EESC BC1001x, 1002y
Environmental Science I, II
Global and local capacities to satisfy human demands of land, water, energy, minerals, and waste disposal. Fall term: Physical processes of the atmosphere, pedosphere, and lithosphere, and their vulnerabilities in human activities. Basic principles of ecology, the structure and function of ecosystem energy flow and nutrient cycling, rocks and minerals, weathering and erosion, solid waste and New York City, incineration, landfills, and recycling. Required laboratory sections involve sediment grain size analysis, owl pellet dissection, vole skeleton assembly, and compass pacing. Spring term: Ecosystem analysis of local and global processes in the biosphere, geographic ecology, and biome classification. Environmental disturbances by agricultural and urban-industrial processes, remedial measures, and plans for a future sustainable ecology are considered. Note that BC1002 does not convey major credit.
Professor - P. Bower.
Lab Directors - Diane Dittrick, T. Maenza-Gmelch
Prerequisites: Passing grade on Quantitative Reasoning test or equivalent.
Enrollment limited. BC 1001 required to take 1002. Students must sign up for lab sections in 404 Altschul during the program-planning period of the previous term.
Laboratory fee: $30.
4.5 points.

EESC V1010y
Death Valley Spring Break Field Trip
The field trip will focus on the geology of Death Valley area in the eastern California desert - to witness over 1 billion years of geologic change. The area has more than 11,000 feet of topographic relief due to the uplift of mountain blocks and structural valleys along faults, a process that started some 35 million years ago as a result of stretching and thinning of the earth's crust. We'll focus on the processes at work, the geological history and the various and competing interpretations of geological complexities. Our emphasis in the field will be the observations upon which the interpretations are based and to show you some fabulous geology over a well-earned break from spring classes. The excursion is aimed at first-years and sophomores with little or no prior background in environmental science, but is rooted in geological study. Two key localities will be visited daily, with short stops along the way. Working in small groups, students will make observations/collect data and develop/defend hypotheses, and respond to specific questions. See link for course requirements, application process and deadlines. Due to pragmatic limitations, the course is limited to 16 Columbia/GS, but is open to 2 Barnard, and 2 Engineering students.
Professor - Nicholas Christie-Blick.
2 points.

EESC V2100x, y
Earth's Environmental Systems: Climate
Formation of winds, storms, and ocean currents. Recent influence of human activity: global warming, water pollution. Laboratory exploration of topics through demonstrations, experimentation, computer data analysis, and modeling.
Professors - S. Pfirman, A. Gordon.
Prerequisites: High school algebra.
Recommended preparation: High school chemistry and physics. Enrollment limited.
4.5 points.

EESC V2200x
Earth's Environmental Systems: Solid Earth
Plate tectonics: Origin and development of continents, ocean basins, mountain systems on land and sea. Earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes, diamonds, oil. Land-use planning for resource development and conservation. Laboratory exploration of topics through demonstrations, experimentation, computer data analysis, and modeling.
Professors - W. Menke, K. Kastens, W. Ryan.
Prerequisite: ENS V 2100.
Enrollment limited.
4.5 points.

EESC V2300x
Earth's Environmental Systems: The Life System
Role of life in biogeochemical cycles, relationship of biodiversity and evolution to the physical earth, vulnerability of ecosystems to environmental change: causes and effects of extinctions through geologic time (dinosaurs and mammoths) and today. Exploration of topics through laboratories, demonstrations, computer data analysis, modeling, and field trips.
Professors - P. Olsen, TBA.
Prerequisite: ENS V 2100.
Enrollment limited.
4.5 points.

EESC W2330
Science for Sustainable Development
Provides an introduction to natural science approaches essential to understanding central issues of sustainable development. Topics may include: climate, ecology/agriculture/biodiversity, energy, natural disasters, population dynamics, public health and water resources. Treatment includes background, methods and applications from selected settings throughout the world. Taught by specialists in a number of fields.
Professor - J. Mutter.
3 points.

EESC BC3013y
Shorelines
An interdisciplinary study of the relationship between shoreline and stream processes, the larger ecosystems of which they are a part, and the geologic events and human impacts that have brought them through time to their current state. Hands-on experience with tools and observational methods in a variety of outdoor environments as well as both field and laboratory work, data interpretation, analysis, and the writing of two scientific reports.
Professor - P. Bower.
Enrollment limited to 8 students; permission of the instructor required.
3 points.

