 2006.

13106. The Hungry Earth: Light, Energy, and Subsistence. (=BIOS 13106) PQ: BIOS 10100. The theme of the class includes a consideration of the continuing erosion of the resources of the Earth by the persisting pressures of a growing human population, which makes a broad knowledge and appreciation of biology essential. Discussion includes the principles of energy conversion by plants as primary producers, the evolution of the structures and mechanisms involved in energy conversion, the origin of crop plants, improvements of plants by conventional breeding and genetic engineering, and the interactions of plants with pathogens and herbivores. M. Ruddat. Winter.

13300. The Atmosphere. (=GEOS 13300) PQ: MATH 13200 or consent of instructor. For course description, see Geophysical Sciences. J. Frederick, N. Nakamura. Spring.

14200-14300. Paleoclimate, Earth Systems, and the Emergence of Humankind. (=PHSC 13200-13300) PQ: MATH 10600, or placement into MATH 13100 or higher. Must be taken in sequence. For course description, see Physical Sciences.

14200. The Dynamic Environment: Global Systems and Climate during the Emergence of Humankind. D. MacAyeal. Winter. L.

14300. Settlement Systems, the Management of Nature, and the Emergence of Humankind within a Dynamic Environment. PQ: ENST 14200. D. MacAyeal. Spring. L.

20500. Introduction to Population. (=SOCI 20122/30122) For course description, see Sociology. L. Waite. Winter, 2006

21201. Human Impact on the Environment. (=NCDV 21200) We analyze the impact of the human enterprise on the natural world that sustains it. Topics include human population dynamics, the role of economic and industrial activity in human well-being, our use of natural resources, biodiversity, sustainable development, and the role played by cultural institutions and values. We read and discuss diverse sources and write short weekly papers. T. Steck. Autumn.

21800. Economics and Environmental Policy. (=LLSO 26201, PBPL 21800) PQ: ECON 19800 or higher. This course combines basic microeconomic theory and tools with contemporary environmental and resources issues and controversies to examine and analyze public policy decisions. Theoretical points include externalities, public goods, common-property resources, valuing resources, benefit/cost analysis, and risk assessment. Topics include pollution, global climate changes, energy use and conservation, recycling and waste management, endangered species and biodiversity, nonrenewable resources, congestion, economic growth and the environment, and equity impacts of public policies. S. Shaikh. Spring.

22000. The Anthropology of Development. (=ANTH 22000/33500) For course description, see Anthropology. A. Kolata. Offered 2005-06; not offered 2004-05.

23100. Environmental Law. (=LLSO 23100, PBPL 23100) PQ: Third- or fourth-year standing or consent of instructor. This lecture/discussion course examines the development of laws and legal institutions that address environmental problems and advance environmental policies. Topics include the common law background to traditional environmental regulation, the explosive growth and impact of federal environmental laws in the second half of the twentieth century, regulations and the urban environment, and the evolution of local and national legal structures in response to environmental challenges. H. L. Henderson. Autumn.

23500. Political Sociology. (=PBPL 23600/33600, SOCI 20106/30106) PQ: Completion of the general education requirement in social sciences. For course description, see Sociology. T. Clark. Spring.

23600. The Environment in U.S. History. (=HIST 19000, LLSO 23600) Contemporary environmental issues are deeply rooted in a complex history, often ignored or misunderstood. This course examines human engagement with the natural world in what is now the United States: how the expansion of the market economy impacted the natural world, how various peoples struggled to control resources, how landscapes changed from ecosystems to infrastructures, how natural resources fostered industry and agriculture, and how conceptions of the natural world evolved. We consider the politics, economics, and social and cultural development of the United States in an environmental framework. A. Gugliotta. Offered 2005-06; not offered 2004-05.

23700. Technology and Environment in History. (=HIPS 23800, HIST 25201) Technology is a principal means by which humans shape their living space and, often unintentionally, transform the natural environment. Important historical case studies include our use of resources and production of goods. We also consider the impact of such technologies on human affairs. Finally, we use these historical reflections to examine concepts of technological determinism and historical inevitability, choices among technologies, and the meaning of progress. A. Gugliotta. Winter.

23800. Issues in World Environmental History. (=HIST 19001, HIPS 25501) This course examines important episodes in the history of human interaction with the non-human environment. It analyzes how human activity has changed the landscape and how changes in our habitat have shaped human history. We consider the succession of energy regimes, the history of human expansion and colonization, and varied conceptions of the character and purpose of nature and its relation to the human good. A. Gugliotta. Spring.

23900. Environmental Chemistry. (=GEOS 23900) PQ: CHEM 11101-11201, or equivalent, and prior calculus course. For course description, see Geophysical Sciences. D. Archer, S. Peacock. Winter. L.

24100. The Environment in U.S. Politics. (=NCDV 24100, PBPL 22600) Environmental issues have grown increasingly prominent in American politics over the past four decades. Americans overwhelmingly favor strong policies to protect nature and combat pollution. This course uses group theory to examine different ways in which environmentalists have projected their concerns into numerous domestic and international policy issues. R. Lodato. Autumn.

24300. International Development: Theory, Politics, and Policy. (=LLSO 21200) Why are some countries rich and some poor? How, if at all, can developed nations and international organizations promote development around the world? What are the power structures that define the meaning and implementation of international development? This course seeks answers to these questions. It provides a broad, interdisciplinary introduction to development studies. Topics include theories of economic development, Bretton Woods institutions, decolonization, gender, and human rights. M. Arsel. Autumn.

