ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES (ENVS)-----Note: Listings for GEOL follow ENVS 999

SM 098. The Next Millenium: Would Technology Help Us Resolve the Environmental Dilemma?. (C) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Bokreta / Santiago-Aviles.

Over the last century we have witnessed the dominance of man over nature. Technology, our understanding of our environment and our consumption habits have been the principal weapons used in this conquest.  Now, at the beginning of a new millenium, questions and concerns about our actions and perceptions are being raised.  Can today's technology and new knowledge about our environment and human nature assure our survival?  How can we use the next hundred years to reconstruct and restore our future?  These are the fundamental questions that the class will investigate.This course will rely on evidence,the use of hypotheses, theories, and logic as well as students' scientific inquiry and creativity.  We will discuss systems, models, simulations, constancy, patterns of change, evolution, and scale.

L/R 200. Introduction to Environmental Analysis. (C) Physical World Sector. All classes. Plante.

An introduction to philosophy, techniques, and selected details of the application of a broad spectrum of disciplines that relate to environmental problems.

295. Maritime Science and Technology: Woods Hole Sea Semester. (C) Bordeaux. Prerequisite(s): Laboratory course in physical or biological science or its equivalent; college algebra or its equivalent. This set of courses requires special application procedures.  Contact Dr. Giegengack for information and an application.

A rigorous semester-length academic and practical experience leading to an understanding of the oceans.  The Sea Semester is composed of two intensive six-week components taken off-campus.  The Shore Component is six weeks at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, with formal study in: Oceanography, Maritime Studies, and Nautical Science.  This is followed by six weeks aboard a sailing research vessel, during which students conduct oceanographic research projects as part of the courses, Practical Oceanography I and II.

        Maritime Studies.  A multidisciplinary study of the history, literature, and art of our maritime heritage, and the political and economic problems of contemporary maritime affairs.

        Nautical Science.  The technologies of operation at sea.  Concepts of navigation, naval architecture, ship construction, marine engineering systems, and ship management are taught from their bases in physics, mathematics, and astronomy.

        Practical Oceanography I.  Taken aboard SSV Westward or SSV Corwith Cramer. Theories and problems raised in the shore component are tested in the practice of oceanography at sea.  Students are introduced to the tools and techniques of the practicing oceanographer.  During two lectures daily and while standing watch, students learn the operation of basic oceanographic equipment, the methodologies involved in the collection, reduction, and analysis of oceanographic data, and the attendant operations of a sailing oceanographic research vessel.  Practical Oceanography II.  Taken aboard SSV Westward or SSV Corwith Cramer.  Students assume increasing responsibility for conducting oceanographic research and the attendant operations of the vessel.  The individual student is responsible directly to the chief scientist and the master of the vessel for the safe and orderly conduct of research activities and related operation of the vessel.  Each student completes an individual oceanographic research project designed during the shore component.

299. Independent Study. (C) Staff. Prerequisite(s): Permission of department. May be repeated for credit.

Directed study for individuals or small groups under supervision of a faculty member.

301. Environmental Case Studies. (C) Doheny. Prerequisite(s): ENVS 200.

A detailed, comprehensive investigation of selected environmental problems. Guest speakers from the government and industry will give their acccounts of various environmental cases.  Students will then present information on a case study of their choosing.

SM 400. Environmental Studies Seminar. (C) Scatena. Prerequisite(s): ENVS 301. May be repeated for credit.

Application of student and faculty expertise to a specific environmental problem, chosen expressly for the seminar.

SM 404. (HSOC404) Urban Environments: Speaking About Lead in West Philadelphia. (B) Pepino. ABCS Course.  Requires community service in addition to class time.

Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, impaired hearing, behavioral problems, and at very high levels, seizures, coma and even death.  Children up to the age of six are especially at risk because of their developing systems; they often ingest lead chips and dust while playing in their home and yards.

        In ENVS 404, Penn undergraduates learn about the epidemiology of lead poisoning, the pathways of exposure, and methods for community outreach and education.  Penn students collaborate with middle school and high school teachers in West Philadelphia to engage middle school children in exercises that apply environmental research relating to lead poisoning to their homes and neighborhoods.

SM 405. (HSOC405) Urban Environment II. (A) Pepino. Prerequisite(s): ENVS 404 or permission of instructor. Requires community service.

An independent study where Penn undergraduates can explore the health, environmental, and natural resource issues of Philadelphia,with a focus on the specific needs of West Philadelphia.  Current public health concerns impacting vulnerable populations such as children, especially lead poisoning and asthma, are potential topics.  Environmental issues such as water supply, air quality, radon, brownfields, and sprawl would also be good areas of study.  Community service can be a component of the study.  Permission from the instructor is required.

SM 406. Community Based Environmental Health. (A) Pepino. ABCS Course.  Requires community service in addition to class time.

