This course introduces some of the major contributions of the social sciences to understanding how and why environmental problems happen—the social ‘root causes’ of these problems. Environmentally harmful human behavior is not simply a fact of life: it is a product of specific social conditions, which can be studied, understood, and changed. This course also examines social approaches to resolving environmental problems, including ideas such as ‘sustainability’, ‘market-based’ environmental policies, reforms of property systems, and social movements that promote concepts such as environmental justice, ecofeminism, and deep ecology. In this course, students practice applying these conceptual approaches by using them to analyze the root causes, consequences, and possible solutions to specific environmental topics. In previous years, the course has focused on topics such as global warming, energy, and the Pacific Northwest salmon crisis.  (Fall)

This course is a survey of the contribution of humanities disciplines (e.g., literature, intellectual history, religious studies, and philosophy) to understanding the relationship between human beings and the natural environment. Theoretical perspectives covered in the course include the intellectual history of Western cultural attitudes and perceptions of nature, the role of religion in shaping environmental values, Native American perspectives on the environment, and the suggestions of contemporary radical ecology movements – deep ecology, social ecology, and ecofeminism – for revitalizing human relationships with the environment. The last segment of the course examines humanities perspectives on several current environmental issues: wilderness preservation, the Pacific Northwest salmon crisis, population and resource use, and global climate collapse. The course emphasizes the skills of textual and cultural interpretation, value reasoning, and critical inquiry as these are demonstrated in the engagement of the humanities with environmental concerns. This course fulfills the Arts and Letters Group Requirement and is a core course requirement for Environmental Studies and Environmental Science majors.   (Fall)

Explore the conceptual landscapes that shape attitudes toward wilderness, and the physical landscapes of actual wilderness areas.  Two mandatory hiking/camping trips are a core part of the course. Must have camping equipment and hiking gear. (See course flyer for more detail) (Fall) 

This course explores the concepts that underlie the burgeoning interdisciplinary field of ecological economics. This field takes a holistic perspective, incorporating our ever-expanding knowledge of ecology into traditional economic theory. We will be examining the historical development of economics as a discipline, as well as exploring the differences between ecological and environmental economics.  (See course flyer for more detail)  (Fall)

The environmental justice (EJ) movement is a coalition of grassroots Civil Rights, environmental, and labor organizations, community activists, and academics. EJ critiques the institutionalized racism and classism that places disproportionate risks on people of color and other vulnerable populations through exposure to toxic living and work environments. In contrast to mainstream environmentalism’s focus on wilderness, the EJ movement defines the environment as the place where individuals and communities live, work, play, and worship.

This course will provide an introduction to the history, literature, and contemporary work of the EJ movement. Class readings are interdisciplinary, including works from the humanities, social sciences, law, and policy. We will begin by reading classic texts from the EJ movement, including /Toxic Wastes and Race/ and Robert Bullard’s /Dumping in Dixie/. Alongside critical and theoretical texts, we will read poems, autobiographical accounts, and novels such as the detective story /Blanche Cleans Up/ (a fictionalized account of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative in Roxbury), as well as viewing films and documentaries.  (Fall)

This is an introductory course in environmental natural sciences.  It is part of the core sequence in Environmental Studies and is required for the Environmental Studies and Environmental Science majors. It is an introductory course, designed for freshmen and sophomores, and satisfies University general education breadth requirements for natural sciences.  The only prerequisite is Math 95 or equivalent.  Course goals include to promote understanding of the value and limitations of science in understanding environmental issues; to increase familiarity with scientific concepts underlying selected environmental issues and quantitative techniques that scientists use to evaluate them; to promote an understanding of how science is used to manage natural resources to promote a sustainable economy; to enhance ability to think creatively, analytically, and without bias (i.e. to think critically); and to understand how environmental science issues pervade our lives and gain confidence to understand these issues and make decisions based on your understanding and values.  Four environmental issues are examined in some depth:  human population growth, loss of biodiversity, climate change, and energy use.  (Winter)

Considerations in the design of environmental and natural resources policies and regulations:
Balancing society’s preferences and the costs of environmental protection and resource conservation. (Winter)

After 20 years in the public spotlight, the concept of "sustainability" has arguably become the dominant framework for understanding environmental challenges today. Yet, this term is so widely used to describe such greatly differing ideas and practices (with only loose - or even contradictory - definitions) that some have questioned whether this term means anything at all. Is sustainability just a fuzzy (if appealing) buzzword? Those who have attempted to define sustainability have in some cases come to wholly incompatible conclusions about its meaning-- such as vigorous and ongoing debates between certain economists and ecologists over whether economic growth is compatible with sustaining ecological systems.

A careful examination of the competing definitions of sustainability reveals disagreements about core social, cultural, and ecological assumptions, such as: what is to be sustained (economic growth? ecosystems 'services'? ecosystems and species independent of their economic value?); who is to benefit (humans alive today? which humans? future generations? what about other species?); whose values (or 'needs') are to be sustained? (is American consumer culture a 'need'? can materially wealthy societies deny similar aspirations to others in a rapidly globalizing culture and economy?); and what time frame is appropriate? (a short time frame may make 'sustainability' too easy, whereas in the face of today's rapid ecological and technological change a long time frame may make sustaining current conditions impossible, or even undesirable). In short, an examination of 'sustainability' is nothing less than of an examination of what we desire to be as a society, what values and cultures we prioritize, how we understand our biophysical interactions with the planet, and what ethical obligations we have.

