Causes and effects of air pollution in the context of technology and society. Topics include: impact of air pollutants on air quality and climate, atmospheric science, public policy, collective action, environmental justice, science communication, economic externalities, and ethical engineering design.

The impact humans have had on the environment, and the ways in which the physical environment has shaped human history: climate, agriculture, energy use, and urbanization.

The impact of urbanization upon atmospheric processes and climates. The energy and water balances of cities. Meteorological effects (urban heat island, precipitation modification, etc.) and their significance. Models of the urban atmosphere.

Geographical ecology emphasizing contemporary species distributions at local to global spatial scales, population and community dynamics, and human impacts. Labs emphasize collecting data (sometimes outdoors) and interpreting results.

Physical and biological characteristics of the circumpolar Arctic, emphasizing terrestrial environments and the impacts on and by humans, including: glacial history; climatology; biogeography/ecology of arctic tundra; human-environment interactions, settlement and exploration; and current environmental, social and economic problems.