From the fall of the Roman Empire to Love Canal to the epidemics of asthma, childhood obesity and lead poisoning in West Philadelphia, the impact of the environment on health has been a continuous challenge to society.  The environment can affect people's health more strongly than biological factors, medical care and lifestyle.  The water we drink, the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the neighborhood we live in are all components of the environment that impact our health.  Some estimates, based on morbidity and mortality statistics, indicate that the impact of the environment on health is as high as 80%.  These impacts are particularly significant in urban areas like West Philadelphia.  Over the last 20 years, the field of environmental health has matured and expanded to become one of the most comprehensive and humanly relevant disciplines in science.

        This course will examine not only the toxicity of physical agents, but also the effects on human health of lifestyle, social and economic factors, and the built environment.  Topics include cancer clusters, water borne diseases, radon and lung cancer, lead poisoning, environmental tobacco smoke, respiratory diseases and obesity.  Students will research the health impacts of classic industrial pollution case studies in the US.  Class discussions will also include risk communication, community outreach and education, access to health care and impact on vulnerable populations.  Each student will have the opportunity to focus on Public Health, Environmental Protection, Public Policy, and Environmental Education issues as they discuss approaches to mitigating environmental health risks.

        This honors seminar will consist of lectures, guest speakers, readings, student presentations, discussions, research, and community service.  The students will have two small research assignments including an Environmental and Health Policy Analysis and an Industrial Pollution Case Study Analysis. Both assignments will include class presentations.  The major research assignment for the course will be a problem-oriented research paper and presentation on a topic related to community-based environmental health selected by the student.  In this paper, the student must also devise practical recommendations for the problem based on their research.

SM 407. (HSOC407) Urban Environments: Prevention of Tobacco Smoking in Adolescents. (B) Pepino. ABCS Course.  Requires community service in addition to class time.

Cigarette smoking is a major public health problem.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Control reports that more than 80% of current adult tobacco users started smoking before age 18.  The National Youth Tobacco Survey indicated that 12.8% of middle school students and 34.8% of high school students in their study used some form of tobacco products.

        In ENVS 407, Penn undergraduates learn about the short and long term physiological consequences of smoking, social influences and peer norms regarding tobacco use, the effectiveness of cessation programs, tobacco advocacy and the impact of the tobacco settlement.  Penn students will collaborate with teachers in West Philadelphia to prepare and deliver lessons to middle school students.  The undergraduates will survey and evaluate middle school and Penn student smoking.  One of the course goals is to raise awareness of the middle school children to prevent addiction to tobacco smoke during adolescence.  Collaboration with the middle schools gives Penn students the opportunity to apply their study of the prevention of tobacco smoking to real world situations.

SM 408. (HSOC408) Urban Environments: The Urban Asthma Epedemic. (B) Pepino. ABCS Course.  Requires community service in addition to class time.

Asthma as a pediatric chronic disease is undergoing a dramatic and unexplained increase.  It has become the number one cause of public school absenteeism and now accounts for a significant number of childhood deaths each year in the USA.The Surgeon General of the United States has characterized childhood asthma as an epidemic.  In ENVS 408, Penn undergraduates learn about the epidemiology of urban asthma, the debate about the probable causes of the current asthma crisis, and the nature and distribution of environmental factors that modern medicine describes as potential triggers of asthma episodes.

        Penn students will collaborate with the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) on a clinical research study entitled the Community Asthma Prevention Program.  The Penn undergraduates will co-teach with CHOP parent educators asthma classes offered at community centers in Southwest, West, and North Philadelphia.  The CHOP study gives the Penn students the opportunity to apply their study of the urban asthma epidemic to real world situations.

450. Techniques in environmental accounting and system analysis. (C) Scatena. Prerequisite(s): One year of introductory calculus and statistics, working knowledge of spreadsheet software.

This course covers the development and analysis of environmental budgets and input-output models that are commonly used in earth and environmental science. The first part of the semester will concentrate on the physical laws, systems principles, and analytical tools used in developing and evaluating input-output models and environmental budgets.  In the remainder of the semester, we will develop and analyze hydrologic, energy and nutrient budgets for a variety of systems.

452. Disturbances and Disasters. (A) Scatena.

This course covers the earth and environmental science of natural disturbances and disasters.  Floods, tsunamis, snow and ice storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, droughts, and meteor impacts will be discussed and covered with case studies and readings.  The distribution and frequency, geologic and ecosystem level impacts, and risk management of each disturbance will be discussed.

SM 463. (ENVS643, URBS463, URBS663) Brownfield Remediation. (M) Keene. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

This course gives an overview of the genesis of the so-called "Brownfield" problem and of the various efforts that our society is taking to try to solve, or at least ameliorate it.  The course will place the "Brownfield" problem in the broader context of the growth and decline of industrial base cities like Philadelphia.  Students will study the general constitutional and statutory framework within which we approach the problems of orphan, polluted sites and the disposal of contemporary solid wastes.  They will also analyze the principal actions that have been taken by federal and state governments to address remediation and redevelopment of abandoned industrial sites.  In addition, the course will explore environmental equity issues.

499. Senior Thesis. (F) Giegengack. Prerequisite(s): ENVS 400-level course (may be taken concurrently). The Environmental Studies major requires 2 semesters of ENVS 499.