EESC BC3014x
Field Methods in Environmental Science
Problem-oriented field methods course provides hands-on experience with tools and observation methods in a variety of outdoor environments. Sampling and measurement techniques for air, water, soil, rock, flora, and fauna. Field and laboratory work, data interpretation and analysis.
Professor - P. Bower.
Enrollment limited; permission of the instructor required. Four required field trips.
3 points.

EESC W3015y
The Earth's Carbon Cycle
Three problems are considered: the identity of the missing sink for fossil fuel CO2, the cause of the low atmospheric CO2 content during glacial time, and the possibility of a tie between tectonics and atmospheric CO2 content. Given in alternate years.
Prerequisites: introductory chemistry and environmental science or their equivalents, or instructor's permission.
Professor - W. Broecker
3 pts.

EESC BC3016y
Environmental Measurements
Methods used in analysis of environmental samples for monitoring and research purposes. Standard and advanced techniques of air, water, sediment, and soil analysis will be covered, including spectrometric and chromatographic methods. See also pictures from past classes and a descriptive flyer on the course.
Professor - B. Mailloux with T. Kenna
Enrollment limited.
3 points.

EESC BC3017x
Environmental Data Analysis
Multidisciplinary approaches to environmental problem-solving. Acquisition and processing of environmental information focusing on atmospheric change and water resources. Analysis and interpretation of real- time and historical environmental data. Use of computers for analysis and display, assessment of spatial and temporal variability. Basic principles of statistics and GIS. Use of MS Excel software with Statplus Addin and ESRI ArcGIS sofware. The course will focus on 3 main data sets (= projects): Major ions in precipitation and surface waters in New York Arsenic in drinking water in Bangladesh; Particulate matter; and atmospheric ozone in NYC air.
Professor - M. Stute
Prerequisite: One year of college science or EESC V 2100 or permission of the instructor.
3 points.

EESC W3018y
Weapons of Mass Destruction
A review of history and environmental nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons of mass destruction (WMD), how these weapons work, what they cost, how they spread, how they might be used, how they are currently controlled by international treaties and domestic legislation. and what issues of policy and decision-making are of concern to current debates on WMD.
Profesors - P. Bower, P. Richards
3 points.

EESC BC3019x
Energy Resources
Energy sources, present and future demand, national and international resources. Environmental and policy implications of energy production and use. Present and potential use of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), nuclear fission, fusion, biomass, hydropower; wind, solar, and geothermal energy.
Professors - P. Bower, S. Pfirman, D. Abbott.
Prerequisites: One year of college science or permission of the instructor.
Alternate years.
3 points.

EESC BC3021y
Forests and Environmental Change
Seminar on forests in global change framework: forest distribution and link to climate, forest ecology, paleoecology, role of forests in global ecosystem, biological invasions, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity, conservation and management strategies. Format: class discussion of readings, student presentations on scientific papers, field trips, data collection and analysis.
Professor - T. Maenza-Gmelch.
Prerequisites: One year of college science or permission of the instructor.
Alternate years.
4 points.

EESC BC3025y
Hydrology
Structure and properties of water and the hydrologic cycle, including atmospheric waters, lakes, rivers, glaciers, groundwater. Availability and demand for freshwater resources. Environmental problems associated with the contamination of drinking water. This course counts for Quantitative Reasoning Requirement credit at Barnard.
Professors - M. Stute.
Prerequisites: ENS V 2100, physics, or permission of the instructor.
Alternate years.
3 points.

EESC BC3026y
Case Studies: Land-use Dynamics (new course in 2009:syllabus to come...)
Three case studies of topics related to land-use change and how they impact the living environment.  The three topics are:  (1) land-use change over time:  a paleoenvironmental perspective, (2) environmental transformations:  impact of exotic and invasive plants and birds on local environments, and (3) migration of neotropical songbirds between their wintering and breeding grounds:  land-use, crisis and conservation. 
Professors - T. Maenza-Gmelch.
3 points.