24400. Is Development Sustainable? (=BPRO 23400, HIPS 23400, NCDV 27300, PBPL 24400) PQ: Third- or fourth-year standing. This is a discussion course for students without a background in environmental issues. Its aim is to grapple with the "big problem" of sustainable development. We analyze problematical issues underlying population growth, resource use, environmental transformation, and the plight of developing nations through a consideration of economic, political, scientific, and cultural institutions and processes. T. Steck, M. Arsel. Spring.

24701. U.S. Environmental Policy. (=LLSO 24901, PBPL 24701) For course description, see Public Policy Studies. R. Lodato. Winter.

24800. The Complex Problem of World Hunger. (=BIOS 02810, BPRO 24800, SOSC 26900) PQ: Third- or fourth-year standing. For course description, see Big Problems. J. Malamy, A. Sanderson. Spring, 2005.

24900. Global Environmental Politics. (=NCDV 21100, PBPL 24300) This course examines the ways in which the international society responds to (or ignores) global environmental problems. It discusses key theoretical frameworks, reviews the history of international environmental cooperation, and identifies the roles, interests, and behavior of main actors such as states, international organizations, NGOs, and the business community. We study contemporary debates on global warming, international trade, environmental security, gender, and indigenous peoples. M. Arsel. Winter.

25100. Ecological Applications to Conservation Biology. (=BIOS 23351, ECOL 31300) PQ: Completion of the general education requirement for the biological sciences and consent of instructor. We focus on the contribution of ecological theory to understanding current issues in conservation biology. The course emphasizes quantitative methods and their use for applied problems in ecology, such as the design of natural reserves, the risk of extinction, the impact of harvesting, the dynamics of species invasions, and the role of species interactions. Course material is drawn mostly from the current primary literature. Two Saturday field trips and computer modeling labs are in addition to scheduled class time. J. Bergelson, C. Pfister. Autumn. L.

25500. Biogeography. (=BIOS 23406, EVOL 45500, GEOG 25500/35500) PQ: Completion of the general education requirement for the biological sciences or consent of instructor. For course description, see Geography. B. Patterson (odd years, lab); L. Heaney (even years, discussion). Winter.

25900. Cultural Geography. (=GEOG 20100/30100) For course description, see Geography. M. Mikesell. Winter.

26100. Roots of the Modern American City. (=GEOG 26100/36100, HIST 28900/38900) For course description, see Geography. M. Conzen. Autumn.

26500. Environmental Economics. (=ECON 26500, LLSO 26200, PPHA 32800) PQ: ECON 20100. For course description, see Economics. G. Tolley, S. Shaikh. Winter.

27400. Principles of Epidemiology. (=HSTD 30900, PPHA 36400, STAT 35000) Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in human populations. This course introduces the basic principles of epidemiologic study design, analysis, and interpretation through lectures, assignments, and critical appraisement of both classic and contemporary research articles. The final project is to write a brief, critical review of the epidemiologic literature on a topic of the student's choice. L. Kurina. Autumn.

28001. Environmental Ethics. Is environmental ethics an application of traditional ethical theory or a new way of thinking ethically? The ideas we consider include ethical naturalism (Hans Jonas, Mary Midgley), utilitarianism (Peter Singer), ecoholism (Aldo Leopold), biocentrism (Paul Taylor), and duty-ethics (Holmes Rolston III). Our approach uses lecture, discussion, group work, and case studies. M. Kraftson-Hogue. Spring.

28200. Reading American Environmental Classics. (=ENGL 28000) Both historic and modern environmental classics are analyzed. Brief critical reviews by students serve as the basis for class discussion. Authors might include Crevecoeur, Emerson, Thoreau, Mitchell, Nelson, Abbey, Dillard, and Leopold, as well as background materials from Nash and Meinig. Class discussion encouraged. J. Opie. Offered 2005-06; not offered 2004-05.

28703. The Social Construction of Environmental Policy in the Amazon: The Case of the Rubber Tappers Movement. (=ANTH 23020/31608, LTAM 28703/38703, PBPL 28703, PPHA 38400) The main subjects developed during this course are related to the following questions: How does one plan, implement, and evaluate public policies that bring together economic development, environmental protection, and social justice? How does one reconcile conflicting interests related to access, use, and management of natural resources by different social groups? M. Allegretti. Spring.

 

29100. B.A. Colloquium I. PQ: Open only to Environmental Studies majors with fourth-year standing. Must be taken for P/F grading. This two-quarter colloquium assists concentrators in conceptualizing, researching, and writing their B.A. theses. It is required for all students in the Environmental Studies major (unless they are excused by the program chair). D. Aftandilian. Autumn.

29200. B.A. Colloquium II. PQ: Open only to Environmental Studies majors with fourth-year standing. Must be taken for P/F grading. This two-quarter colloquium assists students in conceptualizing, researching, and writing their B.A. theses. It is required for all students in the Environmental Studies major (unless they are excused by the program chair). D. Aftandilian. Winter.

29700. Reading Course. PQ: Consent of faculty supervisor and program chairman. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Must be taken for P/F grading. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

29900. Senior Paper Preparation. PQ: Open only to Environmental Studies majors with fourth-year standing. Consent of faculty supervisor and program chairman. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Must be taken for P/F grading. This course is designed for fourth-year Environmental Studies majors so that they can prepare the required senior paper. Autumn, Winter, Spring.