The culmination of the Environmental Studies Major.  Students write a thesis on a topic which combines their concentration with Environmental Studies. Students work with an advisor in their discipline.

SM 502. Environmental Chemistry. (M) Doheny and Andrews. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

The chemistry of water, air, and soil will be studied from an environmental perspective.  The nature, composition, structure, and properties of pollutants, their means of detection and methods of purification and remediation will also be studied.

504. Biogeochemical Cycles. (L) Gill. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

The presence of life on Earth has had a profound effect on the chemistry of the planet.  This course examines the major elemental cycles of the globe, studying how these cycles link the atmosphere, oceans, and land.  We will analyze how life influences these cycles, particularly how human activity affects them.  We will study nutrient cycles in soil, wetlands, lakes, rivers, estuaries, the sea and the atmosphere, integrating these interactions to global-scale processes.  One semester of chemistry recommended as background.

507. Wetlands. (M) Willig. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

The course focuses on the natural history of different wetland types including climate, geology, and,hydrology factors that influence wetland development Associated soil, vegetation, and wildlife characteristics and key ecological processes will be covered as well.  Lectures will be supplemented with weekend wetland types, ranging from tidal salt marshes to non-tidal marshes, swamps, and glacial bogs in order to provide field experience in wetland identification, characterization, and functional assessment.  Outside speakers will discuss issues in wetland seed bank ecology, federal regulation, and mitigation.  Students will present a short paper on the ecology of a wetland animal and a longer term paper on a selected wetland topic.  Readings from the text, assorted journal papers, government technical documents, and book excerpts will provide a broad overview of the multifaceted field of wetland study.

530. Rocky Mountain Field Geology and Ecology. (L) Giegengack/Bordeaux. Field work is done in and around Red Lodge, Montana.  An additional fee for Room and Board applies.  Permission of the Instructor is required for non-MES students.  Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

Designed for the MES program (open to non-MES students by permission of the instructor).  This is a two-week intensive field course in the geology, natural history, and ecology of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which comprises a range of environments from the mile-high semi-deserts of intermontane basins to the alpine tundra of the Beartooth Plateau above 12,000 feet.  The program is based at the Yellowstone-Bighorn Research Association (YBRA) field station on the northeast flank of the Beartooth Mountains near Red Lodge, Montana.  The course includes day trips from the field station as well as overnight visits to sites within Yellowstone National Park.  Pre-trip classes will be held online before the trip to ensure that all students are adequately familiar with basic principles of field-based natural science.

SM 533. Research Methods in Environmental Studies. (M) Bordeaux.

This course is designed to prepare Master of Environmental Studies students to undertake their Capstone exercises.  In this course, we discuss how to identify an appropriate research project, how to design a research plan, and how to prepare a detailed proposal.  Each student should enter the course with a preliminary research plan and should have identified an advisor.  By the end of the course, each student is expected to have a completed Capstone proposal that has been reviewed and approved by his/her advisor.

541. Modeling Geographical Objects. (M) Tomlin.

This course offers a broad and practical introduction to the acquisition, storage, retrieval, maintenance, use, and presentation of digital cartographic data with both image and drawing based geographic information systems (GIS) for a variety of environmental science, planning, and management applications. Its major objectives are to provide the training necessary to make productive use of at least two well known software packages, and to establish the conceptual foundation on which to build further skills and knowledge in late practice.

SM 575. (ENGL584, FOLK575, HSSC575) Environmental Imaginaries. (M) Hufford.

Behind struggles over resource use and patterns of development are collective fictions that relate people to their material surroundings.  "Environmental imaginaries" refers to the contending discourses that arrange society around processes of development and change.  What are the Cartesian fictions that enable the chronic separation of culture from environment?  How are these fictions produced, enacted, and materialized in such diverse sites as Appalachian strip mines, Sea World, nature talks, and permit hearings?  How might alternative ways of knowing and being be conjured through naming practices, narratives, and other speech genres, as well as yardscapes, protest rallies and other forms of public display?  Drawing on theories of worldmaking and ethnographic works on culture and environment, this seminar examines the production of Cartesian-based environmental imaginaries and their alternatives across a range of such genres and practices.

580. Ecology of Health. (A) Sheehan.

Movements of people and populations in various historic periods have led to the introduction of diseases new to a population.  The colonial period, for example, witnessed the introduction of smallpox to the Americas by European colonizers, resulting in the decimation of indigenous populations. Accompanying changes in agricultural practices, ecological destruction, and changes introduced by war, development, and trade often led to altered habitat, diet, and disease patterns that threatened both colonizers and the colonized.  Today, rapid and easy movement of individuals and goods around the globe, as well as new technologies, continued status inequality between rich and poor nations, and sociopolitical conflicts, have created a condition of new, emergent, and reemerging diseases.  In addition, the ability of microbes to alter in response to changed environments make identification and control of disease-causing agents a challenge to medical science.

