ENVS 110 - Introduction to Environment & Sustainability

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This course explores ways to understand interactions between our social and natural worlds. Familiarizing students with concepts and theories from environmental geography, political ecology, and related fields is the first major course goal. As such, ENVS 110 provides basic social science background for upper level courses in the Environmental Studies and Environmental Science major, along with ENVS 112: Ecology and the Human Future (natural science). Campus and the Delaware, Ohio area serves as a point of engagement throughout the semester: environmental and sustainability issues are everywhere, and understanding how these issues play out on the ground in real places is the second major goal of the course. All students in ENVS 110 will engage in a course project that reveals their understanding of course content, culminating in a presentation of results. This project can look at a local issue, such as water runoff or recycling or green energy, or focus on a particular environmental object – invasive plants, Canadian geese, feces, carbon from air travel, or microplastics, for example. Students will develop an overview of their topic, then show how concepts and theories, learned in class, help to understand and explain the complexities of environmental issues. Projects will be presented during the final weeks of the semester. Social science. Suggested for first semester freshmen interested in E&S and related majors. Open to all freshmen & sophomores. No prerequisites. ENVS 100 2/400 1 (.25 credit) should be taken with this course by new program majors. Gen Ed Competency: Act Responsibly