Courses & Programs of Study

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 issues--scientific, 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 in part broadly multidisciplinary and in part 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 courses that would be appropriate for students who are majoring in Environmental Studies as well as for other interested students.

Introductory Courses. ENST 12100, 12300, 124XX, and 126XX are among the environmentally relevant introductory natural science courses that are available to undergraduates with interests in the humanities and social sciences. These courses are not required of students who are majoring in Environmental Studies, nor are these courses appropriate for students planning advanced scientific study. Other relevant introductory science courses include BIOS 12108, CHEM 11101-11201-11301, and GEOS 13300. Third- and fourth-year students who are not majoring in Environmental Studies may wish to consider a relevant Big Problems course, such as ENST 24400 (Is Development Sustainable?).

The Major. Students majoring in Environmental Studies 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; ENST 23289, 23900, 25100, 25500, and 27400; and STAT 22000.

Relevant Social Sciences Courses: ENST 20500, 20600, 21800, 22000, 23100, 23500, 23600, 23700, 23800, 24100, 24300, 24701, 24900, 25900, 26100, and 26500.

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. Students who are majoring in Environmental Studies 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 that identifies 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 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 the consent of the other program chair is obtained. 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 College advisers. 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

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 29801 and 29802)

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. Davis, G. Eshel, J. Frederick,
A. Gugliotta, A. Hunter, A. Kolata, 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. Variant A emphasizes the role of chemical and physical processes in the environment, especially in water and in the atmosphere. It also takes on a more synthetic perspective in the third quarter. Autumn, Winter, Spring. L: M. Zhao. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

12100. Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Quality. (=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.

12108. Biology and the Human Condition. (=BIOS 12108) PQ: BIOS 10100 or 10110. We discuss the insights that biology offers into some perennial human questions. Do the biological imperatives for reproduction and population growth inevitably conflict with the goals of a civilized society? Why do disease and suffering persist? In what ways are all people similar and in what ways is each individual unique? How do our genetic inheritances and our individual experiences interact in development? Is there a "human nature"? R. Perlman. Autumn.

12300. Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast. (=GEOS 13400, PHSC 13400) PQ: MATH 10600, or placement into 13100 or higher, or consent of instructor required; some knowledge of chemistry or physics helpful. 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.

12402. Topics in Environmental Biology. (=BIOS 11122) PQ: BIOS 10100 or 10110, or consent of instructor. We consider interactions of H. sapiens with the natural environment at several biological levels: molecular, cellular, genetic, ecological, and human. T. Steck, A. Turkewitz. Winter.

12404. Environmental Ecology. (=BIOS 13107) PQ: NTSC 10300, or BIOS 10110, or consent of instructor. This course qualifies as a topical course in the biological sciences general education requirement. 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.

12601. Environmental Science and Society. 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. G. Eshel. Not offered 2005-06; will be offered 2006-07.

12602. Planetary Consequences of Human Diet. 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. G. Eshel. Spring.

13106. The Hungry Earth: Light, Energy, and Subsistence. (=BIOS 13106) PQ: BIOS 10100 or 10110. This class considers 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. This course introduces the physics, chemistry, and phenomenology of the Earth's atmosphere with an emphasis on the role of the atmosphere as a component of the planet's life support system. Topics include (1) atmospheric composition, evolution, and structure; (2) solar and terrestrial radiation; (3) the role of water in atmospheric processes; (4) winds, the global circulation, and weather systems; and (5) atmospheric chemistry and pollution. We focus on the mechanisms by which human activity can influence the atmosphere and on interactions between atmosphere and biosphere. J. Frederick, N. Nakamura. Spring.

14200-14300. Paleoclimate, Earth Systems, and the Emergence of Humankind. PQ: MATH 10600, or placement into MATH 13100 or higher. Must be taken in sequence. Register by lab section. This two-quarter sequence (Winter and Spring Quarters) aims to examine the complex natural systems that have determined Earth's environment during the time when Homo sapiens emerged as a species and began to alter the environment in the process of building settlement systems. The sequence is intended to prepare students to apply the insights and world views of physical science to the understanding of history and current world events. Labs are done in the computer classroom of Crerar USITE.