        This course will focus on the social, political, and economic sources and ramifications of world-wide disease patterns.  Infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, tuberculosis, and AIDS will be examined.  Ecological changes and new technologies, often alter food resources, productive activities, and the environment resulting in new disease patterns; one example is arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh brought about by deeply bored wells.  The The activities of national and international organizations to cope with disease outbreaks, to formulate strategies for disease surveillance and notification, and to create solutions are important to understanding the state of global health.  Selected case studies will be used, placing them within a framework of sociological analysis of health and disease, medical research, poverty and disease, as well as national and international organizational and policy responses.

SM 601. Proseminar: Contemporary Issues in Environmental Studies. (M) Pfefferkorn & Gill. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

A detailed, comprehensive investigation of selected environmental problems. This is the first course taken by students entering the Master of Environmental Studies Program.

604. Conservation and Land Management. (M) Harper. Some Saturday field trips will be required.

Using protected lands in the Delaware Valley, this field-based course will explore various strategies for open-space conservation and protection.  In addition, students will be introduced to land management techniques used on such sites to restore or preserve land trust proerties in accordace with goals set for their use or protection.Sustainable land uses such as community supported agriculture, ecovillages, and permaculture design will be covered. Emphasis will be placed on developing skills in "Reading the Landscape" to determine conservation and restoration priorities.  Students will produce a site assessment report on sites that they visit.

608. Geology & Ecology of the Isle of Arran, Scotland. (L) Giegengack and Bordeaux. Prerequisite(s): An introductory Geology or Ecology course would be helpful. MES Summer Course.

The Isle of Arran, off the west coast of Scotland, might very well be called the birthplace of modern Geology.  James Hutton, Scottish Physician and gentleman farmer, conceived of the concept of Uniformitarianism, while wandering about the Isle of Arran.  Hutton's Theory of the Earth laid down this concept, which later became one of the foundation principles of modern geology and earned him the appellation "Father of Modern Geology".  The island offers a wide variety of rock types and geological events that has drawn geologists and students from around the globe to this tiny island.

        The position of the Isle of Arran off the west coast of Scotland, places it close to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, allowing for a much milder and wetter climate than might be expected from the island's latitude.  The distribution and types of plants and animals found on the island are a direct consequence of this milder and wetter climate.  The proximity to ocean waters also gives the class a chance to examine near shore marine environments.

        ENVS 688 is a two-week intensive field course in the geology, natural history, ecology, and culture of the Isle of Arran, Scotland.  Pre-trip classes will be held online before the trip to ensure that all students are adequately familiar with basic principles of field-based natural science.  Students will then meet in Glasgow and travel together to the Isle of Arran where they will be based for the duration of the two weeks.  Students will participate in a number of field exercises that include: mapping of dikes, examination of raised beaches (causes and consequences), cave formation, and modern landscape formation based on underlying geology.  The types of plants and animals found on the island will be examined in light of their position on the island and the underlying geology.  Students will map floral distributions as part of a multi-day exercise, examine the red deer population and the effects of interbreeding with an introduced Japanese Sika deer, and the possible consequences of reintroducing the wolf.  Students will also examine ancient standing stones, stone circles, runrig agricultural practice's effects on modern landscapes, and tour Brodick Castle as part of the cultural aspect of the course.  Guest lectures from local historians are also planned.

610. Regional Field Ecology. (L) Willig. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.  Some Saturday field trips required.

Over the course of six Saturday field trips, we will travel from the barrier islands along the Atlantic Ocean in southern New Jersey to the Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania, visiting representative sites of the diverse landscapes in the region along the way.  At each site we will study and consider interactions between geology, topography, hydrology, soils, vegetation, wildlife, and disturbance.  Students will summarize field trip data in a weekly site report.  Evening class meetings will provide the opportunity to review field trips and reports and preview upcoming trips.  Six all-day Saturday field trips are required.

SM 611. Environmental Law. (B) LeGros.

This course will provide an introduction to environmental law and the legal process by which environmental laws are implemented and enforced.  The course will examine the common law roots of environmental regulation in tort principles such as nuisance, negligence and trespass.  We will examine important Constitutional principles in substantive and procedural law as well as significant environmental laws and approaches.  Finally, we will examine emerging theories of citizen's rights and the government's role in environmental law and regulation.  Students will learn how to read and analyze course decisions and apply some of the elements of legal thinking to actual cases and current problems.

612. Economics and the Environment. (M) Handy.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to basic economic tools and methods, as they are applied to environmental issues -- including pollution control, resource depletion, the global commons, intergenerational equity, and policy decision-making.  The course is designed for those with little or no prior economics background; disciplined sceptics are welcome.

