Faculty First Year Seminars 197RP4 - Introduction to Sustainabilit

This interdisciplinary course will address the theory and practice of sustainability. Its primary goal is to introduce concepts and help students to develop a framework to better understand the challenges surrounding the transition towards sustainability, with regards to both human well-being and the protection of the environment. Class discussions will involve a broad range of topics related to global climate, ecosystems, quality of life, poverty and affluence, and provide a basic overview of the complexities involving social, ecological, political, cultural and economic goals. Students will become acquainted with different approaches and sub-disciplinary fields concerned with sustainability issues, as well as with the roles of scientists, practitioners, public involvement and decision-makers in transitioning towards sustainability. This course will utilize the compilation of published scholarly articles, edited by Robert Kates in 2010. PDF copies of additional readings will be available on the Moodle web site one week before each class.

Freshmen Only