ENTS 100: Science, Technology and Public Policy

Science and technology have led to profound effects upon public life over the past century. This course will study the social and political impacts of scientific and technological developments on modern life. We will investigate particular cases drawn from across the sciences, such as genetics, energy production and consumption, nuclear weapons, and the information revolution. The relationship between government, the public, and the science/technology enterprise will be examined. What is, and what should be the role of the practitioners themselves? 6; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Fall 2008 -- J. Weisberg

ENTS 100: Environmental Justice

This seminar will explore the intersection of social justice and environmental stewardship, with particular attention to issues of environmental justice. We will focus on New Orleans as a key case study. Course goals include: learning about the political and ethical issues involved in rebuilding New Orleans; developing the ability to reason about issues of environmental justice; becoming familiar with the literature on and methods used to study environmental justice; understanding how studying the social sciences can help you become a more effective citizen; learning how to apply the theories you learn in class to real-world events. This is a two-term course sequence which includes a ten day winter break field trip to New Orleans in early December. 6; S/CR/NC; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2008 -- K. Smith

ENTS 101: Environmental Justice in New Orleans

This course is the second part of the first year student seminar on environmental justice. Students will spend two weeks in New Orleans in December, studying environmental justice by interviewing government officials, activists and residents. Then they will spend the five-week half term in winter producing a research paper or documentary based on their fall seminar and off-campus experience. 6; S/CR/NC; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2009 -- K. Smith

ENTS 110: Environment and Society: Challenges of the Twenty-first Century

This course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to a number o pressing environmental challenges currently facing human societies around the world. Using a mix of lectures, discussions and field experiences, we will explore, analyze and seek to integrate the cultural, scientific, economic and political dimensions of these challenges. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the complexity of environmental issues and the interdisciplinary nature of the search for appropriate solutions. Topics will include rising population pressures, consumption patterns, agriculture, energy, fresh water issues, industrial waste and pollution, biological diversity, sustainability, and environmental governance, among other major global environmental issues. 6; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Spring 2009 -- G. Vrtis

ENTS 112: Conservation Biology

The current global rate of extinction of species is probably unprecedented in the history of the world, and the rate will increase dramatically in the coming decades. Conservation biology is a new synthetic discipline that emerged in the early 1980s to simultaneously address the scientific and social dimension of biodiversity conservation. The course presents an overview of the founding principles of conservation biology by examining the historic and present-day causes of species extinction, the biological bases central to species conservation, and the social dimension of conservation for sustainable management of biological diversity. 6; Mathematics and Natural Sciences; offered Fall 2008 -- T. Nega

ENTS 120: Introduction to Geospatial Analysis

Spatial data analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, global positioning, and related technologies are increasingly important for understanding and analyzing a wide range of biophysical, social, and economic phenomena. This course serves as an overview and introduction to the concepts, algorithms, issues, and methods in describing, analyzing, and modeling geospatial data over a range of application areas. 6; Mathematics and Natural Sciences; offered Winter 2009 -- T. Nega

ENTS 244: Biodiversity Conservation and Development

How can the need for intensive human social and economic development be reconciled with the conservation of biodiversity? This course explores the wide range of actions that people take at a local, national, and international level to address this question. We will use political ecology and conservation biology as theoretical frameworks to examine the role of traditional and indigenous approaches to biodiversity conservation as well as contemporary debates about integrated conservation development across a spectrum of cultures in North America, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Prerequisite: Sociology/Anthropology 110, 111, or permission of instructor. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2008 -- T. Nega

ENTS 245: Field Investigation of Biodiversity Conservation and Development

This course is the second part of a two term course sequence beginning with Environmental and Technology Studies 244. The first part of the course consists of a two-week field trip to Tanzania investigating the relationship between biodiversity conservation efforts and meeting the livelihood local communities. The course will conclude on campus, meeting once a week to enable students to analyze, write a report, and give oral presentation on topics chosen fall term and researched during the field trip. Prerequisite: Environmental and Technology Studies 244. 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2009 -- T. Nega

ENTS 254: Topics in Landscape Ecology

Landscape ecology is an interdisciplinary field that combines the spatial approach of the geographer with the functional approach of the ecologist to understand the ways in which landscape composition and structure affects ecological processes, species abundance, and distribution. Topics include collecting and referencing spatial data at broad scales, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), landscape metrics, simulating change in landscape pattern, landscape connectivity and meta-population dynamics, and reserve design. Prerequisites: Biology 125 and 126. 6; Mathematics and Natural Sciences; offered Spring 2009 -- T. Nega

ENTS 301: Science and Society

Science today is hardwired into virtually every aspect of our lives and the world we inhabit so much so that there is no 'space' outside science. Our societies can equally well die of the production of science (e.g., global warming, species extinction) or safeguard itself from them. In such a context, how we understand science and with what tools is a key question. The aim of this course is to explore major approaches for understanding and explaining scientific knowledge and the implications of these approaches for understanding the place and importance of science in an age of global environmentalism. Prerequisite: Sociology/Anthropology 110, 111, or permission of instructor. 6; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; not offered 2008-2009

ENTS 391: Senior Capstone Project

Execution of project described in a proposal prepared the prior fall term. Only approved projects will be supported. Projects will be presented in public. Prerequisite: Environmental and Technology Studies 398. 2-5; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Winter 2009, Spring 2009 -- Staff

ENTS 398: Senior Colloquium: Capstone Project Proposal

Proposal preparation for independent or group research, education projects, internships, nature writing, or other culminating experiences for the Environmental and Technology Studies concentration. Project proposals will be evaluated by ENTS faculty. To proceed to the ENTS 391 execution step, a proposal must be approved. 1; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Fall 2008 -- Staff