SM 613. Business and the Natural Environment. (B) Heller. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

This course explores dramatic changes taking place at the interface of business, society, and the natural environment.  Previously, business and environmental interests were believed to be adversarial.  Now, some contemporary thinkers are suggesting that environmental capabilities can be a source of competitive advantage for corporations.  A recent Harvard Business Review article refers to the sum of these changes as "The Next Industrial Revolution." In this course we will study examples on the cutting edge of these developments.  We will look at corporations that are creating a "double bottom line" by strategizing about the ecological impact of their decisions, as well as the economic impact.  We will learn about industrial designers who are rethinking everything from tennis shoes to corporate headquarters' buildings with the environment in mind.  We will consider new alliances among business, environmental activists and government regulators -- all stakeholders in a sustainable society.

615. Professional Case Studies in Environmental Analysis and Management. (M) Laskowski.

This course is designed for students nearing the end of their MES program.  It will provide students with hands-on experience working with local environmental professionals on projects in the Delaware Valley region.  Each student will select a project made available by a local public or private agency.  Among the tasks that students will perform are data collection and analysis, project planning, and documentation.  Each student will prepare a detailed report under the direction of the agency representative that can be the basis for a Capstone project.  Those interested in continuing on to the Capstone phase will use the report as the basis for a publishable document to be prepared in conjunction with the participating agency.

SM 617. Innovative Environmental Management Strategies. (M) Laskowski. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

This course will evaluate innovative environmental management strategies used by corporations, governments, the public, and NGOs including approaches such as the concept of pollution prevention, environmental management systems, green buildings, green product design, product labeling, environmental education, the power of information, market-based techniques, and industrial ecology.  Some professionals believe that these innovative approaches have the potential to result in more environmental improvement than will be realized by additional regulatory requirements.  This course will address which approaches work best and identify critical elements needed to ensure the best approaches to specific problems.  Students will be exposed to real-life situations through expert guest lecturers, case studies, and "hands on" projects.

SM 620. (AFST620) Topics on African Environmental Issues. (B) Fonjweng.

Africa is a land of great contrasts and possesses a rich mix of scenic beauty, impressive biodiversity, cultures, economies and history.  Almost completely encircled by water and home to a network of some of the world's largest and longest rivers, Africa is also home to two vast and expanding hot deserts. While Africa contains enormous amounts of mineral wealth, it also has fifteen of the world's least developed countries.  Its climate ranges from the harsh extremes in hot deserts to the Arctic Current dominated temperate climate of the southern tip of Africa and the pleasant Mediterranean climate of North Africa.

        Africa's remarkable ecological diversity is unique and is an expression of the varied climates in the continent, with camels in Egypt, Goliath frogs (the largest frogs in the world) in Cameroon and the African penguins in Namibia and South Africa.  Africa has extensive fertile grasslands and lush equatorial forests, yet many of its people suffer from hunger and starvation.  Despite possessing some of the most scenic and pristine landscapes in the world, poor resource management has resulted in serious environmental problems in various parts of Africa, including air and water pollution, deforestation, loss of soil & soil fertility and a dramatic decline in biodiversity through out the continent.

        This course aims to explore Africa's natural environment and the impact of human activities on it.  Each semester the course will offer an overview of Africa's environment as it relates to one of the following two topics 1) Water issues; 2)Environmental impact of development projects, natural resource extraction and consumption.  Each semester, in addition to analyzing one of the above topics, we will pick a couple of case studies from within the US that can be used to show parallels between some of the issues discussed in the African case studies.  The students will be asked to conduct research on a relevant topic in any region in Africa for a paper due at the end of the semester.

621. Public Voices, Private Rights: Perspectives on American Environmentalism. (A) Minott. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

This course will address various aspects of American environmentalism.  We will look at structural issues such as the foundations of environmental protection in common law, the constitutional limits on environmental protection, and the creation of bureaucratic environmental policy making.  We will also look at philosophical issues such as American Conservationism and Preservationism, the anti-environmental backlash, and environmental justice. Finally, we will discuss scientific and legal issues such as the economics of risk, the question of who can speak for Nature, and voluntary actions/command and control.

SM 623. Crossing Borders: Policy, Regulatory and Management Issues in Transboundary Environmental Protection. (B) Feldman. Offered through CGS - See Current Timetable.

Transboundary issues arise at the local, regional, supra-national, and global levels.  Pollution does not respect political boundaries; habitats are defined by ecosystems, not by regulation.  This course will introduce the difficulties posed by cross-border issues and, using case studies, explore a range of policy, regulatory and management mechanisms employed to address these challenges.  Among the topics to be covered include: interstate compacts (e.g. Chesapeake Bay), NAFTA Commission on Environmental Cooperation (e.g. biodiversity in North America), Regional Cooperation (e.g.  Baltic Sea, international watercourses), European Union regulation (e.g.  Hazardous Waste directives and the Basel Convention), and international conventions (e.g.  The Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions).

625. Overview of Environmental Justice: Issues, Actions and Visions for the Future. (B) Harris and Thompson. Offered through CGS-See current Timetable.

