ENVS 300 Outline

COURSE NUMBER:

ENVS 300

COURSE TITLE:

Humankind and the Biosphere

NAME OF INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Harry Spaling

CREDIT WEIGHT AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION:

credits 3(hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 2 - hrs lab 0)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is a discussion of humankind's place in nature and of its responsibility for other organisms, the environment and resources.

Prerequisites: 3 credits of natural science

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Norman Myers and Scott E. Spoolman 2014. Environmental Issues & Solutions: A Modular Approach. Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning, Belmont, CA

MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT:

ENVS Seminar Journal	25%
Resume & Interview Assignment	10%
Term tests (3)	50%
Active participation	15%
	100%

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

We will enter the “university of creation” and continue (because you have already started!) a lifelong education of being aware of and learning from human interactions with the creation so that we may become better caretakers of it. Specifically, you will:

Survey the local, regional, and global impact of human interactions with the environment, natural resources and other organisms.
Explore the ethical dimensions of these interactions and discover how a stewardship ethic speaks to these issues.
Develop critical thinking skills relative to human-environment interactions.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Sustainability
Population
Urbanization
Food resources
Renewable energy
Nonrenewable energy
Water resources
Water pollution
Air pollution
Climate change
Waste
Species Extinction

SEMINAR OUTLINE:

Biblical principles for creation care
Field trip: Urban natural spaces: Larch Sanctuary
Field trip: Farmland in the urban fringe: Pave it or preserve it?
Internship workshop #1: Resumes & cover letters (Nancy Burford)
Select a position for your mock interview
Internship workshop #2: Role-play interview (Nancy Burford)
Submit cover letter and resume for selected position
Mock interviews
Field trip: Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant
Video: Sun come up
"Last chance to see" Guest: Dr Joanne Moyer
Field trip: Edmonton Waste Management Centre.
Video: Between heaven & earth

Required texts, assignments, and grade distributions may vary from one offering of this course to the next. Please consult the course instructor for up to date details.