Psychological theory and research on the interaction between organisms and the physical environment; emphasis on applications to the design and management of constructed and natural environments. Credit will be granted for only one of PSYC 421 or PSYC 321.
Offerings respond to current policy debates, topics of emerging interest, availability of visiting scholars, and interest in non-traditional courses incorporating practitioner expertise, interest in particular disciplinary perspectives missing from core courses and electives, and interest in specific regions or countries.
Climate science and impacts including: carbon management options; mitigation and energy system changes; efficiency options; 'end-of-pipe' solutions; vulnerability and adaptation to climate change; carbon economics and organization-level strategies in a carbon-constrained world.
Energy sources, markets, and impacts critical to energy policy, including oil, natural gas and coal markets; electricity and utilities policy; local and global environmental impacts; renewable energy; nuclear power and security; energy efficiency; technological innovation; and energy poverty.
Ecological consequences of the global political economy.
Domestic and international determinants of environmental policy; alternative approaches to environmental protection. The sustainable development paradigm; public opinion and interest group pressures; risk assessment; mandatory, voluntary and market-based policy instruments.
The key social and technological challenges, contradictions, and opportunities in planning for ecologically sound urbanization.
The fundamental physics behind global issues of energy use and climate change.
Moral problems arising in the context of human relationships to nature and to non-human living things, considered in terms of both general moral theory and policy formation. Topics include moral standing, animal rights, obligations to future generations, pollution, hazardous materials, the depletion of natural resources and the treatment of non-human living things. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 332 or PHIL 435.
Human health impacts of the current and projected environmental crisis; study of key concepts and ideas to prepare for the future to promote wellbeing of individuals, communities and populations.