Many people refer to the Environmental Justice Movement as the most significant social rights movement to occur in this country since the Civil Rights Movement.Communities around the United States have expressed concerns related to the siting, permitting and clean up of hazardous waste sites in minority and low-income areas.  Beginning with the protests in Warren County, North Carolina, Environmental Justice has become a most critical and controversial issue in this country.  This course will provide an overview of the history, guiding principles, and issues of concern regarding Environmental Justice and will examine the approaches taken by communities, EPA, state and local government over the years to address these concerns.  Students will be expected to evaluate and assess the various issues and case studies presented to them in a critical fashion, discuss these case studies, and make recommendations for appropriate action.

SM 627. The Delaware River: An Environmental Case Study. (B) Laskowski and Collier. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

The Delaware River and Estuary offer an opportunity to examine efforts to protect the environment in a multi-state, economically and ecologically complex area.  This case studey will review environmental protection efforts in and around the River, the stressors on the environment, and attempts to balance environmental protection with economic, employment, and other needs. Itwill address scientific issues, relationships between air and water quality transportation and sprawl issues, the balancing of water quality and water quantity.  Students will learn about the institutions responsible for managing this complex system, and what goals and indicators of progress are used by these organizations.  Students will be asked to research, in detail, one or more aspects of the environmental management systems.  They will identify the key drivers in determining environmental quality, recommend inprovements to the system, and propose a vision for the future.

629. Global Environmental Politics. (A) Hunold. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

Nation-states and multinational corporations are the most powerful actors in the global political economy.  What does this mean for efforts to protect the global environment?  Do environmental activists stand a chance?  Drawing on insights from green political theory, international relations, and political economy, the field of global environmental politics may have the answer. Following a survey of relevant state and non-state actors in global environmental politics, and a review of major international environmental agreements, we will examine diverse theories of global environmental politics. Regime theory, global governance, green critiques of globalization, green theories of state sovereignty, and social movement theory offer competing accounts of the role of state, society, and economy in creating and managing global environmental change.  Our goal will be to assess these competing explanations and strategies for promoting global ecological sustainability.

SM 631. Current EPA Regulatory Practices and Future Directions. (A) Laskowski.

The regulatory approach continues to be the foundation of environmental protection in the US.  This course provides an overview of key environmental laws and regulations, and the processes used to write permits, conduct inspections and take enforcement actions.  It is taught mainly from the perspective of the federal government and will also include perspectives from the states, NGOs, and the regulated community.  Techniques used to set priorities, ensure fairness, and encourage compliance are included.  Current issues in major regulatory programs will be reviewed and future directions will be discussed.

632. Energy and the Environment in the U.S. (M) Huemmler.

This is a survey course that will examine the current U.S. energy industry, from production to consumption, and its impacts on local, regional, and the global environment.  The course will seek to provide a fuller understanding of existing energy systems, ranging from technical overviews of each, to an exploration of the well-established policy framework each operates within. Near-term demands upon each energy supply system will be discussed, with particular focus on environmental constraints.  Policy options facing each energy industry will be reviewed.  By semester's end, successful students will have developed an intellectual framework to understand the challenges facing the U.S. energy system.

SM 633. Community Involvement in Environmental Analysis and Management. (A) Pomponio and Esher. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

This course will investigate the various community involvement and communication tools, venues, and practices used during the analysis and management of decisions affecting the environment.  Students will be exposed to real-life situations through expert guest lecturers, case studies, and hands on projects.  The course will investigate communication practices for project specific issues relative to the National Environmental Policy Act ( NEPA), Superfund, and other local, state, and federal vehicles.  Students can expect to learn, experience, and apply communication tools to ongoing proposals for major highway, impoundment, and other infrastructure proposals as well as for environmental clean up initiatives launched under various authorities.  Students will also examine and contribute to citizen advisory and stakeholder forums for major watershed and estuary programs.  Specific communication challenges to achieve environmental justice and the conveyance of technical information will be explored.

SM 635. Major Global Environmental Problems of Today and how we must deal with them tomorrow. (B) Laskowski. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

Global environmental problems of today are some of the greatest challenges of the new millennium.  Almost everyone is in some way part of the problem and increasingly will be asked to be a part of the solution.  The problems that we face today often differ from those of the past because it is sometimes difficult for the international community to agree on the extent, causes, and impacts of the problem and how to allocate responsibility for the resolution of the problem.  Governments, businesses and NGOs around the world have recognized the need to take the initiative and address these issues through regulation, voluntary approaches, and cooperation on an international level. How best to manage these problems is the constant challenge.  This course will provide an overview of several of the major global environmental problems facing the world today, and how they are connected by common causes, underlying themes and concepts critical to the understanding and management of these issues.  It will examine the over-arching concepts of sustainability and globalization as well as frameworks for assessing and managing the issues.

        The course will also consider the role of the major players/stakeholders in the situation, including governments, non-government organizations, and private sector individuals/participants, and where appropriate, touch on such issues as intergenerational aspects and the potential long-term irreversibility.  With the assistance of regional and national experts, we will address specific problems, such as: human populations and their environmental impact; issues surrounding resources such as food, water, habitats, and energy; global climate change; the ozone layer; and problems of international/environmental terrorism, catastrophes, and disease.  Each student will prepare a report and presentation on some aspect of a topic discussed during the term.