14200. The Dynamic Environment: Global Systems and Climate During the Emergence of Humankind. (=PHSC 13200) This course begins the two-quarter sequence by looking at the topic of human genesis through the eyes of the physical and biological sciences. By genesis, we mean the evolution of our species from ancestral apes during the time period when Earth's climate was descending into a sequence of abruptly changing ice ages. We examine the environmental dynamism using modern physical science techniques as a means to explore the various theories of Hominid evolution and migration. Topics include the fossil record of human evolution, the Y-chromosome record of human migration, effects of the little ice age, solar physics, radiation balance of the earth relative to the sun, greenhouse effect, Greenland ice-core geochemistry, ice-age Milankovitch theory, glacial geology, volcanoes and their effect on weather and climate, volcanic hazards to settlement, precipitation systems, El Niño and the Indian monsoon, groundwater hydrology, rivers and fluvial systems, deltaic sedimentation patterns. The computer lab (held in Crerar USITE) involves scientific visualization exercises using paleoclimate data with Matlab software. D. MacAyeal. Winter. L.

14300. Settlement Systems, the Management of Nature, and the Emergence of Humankind Within a Dynamic Environment. (=PHSC 13300) PQ: ENST 14200 or PHSC 13200. This course represents the examination of human interaction with the dynamic environment during the emergence of civilization and settlement systems designed to reshape nature for the local benefit of human economy. Topics include the fossil record of hominid evolution, drying climates of Africa, the Younger Dryas event, catastrophic environmental change in the Black Sea associated with sea-level rise, physics and chemistry of irrigation and water management, hydroelectric power generation, desert and Aeolian geomorphology, desertification, deforestation, primitive and advanced metallurgy as a basis for human culture, geoarchaeological methods, soil development, land degradation, sea-level rise, oil and petroleum production and environmental catastrophes in antiquity. The computer lab (held in Crerar USITE) involves scientific visualization exercises using paleoclimate data with Matlab software and satellite imagery with ArcMap software. Please register by lab section. D. MacAyeal. Spring. L.

20500. Introduction to Population. (=SOCI 20122/30122) This course provides an introduction to the field of demography, which examines the growth and characteristics of human populations. We give an overview of our knowledge of three fundamental population processes: fertility, mortality, and migration. We cover marriage, cohabitation, marital disruption, aging, and population and environment. In each case we examine historical trends. We also discuss causes and consequences of recent trends in population growth, and the current demographic situation in developing and developed countries. L. Waite. Winter.

21201. Human Impact on the Environment. (=NCDV 21201) 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 change, 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) This course applies anthropological understanding to development programs in "underdeveloped" and "developing" societies. Topics include the history of development; different perspectives on development within the world system; the role of principal development agencies and their use of anthropological knowledge; the problems of ethnographic field inquiry in the context of development programs; the social organization and politics of underdevelopment; the culture construction of "well-being"; economic, social, and political critiques of development; population, consumption, and the environment; and the future of development. A. Kolata. Not offered 2005-06; will be offered 2006-07.

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. G. Davis. Autumn.

23289. Marine Ecology. (=BIOS 23289) PQ: Prior introductory course in ecology or consent of instructor. This course provides an introduction into the physical, chemical, and biological forces controlling the function of marine ecosystems and how marine communities are organized. The structures of various types of marine ecosystems are described and contrasted, and the lectures highlight aspects of marine ecology relevant to applied issues such as conservation and harvesting. T. Wootton. Winter.

23500. Political Sociology. (=PBPL 23600/33600, SOCI 20106/30106) PQ: Completion of the general education requirement in social sciences. This course provides analytical perspectives on citizen preference theory, public choice, group theory, bureaucrats and state-centered theory, coalition theory, elite theories, and political culture. These competing analytical perspectives are assessed in considering middle-range theories and empirical studies on central themes of political sociology. Local, national, and cross-national analyses are explored. 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. Winter.

23800. Issues in World Environmental History. (=HIPS 25501, HIST 19001) 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. The focus of this course is the fundamental science underlying issues of local and regional scale pollution. In particular, the lifetimes of important pollutants in the air, water, and soils are examined by considering the roles played by photochemistry, surface chemistry, biological processes, and dispersal into the surrounding environment. Specific topics include urban air quality, water quality, long-lived organic toxins, heavy metals, and indoor air pollution. Control measures are also considered. D. Archer, S. Peacock. Winter. L.