EESC BC3032y
Agricultural and Urban Land Use
Humans have transformed their terrestrial environment since paleolithic times and continue to do so in profound ways. This course focuses on the major physical and biological processes involved in human-environment interactions, and the concepts that humans use to understand their relationship to nature. The intertwined effects of population growth, economic development, and technological "progress" are explored in two contrasting settings: the land and the city. In the rural setting, we study how the first (and following) farmers manipulated plants, animals, soil, and water; whether the Europeans encountered the "forest primeval" in the "New World," and the transformations of forest and field in New England. In the urban setting, we analyze land use, resource-use efficiency, ecological footprint, effects of cities on regional climate, and manipulation of water resources and wetlands. Drawing from past and present examples of human use and abuse of the environment, we will seek to define our own guidelines for practical sustainable development, linking rural and urban environments.
Professors - C. Rosenzweig.
Alternate years.
3 points.

EESC BC3033x
Waste Management
This seminar will examine the principal elements of solid, hazardous and sewage waste management and will explain the options available for their treatment and disposal. A strong emphasis will be placed on urban waste management issues with most examples and case studies drawn from New York City.
Professors - P. Bower.
Alternate years.
Taught as Seminar 2004x for 4 points. Course normally carries 3 points of credit.

EESC BC3035x
Environmental Hazards and Disasters
Environmental Hazard Disasters occur at the intersection of natural/physical with social/political processes. Types of disasters range from natural, technical to purely man-made events. They include earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, hurricanes, droughts, global climate change, famines, nuclear waste and industrial accidents, weapons of mass destruction, and terrorist threats. The underlying basic physical and societal processes, the methods how to quantify the hazards, risks and losses, and the policy options to manage and mitigate against the related risks are explored in a way that is suitable for students with interests in, and at the cross roads of, the natural, social and engineering sciences and related future professional careers.
Professors - K. Jacob, W. Menke
3 points.

EESC BC3040x
Environmental Law
Local to international environmental laws and development of environmental policy. Risk management, land-use planning, and the role of industry, academia, and government in environmental decision-making, economic analysis and policy-making, the interplay of common and public law, environmental and toxic torts, corporate law, contracts and property. Criminal law in environmental cases, environmental rights, wetlands, the Storm King controversy, endangered species and the Spotted Owl, air and water pollution. (http://www.columbia.edu/itc/barnard/envsci/bc3040)
Professor - P. Bower.
Alternate years.
3 points.

EESC BC3200x
(EEEB W4200 for graduate students)
Ecotoxicology
Ecotoxicology is the study of contaminants within our natural environment and their subsequent effects on the biological organisms within this arena. This course will begin by studying the cycling of contaminants through different ecosystems. The effects of these contaminants will then be explored on a series of scales including the molecular level (biochemical pathways of metabolism and detoxification), the organismal level (target organs, behavioral effects), and the ecosystem level (species viability). Other topics: toxicity assays and beginning risk assessment. The goal of the course is to provide a base of understanding of the global ecosystem and the fate and impact of the contaminants released by human activity. (Requirements for undergraduates and graduate students differ; graduate students should consult instructor.)
Prerequisites: one semester of both Chemistry and Biology, or permission of the instructor.
Professor - B. Mailloux
Alternate years.
3 points.

EESC V3201y
Solid Earth Dynamics
Properties and processes affecting the evolution and behavior of the solid Earth. This course will focus on the geophysical processes that build mountains and ocean basins, drive plate tectonics, and otherwise lead to a dynamic planet. Topics include heat flow and mantle circulation, earthquakes and seismic waves, gravity, Earth's magnetic field, and flow of glaciers and ice sheets.
Prerequisites: Any 1000-level or 2000-level EESC course; MATH V1101 (Calculus I) and PHYS V1201 (General Physics I) or their equivalents. Concurrent enrollment in PHYS V12101 is acceptable with permission of the instructor.
Professor - M. Nettles
3 pts.

EESC BC3800x, 3801y
(Course sequence formerly numbered BC3997x and BC3800y)
Senior Research Seminar
Guided, independent, in-depth research culminating in the senior thesis in the spring. Weekly seminar to review work in progress and share results through oral and written reports. See lists of potential research opportunities and past thesis projects posted on the web.
Professors - M. Stute, S. Pfirman, B. Mailloux, M. Nettles, M. Palmer.
Senior majors (juniors with permission of the instructor).
Provides credit for the senior thesis.
3 points.