637. Global Water Issues. (A) Laskowski. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

Water- related illnesses are estimated by some to kill up to 5000 people per day worldwide and many of these casualties are children.  This course will explore the causes of this global crisis and what is being done to address the issue.  It will provide an overview of international agreements, wastewater and water supply issues, technological advances, political/financial/cultural and other barriers to success, and what students can do to become involved in resolving the issues.  Guest lecturers and case studies will provide insights to problems in problem areas around the world.  Students will be asked to evaluate specific problems and suggest improved approaches to improving access to clean water.

SM 638. Topics in Global Water Management Governance and Finance. (A) Laskowski.

This course will focus on the governance and finance issues surrounding the efforts to meet the UN Millennium Goal [MDG] for water supply and sanitation. Every twenty seconds someone in the world, usually a child, dies from a water-related problem.  The MDG aims to halve the percentage of the world's population without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation". Inadequate organization, corruption, poor educational systems are some of the critical barriers relating to good governance.  Finding sufficient funding, promoting public-private partnerships, and establishing needed legal/financial systems are some of the financial challenges.  Using case studies, guest speakers, and the latest information available this course will provide insights to students on how to address these issues.

641. Water in Environmental Planning. (M) Curley.

This course will present a combination of technical and non-technical material.  Its purpose is to introduce the people who are not engineers or scientists to the practices that engineers and scientists use to study water and watersheds.  It will present the following concepts: Hydrology, Water Treatment, and Waste Water.

SM 643. (ENVS463, URBS463, URBS663) Brownfield Remediation. (M) Keene. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

This course is intended to give students an overview of the genesis of the so-called "Brownfield" problem and of the various efforts our society is taking to solve or, at least, ameliorate it.  The course will place the "Brownfield" problem in the broader context of the growth and decline of the industrial base of cities like Philadelphia.  Students will study the general constitutional and statutory framework within which we approach the problems of orphan, polluted sites and the disposal of contemporary solid wastes.  They will also analyze the principal actions that have been taken by Federal and state government to address remediation and redevelopment of abandoned industrial sites.  The course will also explore environmental equity issues.

        The students will collaborate with high school students at the West Philadelphia High School to identify sites in their neighborhoods and to learn how to determine the sites ownership and land use history.  The students will study ways of determining environmental risk and the various options that are available for remediation in light of community ideas about re-use.  Students will be expected to participate actively in the seminar and the sessions with high school students.  Students in the course are required to prepare and present a term paper on a topic in the general area of "Brownfield" analysis and remediation.

645. Planning for Land Preservation. (B) Daniels. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

An introduction to the tools and methods for preserving private lands by government agencies and private non-profit organizations.  Topics include purchase and donation of development rights (also known as conservation easements), land acquisition, limited development, land swaps, and the preservation of urban greenways, trails, and parks.  Preservation examples include: open space and scenic areas, farmland, forestland, battlefields, and natural areas.

646. A Primer on Stream and River Ecology. (M) Blain.

This class explores streams and rivers from the perspectives of both the natural and social sciences.  Students will get a solid grounding in the hydrology, geology, physics, chemistry, and biology of streams and rivers, and they will learn how all these fit together in a watersheds ecosystem.  They will also examine the impacts that human development has had on such ecosystems over time -- how rivers have become polluted, what mechanisms they have to fight pollution, and what we need to do to protect, maintain and restore them now and in the future.

        In addition to considering such questions within a theoretical framework, the class will look at issues in the real world.  Students will set up an actual monitoring system, in which they will process samples taken from above and below a sewage treatment plant in a local stream, and then analyze and interpret the sample data.  They will also learn about ongoing research projects in the watersheds that supply New York City its drinking water and in the streams and rivers of developing nations.  In both cases, they will not only study the science but also the politics of streams, rivers, and the water that they convey.

652. From Bartram to Janzen: Thinking about Nature in America. (C) Offered through CGS - See current Timetable.

This seminar will explore the history of environmental thought in the United States from roughly the 18th century to the present.  Topics include: the use and development of natural resources.  The definition, planning, and management of public spaces such as national parks, game lands, and zoos. Establishment of environmental standards; the emergence of conservation ecology; "green" politics; and ecofeminism will also be covered.Students will be encouraged to examine the public discussion of these issues as well as the development of policy.  Course requirements include several short papers (3-5) active participation in class discussion.

SM 656. Environmental Sociology. (B) Sheehan.

The context in which debates take place and decisions and laws about the environment are made, leads to a focus on the community, defined here as workers and residents.  Members of urban and rural communities, situated near polluting factories, hazardous sites or landfills, are affected by these contaminants.  Using a sociological framework, this course will study the community and its relationship to environmental issues.  Community members often first identify local hazards; they form organizations, map polluted sites, and enumerate residents with diseases that may originate from contaminanants.  Sociologists identify these grassroots initiatives as community epidemiology.  Social justice concepts highlight the intersection of race, poverty, and environmental hazards.  Major social institutions corporations, government agencies, health care providers have played a role in covering over occupational and environmental hazards.  Worker and community action has forced these institutions to take a role in identification and remediation of hazardous sites, and of continuous monitoring of neighborhoods and residents.  In terms of health effects, among citizens, experts, and major institutions, and debates about both the local and global consequences of environmental hazards, will be among the topics covered.