24100. The Environment in U.S. Politics. (=NCDV 24100, PBPL 22600) This course introduces the actors and processes that shape environmental policies in the United States. We examine the conflicts in values that underlie contemporary environmental debates. Case studies are used to examine the effectiveness of governmental institutions and procedures addressing environmental problems. We also use these cases to examine our own values and how we think about people living in different places and in the future. Autumn.

24300. International Development: Theory, Politics, and Policy. (=LLSO 21200) Why are some countries rich and others 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. Winter.

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) Making environmental policy is a diverse and complex process. Environmental advocacy engages different governmental agencies, congressional committees, and courts, depending on the issue. This course examines how such differentiation has affected policymaking over the last several decades. R. Lodato. Winter.

24800. The Complex Problem of World Hunger. (=BIOS 02810, BPRO 24800, SOSC 26900) PQ: Third- or fourth-year standing. It is difficult to remember that, in some parts of the world, periodic famines still decimate families and communities. Few of our policymakers are experts in economics, agronomy, food science, and molecular biology, yet all of these disciplines are essential for developing strategies to end world hunger. Choosing one country as a test case, we look at the history, politics, governmental structure, population demographics, and agricultural challenges. We then study the theory of world markets, global trade, and microeconomics of developing nations, as well as the promise and limitation of traditional breeding and biotechnology. J. Malamy. Spring.

24900. Global Environmental Politics. (=HMRT 24910, 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. Spring.

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. This course examines factors governing the distribution and abundance of animals and plants. Topics include patterns and processes in historical biogeography, island biogeography, geographical ecology, areography, and conservation biology (e.g., design and effectiveness of nature reserves). B. Patterson (odd years, lab); L. Heaney (even years, discussion). Winter.

25900. Cultural Geography. (=GEOG 20100/30100) This course is an examination of the two main concerns of this field of geography: (1) the logic and pathology revealed in the record of the human use and misuse of the Earth, and (2) the discordant relationship of the world political map with more complicated patterns of linguistic and religious distribution. M. Mikesell. Winter.

26100. Roots of the Modern American City. (=GEOG 26100/36100, HIST 28900/38900) This course traces the economic, social, and physical development of the city in North America from pre-European times to the mid-twentieth century. We emphasize evolving regional urban systems, the changing spatial organization of people and land use in urban areas, and the developing distinctiveness of American urban landscapes. Superior term papers from this course may be selected for special publication. All-day Illinois field trip required. This course is offered in alternate years. M. Conzen. Autumn.

26500. Environmental Economics. (=ECON 26500, LLSO 26200, PPHA 32800) PQ: ECON 20100. This course applies theoretical and empirical economic tools to a number of environmental issues. The broad concepts discussed include externalities, public goods, property rights, market failure, and social cost-benefit analysis. These concepts are applied to a number of areas including nonrenewable resources, air pollution, water pollution, solid waste management, and hazardous substances. Special emphasis is devoted to analyzing the optimal role for public policy. G. Tolley, S. Shaikh. Winter.

27400. Principles of Epidemiology. (=HSTD 30900, PPHA 36400, STAT 35000) Prior course in statistics recommended. 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. L. Kurina. Autumn.

28001. Environmental Ethics. (=RLST 25701) 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 lectures, discussions, group work, and case studies. 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. Spring.

28400. Contemporary Art and the Environment. (=COVA 26801/36801) This course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to recent art practice as it intersects with environmental issues. As a nomadic class, we often meet at relevant sites on campus and around Chicago, and we put theory into practice through hands-on class projects. The course is taught by a UK-based visiting artist in conjunction with the Smart Museum exhibition "Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art." N. Norman. Autumn.

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.

29801. B.A. Colloquium I. PQ: Open only to students with fourth-year standing who are majoring in Environmental Studies. 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 who are majoring in Environmental Studies (unless they are excused by the program chair). D. Aftandilian. Autumn.

29802. B.A. Colloquium II. PQ: Open only to students with fourth-year standing who are majoring in Environmental Studies. 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 who are majoring in Environmental Studies (unless they are excused by the program chair). D. Aftandilian. Winter.

29900. Senior Paper Preparation. PQ: Open only to students with fourth-year standing who are majoring in Environmental Studies. 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 students who are majoring in Environmental Studies so that they can prepare the required senior paper. Autumn, Winter, Spring.