ENVS 410/510 is a new course at the University of Oregon that begins by tracing the origins of the concept of sustainability and its contemporary uses among scholars, policy makers, and environmental activists and businesses. The course then 'unpacks' the competing social, cultural, economic, and ecological assumptions and priorities that are often quietly but powerfully promoted in the push for 'sustainability'. A concept that means all things to all people can too easily come to mean little or nothing. The purpose of this course is to enable students to move beyond fuzzy buzzwords by critically examining these multiple meanings and encouraging more explicit definitions and efforts to understand and reconcile the ambiguities, tensions, and contradictions in the concept of sustainability. This is a 'tough love' course for sustainability: by examining this important concept with a highly critical eye, students will be better positioned to move sustainability forward with more rigorous definitions and goals that are ecologically sound, socially effective, ethically and culturally defensible, and technologically achievable.  (Winter)

Since all economic activity depends on the integrity of the natural world, it is paramount that we understand the forces shaping the global economy and what the ecological implications are of this economic activity.
This course approaches the international economic regime known as “globalization” as a human artifact.  Rather than focusing exclusively on history, theories of globalization and free trade agreements, we will view globalization in its contested framework taking into account the various “pro” and “con” philosophies, actors and institutions.  We
will look at four areas of concern: land, water, energy and climate and evaluate globalization’s actual and potential effects on them.  (Winter)

In-depth examination of environmental education in theory and practice.  Topics include learning theories, environmental literacy, and how to successfully plan, implement and evaluate educational programs.  We will also examine how EE is practiced in Oregon, nationally and around the globe.  A major focus is the group project, in which you will work in collaboration with a community partner to help develop EE materials.  (Winter)

Political ecology examines the politics (in the broadest sense of the word) of the environment.  Whereas environmental politics courses often focus on the role of government and interest groups in shaping specific environmental policies, political ecology expands our understanding of ‘politics’ to examine the roles of: 1) environmental rhetoric (‘discourse’), ideology, and knowledge; 2) politics and environmental change; 3) economic systems (including ‘globalization’); 4) gender-based dimensions of resource ownership and use; 5) and everyday struggles within communities and households (including ‘community’-based resource management) as they shape human relationships with nature. Although much of the political ecology literature comes from studies of the less-developed ‘third world,’ this course also examines the political ecology of the ‘first world.’   (Winter)

This course introduces some of the major contributions of the social sciences to understanding how and why environmental problems happen—the social ‘root causes’ of these problems. Environmentally harmful human behavior is not simply a fact of life: it is a product of specific social conditions, which can be studied, understood, and changed. This course also examines social approaches to resolving environmental problems, including ideas such as ‘sustainability’, ‘market-based’ environmental policies, reforms of property systems, and social movements that promote concepts such as environmental justice, ecofeminism, and deep ecology. In this course, students practice applying these conceptual approaches by using them to analyze the root causes, consequences, and possible solutions to specific environmental topics. In previous years, the course has focused on topics such as global warming, energy, and the Pacific Northwest salmon crisis.  (Spring)

This course is a survey of the contribution of humanities disciplines (e.g., literature, intellectual history, religious studies, and philosophy) to understanding the relationship between human beings and the natural environment. Theoretical perspectives covered in the course include the intellectual history of Western cultural attitudes and perceptions of nature, the role of religion in shaping environmental values, Native American perspectives on the environment, and the suggestions of contemporary radical ecology movements – deep ecology, social ecology, and ecofeminism – for revitalizing human relationships with the environment. The last segment of the course examines humanities perspectives on several current environmental issues: wilderness preservation, the Pacific Northwest salmon crisis, population and resource use, and global climate collapse. The course emphasizes the skills of textual and cultural interpretation, value reasoning, and critical inquiry as these are demonstrated in the engagement of the humanities with environmental concerns. This course fulfills the Arts and Letters Group Requirement and is a core course requirement for Environmental Studies and Environmental Science majors.   (Spring)

For the majority of people, birds represent the most frequent and powerful contact with wildlife.  While the popularity of birding grows, the overall diversity of birds continues to fall.  Addressing the limited resources and daunting data requirements for monitoring changes avian population across entire continents, many conservation projects have begun to enlist the interest and energy of birders in collecting field data. This upper division seminar course explores the growing field of citizen science in avian conservation alongside the historical and contemporary issues, theory and policies related to the conservation of birds and their habitat. Themes to be addressed include bird ID and ecology, avian conservation history and policy, conservation theory and planning, and history of citizen science in avian conservation.   (Spring)

This class is the first quarter of the Environmental Leadership Program’s two-quarter Environmental Education Initiative.  During this winter we will explore various progressive educational theories and see how environmental education is practiced in Oregon, nationally and around the globe. You w will work in teams to apply your skills, strengths and creativity towards developing educational materials that will make a difference in our community and wider world.   (Winter/Spring)

This year the teams and community partners are:
Canopy Connection (Lynch)
Climate Ethics/Equity (Lynch
Wetlands (Lynch)
Restoration (Boulay)
Turtles (Boulay)

Interdisciplinary readings in environmental studies focused on student thesis topics.  Preparation for presentations at the Joint Campus Conference and the MA thesis prospectus.  (Spring)