EESC BC3997y, 3998x
(Course sequence formerly numbered EESC BC3997x and BC3998y)
Guided Research
Guided, independent, in-depth research to develop the senior thesis. May be used to prepare for or, in the case of January graduates, substituted for EESC BC3800x, 3801y . See lists of potential research opportunities and past thesis projects posted on the web.
Professors - Staff.
Variable points. Permission of major adviser required.

EESC BC3999x, y
Independent Study
Advanced projects for students who have adequate backgrounds to work independently with guidance from a member of the faculty.
Professors - Staff.
Permission of the chair required. Does not provide major credit. Variable points to a maximum of 6.

EESC W4050x
Global Assessment and Monitoring System Using Remote Sensing
Introduction to fundementals of remote sensing and image processing. Specific applications to earth sciences and environmental monitoring are explored by image processing and analysis of remote sensing imagery in a state-of-the-art visualization laboratory. Prerequisite: instructor's permission. Recommended preparation: some college-level physics or math. Given in alternate years.
Professors - C. Small and J. Weissel
3 points.

EESC W4056y
Teaching and Learning Concepts in Earth Science
Pedagogical content knowledge required to teach concepts in Earth Science, including students' prior ideas about aspects of the Earth, prerequisite skills and understandings underlying Earth science concepts, use of analogies, metaphors and models to facilitate student thinking about Earth science topics, use of inquiry, and assessment of student understanding.
Prerequisites: undergraduate degree in science.
Professors - K. Kastens and A. Rivet
3 points.

EESC W4223y
Sedimentary Geology
An overview of sedimentology and stratigraphy, for majors and concentrators in Earth and environmental sciences, and for graduate students from other disciplines. Undergraduates in such related fields as Earth and environmental engineering, environmental biology and environmental chemistry are also welcome. Lectures/class discussion, labs. and field exercises are integrated, with emphasis on processes, the characteristics of sediments and sedimentary rocks, interpretation of the continental geological record, and practical applications. Students will develop a basic understanding of sedimentary phenomena and Earth's stratigraphic record, along with a range of interpretive approaches. The course builds upon material covered in Earth's Environmental Systems (EESC V2100, V2200, V2300) and comparable 1000-level courses. Completion of Mineralogy (EESC W4113) is useful, but not assumed, to accommodate juniors in Earth science as well as students on other tracks.
Offered in alternate years.
Professor - N. Christie Blick
4 points



EESC W4885
The Chemistry of Continental Waters
Introduction to geochemical cycles involving the atmosphere, land, and biosphere; chemistry of precipitation, weathering reactions, rivers, lakes, estuaries, and groundwaters; stable isotopes and radioactive tracers of transport processes in continental waters.
Recommended preparation: a solid background in basic chemistry. Offered in alternate years.
Professors - J. Simpson and P. Anderson
3 points.

EESC W4886y
Isotope Hydrology
Discussion of trace substances in groundwater systems with the potential for investigations of groundwater flow and paleoclimate. The principal methods of isotope hydrology (e.g., tracers as 'dyes' or 'radioactive clocks') and the geochemistry and sources/sinks of the individual tracers in the groundwater system are discussed. Observed distributions are presented and interpreted in terms of groundwater flow dynamics and paleoclimate.
This graduate course is open to undergraduates.
Professor - M. Stute
3 points.


OTHER RELATED COURSES
For a listing of current options, consult the Fall and the Spring Course Schedule. Listed below are recommended courses for Barnard undergraduates offered by the First-Year Seminar Program (FYSB) and in Departments of Anthropology (ANTH), Chemistry (CHEM), Science and Public Policy (SCPP), Earth and Environmental Engineering (EAEE), Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology (E3B), Economics (ECON), History, (HIST), Sociology (SOCI), Urban Affairs (URBS), as well as courses at Urban Planning at the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (PLAN), and School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) in various departments there.
For more extensive course listings, consult the Columbia College Course Catalogue (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology) and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Catalogue (Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering), the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Catalogue, and the School of International and Public Affairs Catalogue. Be aware that many courses in these catalogues, have prerequisites, require instructor or departmental chair permissions and that not all courses are open to undergraduates. Always consult your adviser or the department offering the course prior to enrolling in the course.


FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR

FYSB BC1566x
Exploring the Poles
Experience the Arctic and Antarctic from the perspective of the early polar explorers: Nansen, Scott and Amundsen, Shackelton. Study the effect of extreme environmental conditions on expedition planning and implementation. Consider the relative importance of luck and skill in ultimate outcomes. Read classic works and journal accounts, including Nansen's "Farthest North," Lansing's "Endurance." Explore the dynamics of expeditions and the role of varying environmental conditions through role play. Use a web-based exploration tool to follow varying polar conditions during the expeditions and discuss emerging issues. Courseworks website.
Professors - S. Pfirman, R. Bell
3 points


ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY (E3B)

EEEB W4086y
Ethnobotany: The Study of People and Plants
Students with backgrounds in ecology or plant systematics are given priority. The course presents a survey of the relationships between people and plants in a variety of cultural settings. Students investigate the sustainability of resource use, human nutrition, intellectual property rights, and field methodologies.
Professors - M. Balick, C. Peters
3 points

EEEB G4130
Restoration and Urban Ecology
Maximum enrollment: 14. Course fee: $50. Offered in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust's NY Bioscape Initiative, the course will examine themes of restoration and urban ecology. Class time will be spent discussing the ecology of natural spaces in human-dominated landscapes, and the theory and practice of restoration ecology. Guests lectures, and occasional all day field trips on Fridays.
Prerequisite: a course in ecology and permission of the instructor required.
Limited to 14 students.
Professor - J. Danoff-Burg
4 points


ANTHROPOLOGY

ANTH V3004x
Introduction to Environmental Anthropology- No Longer Offered
Introduces the main theoretical approaches of environmental anthropology beginning with cultural ecology and covering eco-systematic models, environmental history, political ecology, and new approaches deriving from contemporary anthropological theory. Ethnographic material from Melanesia, Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East will illustrate the theoretical material introduced in this course.
Professor - P. West (Spring 2008: C. Fortwangler)
3 points.

ANTH V3950
Anthropology of Consumption
Examines theories and ethnographies of consumption as well as the political economy of production and consumption. Compares historic and current consumptive practices, compares exchange based economies with post-Fordist economies. Engages the work of Mauss, Marx Godelier, Baudrillard, Appadurai, and Doublas among others.
Professor - P. West
4 points.

ANTH V3971x
Environment and Cultural Behavior
Examines the idea of nNature, interrogating its biological reality, cultural construction, and social production. Analyzes environmental conservation projects as rich sites for the naturalizing of race, class, gender, and nature.
Limited to 20.
Professor - P. West
3 points.

ANTH V3973y
Environmental and Development
Examines the relationship between environment and development focusing on the theory, practice, and lived experience of interventions.
Professor - P. West
4 points.

ANTH V4022y
Political Ecology
Analyzes global, national, and local environmental issues from the critical pwespectives of political ecology. Explores themes like the production of nature, environmental violence, environmental justice, political decentralization, territoriality, the state, and conservation interventions.
Professor - P. West
4 points.


EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

EAEE E1100y
A Better Planet by Design
Development of the infrastructure for providing safe and reliable resources (energy, water and other materials, transportation services) to support human societies while attaining environmental objectives. Introduction of a typology of problems by context, and common frameworks for addressing them through the application of appropriate technology and policy. An interdisciplinary perspective that focuses on the interaction between human and natural systems is provided. Alternatives for resource provision and forecasts of their potential environmental impacts through a context provided by real- world applications and problems.
Professor - U. Lall, A. Park
3 points.

EAEE E3801y
Water Quality Analysis
Principles underlying water analysis for organic, inorganic, and bacterial contaminants. Applications illustrated by means of laboratory experiments that include the study of impurity effects on physical properties of water, analysis of aggregate organic constituents, and analysis of inorganic constituents of waters of a wide range of quality, including drinking water, surface water, and wastewater. Determination of public health quality be means of current microbiological tests for the detection and enumeration of indicator organisms in various waters. Ten 3-hour laboratory sessions.
Professors - N. Assaf-Anid, P. Schlosser
3 points.