        The emergence of institutional structures at the local, state, national, and international levels, to deal with environmental protection, identification and testing of hazards, and establishing limits for exposure, will be examined.  The course will include readings on significant contemporary and historical occupational and environmental events in the United States.  In addition, selected, international case studies of occupational and environmental issues will be undertaken.

SM 658. Violence and the Environment. (B) Minott. Offered through CGS - See Current Timetable.

Governments, corporations, environmental organizations, anti-environmental organizations, and individuals have resorted to violence as a means to achieving an environmental end.  Although some defend such violence as the only way to achieve specific goals, do the ends ever really justify the means? Does violence have a place in the environmental movement?  How should environmentalists respond to pro- or anti-environmental violence?  This course will study instances of such violence,and explore why violence has been seen as an acceptable or sometimes the only way to achieve a desirable end.

662. Green Design and the City. (B) Berman. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

Can our cities become examples of sustainable design?  Does inner city revitalization tie into sustainability?  Are there successful examples to learn from?  This seminar will focus on how existing cities attempt to integrate green design principles within them.  It will look at case studies, both in the US and abroad.

        Urban design and transportation will be examined within this context, including how to create pedestrian friendly spaces.  Infill construction and the adaptive use of existing buildings will be discussed, as well as the reuse of brownfield sites.  We will also look at what types of construction actually constitute green buildings.

        We will take advantage of our local resources within Philadelphia, and include visits to nearby sites, along with talks by local experts.  There will be a series of short projects given throughout the term.  They will usually include both a written component and a presentation to the class.  The energetic execution of these projects, their presentations and the subsequent discussions, will be a key part of this seminar.

SM 664. Sustainable Design. (C) Berman. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

This seminar will focus on how physical design can improve sustainability.  It will be broken down into 3 parts: Green Buildings, Green Urbanism, and Smart Growth Planning.  Starting small, we will begin by looking at which types of construction actually constitute Green Buildings and which of these are the most effective.  Our look at Green Urbanism will focus on existing cities and towns.  They will be examined in terms of how urban design and transportation can promote sustainability.  Finally, Smart Growth planning concepts for new developments will be discussed.  This will include a survey of New Urbanism. Both these closely allied approaches are recent attempts to guide new growth in a more sensitive manner.  We will also take advantage of local resources within our region, and include visits to nearby sites, along with talks by local experts.

668. Selected Topics in Environmental Health. (C) Pepino.

From the fall of the Roman Empire to Love Canal to today's epidemics of asthma and childhood obesity, the impact of the environment on health has been a continuous challenge to society.  This course will examine how environmental factors have contributed to chronic disorders and diseases.  Selected topics will include cancer clusters, COPD, radon and lung cancer, lead poisoning, environmental tobacco smoke and the aforementioned obesity and asthma,epidemics.students will be contrasting priority environmental health issues internationally with those in their local communities.  Class discussions will also focus on risk communication, community outreach and education, access to health care and vulnerable populations.  Students will be asked to research one environmental health topic in detail, to present their findings to the class, and to propose recommendations for future action.

674. Assessment and Remediation of the Environment Using Biological Organisms. (M) Vann.

This course is an introduction to current and emerging techniques for analyzing environmental contamination and remediation of damaged environments. Knowledge of these options will be important for both students interested in policy/law options, as well as providing a starting point for those pursuing a more science-oriented understanding of environmental issues.  The first portion of the course will address bioindicators--the use of living systems to assess environmental contamination.  Many new methods of rapidly-analyzing environmental samples are becoming available.  These include systems ranging from biochemical assays to monitoring of whole orgainsms or ecosystems, as well as techniques ranging from laboratory to field and satellite surveys. The course will survey these approaches to familiarize the student with this rapidly developing field.  The second portion of the course will introduce techniques for bioremediation--the use of living organisms to restore contaminated environments.  Several case studies will be provided (perhaps with external speakers).  Students will be expected to prepare a final paper examining a particular technique in detail.

678. Advanced Biogeochemistry. (B) Vann. A soils course would be helpful, but not required.

The course will cover nature of the field of biogeo chemistry and its application.  Topics include, elemental cycling at various scales,from global to watershed level,the interaction between geology and biology in controlling how these relationships have changed over the Earth's history and man's influence on these cycles.

        The course will include an examination of the CENTURY computer model, a popular model for examining nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Students will submit a term paper on a related subject, such as comparing the functioning of two watersheds or summarizing current understanding of a particular cycle, etc.

680. Advanced Environmental Chemistry. (M) Nemeroff. Offered through CGS - See current timetable.

This course will examine the environmental contamination of water, air, and soil.  Students will continue the evaluation of composition, structure and properties of pollutants, their means of detection and methods