Wildfires, deforestation, air pollution, plastics in the ocean, lead in water, and increasingly destructive natural disasters have all been in the news lately. What are the underlying causes? What can be done? In this course students will examine eight environmental issues. They will become familiar with the current knowledge, debates, human impacts, economic consequences, policies, and potential solutions for each issue. Lectures will introduce each of the disciplines that contribute to the dialogue on these environmental issues, while a final project will allow students to dive deeper into one major environmental issue within the context of each of these disciplines. In addition to lectures, readings, and discussion there is a semester-long group project culminating in a final paper.
The study of atmospheric science includes the prediction of weather and climate change as well as their impact on society. Designed to provide an understanding of the fundamentals of atmospheric science at the local, regional, and global levels, this course covers the nature, composition, and structure of the atmosphere, its interactions with other parts of the Earth, and the major chemical mechanisms controlling the occurrence and mobility of air pollutants in the atmosphere. Course topics also include global atmospheric composition, ecosystems, living organisms, and environmentally important atmospheric species such as greenhouse gases, stratospheric ozone, acid precipitation, urban smog, and air toxins.