The aim of this course is to achieve a broad understanding of the present-day environmental predicament; to examine economic, technological, and cultural causes of the environmental crisis; to survey major twentieth century social movements and critical discourse on environment; and to investigate the contemporary convergence between environmental science and ethics. Topics include: worldwide population growth and consumption patterns, with emphasis on first-third world comparison; the impact of industrialism and the global market on the natural world; connections between poverty, conflict, scarcity, and environmental deterioration; food production and water management in the twenty-first century; the development of alternative technologies; the perspectives of deep ecology, social ecology, ecofeminism, and sustainable development; and the politics of knowledge in scientific analyses of biodiversity loss, climate change, and global pollution. Format: seminar. Requirements: several short papers; one final research paper. Enrollment limited to 25. Priority given to majors and Environmental Studies concentrators.

Hour: CRIST