EAEE E3901y
Environmental Microbiology
Fundamentals of microbiology, genetics and molecular biology, principles of microbial nutrition, energetics and kinetics, application of novel and state-of-the-art techniques in monitoring the structure and function of microbial communities in the environment, engineered processes for biochemical waste treatment and bioremediation, microorganisms and public health, global microbial elemental cycles.
Prerequisite: CHEM C1404 or the equivalent.
Professor - K. Chandran.
3 pts.


EAEE E4001y
Industrial Ecology of Earth Resources
Industrial ecology examines how to reconfigure industrial activities so as to minimize the adverse environmetnal and material resource effects on the planet. Engineering applications of methodology of industrial ecology in the analysis of current processes and products and the selection or design of environmentally superior alternatives. Home assignments of illustrative quantitative problems. (http://www.columbia.edu/itc/eee/e4001y)
Professor - N. Krishnan
3 points.

EAEE E4009x (formerly E1001x)
GIS Applications to Environmental Problems
Basic concepts of geomatics, spatial data representation and organization, and analytical tools that comprise GIS are introduced and applied to a variety of problems including watershed protection, environmental risk assessment, material mass balance, flooding, asset management, and emergency response to natural or man-made hazards. Technical content includes geography and map projections, spatial statistics, data base design and use, interpolation and visualization of spatial surfaces and volumes from irregularly spaced data, and decision analysis in an applied setting. Taught in a laboratory setting using ArcGIS. Access to New York City and other standard data bases. Term projects emphasize information synthesis towards the solution of a specific problem comprise most of the class.
Note: Term project assignments and expectations differ for graduate and undergraduate students.
Prerequisite: Instructor's permission.
Professors - Y. Gorokhovich, A. Bagtzoglou
3 points.

EAIA or INTA E4200 (same as INAF U4729)
Alternative Energy Resources
Unconventional, alternative energy resources and their role in a future energy market are introduced. The course emphasizes technological options and how they fit into a full systems approach to the world's energy markets. The course compares conventional and unconventional, renewable and non-renewable, energy resources and analyzes the consequences of various technological choices and constraints. Consideration will be given to economic issues, energy availability, and the environmental consequences of large-scale, widespread use of each particular technology. The list of alternative energy sources includes extended hydrocarbons, solar energy, wind energy, geothermal, nuclear, and unconventional sources of hydro-energy. The course also introduces carbon dioxide capture and carbon dioxide disposal as a means of sustaining the fossil fuel option. Prerequisites include high-school-level physics or the permission of the instructors.
Professors - R. Anderson, K. Lackner, D. Walker
3 points.

ECONOMICS

ECON BC3029
Development Economics
Critical survey of the main debates within development studies: theory and empirics of growth and structural transformation; dynamics of income distribution and poverty; impact of international economic relations; population, health and nutrition; and the nature and role of government.
Prerequisite: ECON BC3035 or ECON BC3033, or permission of the instructor.
Professor - S. Reddy
3 points.


ECON W3039
Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
The link between economic behavior and environmental quality: valuation of non-market benefits of pollution abatement; emissions standards; taxes; and transferable discharge permits. Specific problems of hazardous waste; the distribution of hazardous pollutants across different sub-groups of the U.S. population; the exploitation of commonly owned natural resources; and the links between the environment, income distribution, and economic development.
Prerequisite: ECON BC1002 or ECON BC2035. Prerequisite for Economics majors: ECON BC3035.
Professor - R. Sethi
3 points.

HISTORY

HIST BC4909
History of Environmental Thinking
This course will consider how experiences of the natural world and the meaning of "nature" have changed over the past three centuries. We will follow the development of the environmental sciences and the origins of environmentalism. The geographical focus will be Europe, with attention to the global context of imperialism. Permission of the instructor.
Professor - D. Coen
4 points.


SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS


INAF U4727
Environmental Politics & Policy Management
Government, citizens, corporations, and community groups alike are increasingly aware of the shared environmental challenges our planet faces, and these parties have undertaken substantial efforts directed toward finding solutions to some of the most intractable and complex problems of sustaining life on this planet. The majority of these solutions rely on collective action and the establishment of government policies and regulations to address the inherent market failures and externalities associated with environmental pollution and natural resource degradation. These policies and institutions, and the processes that establish them, are by no means straightforward or simple. Even if we are able to identify and create environmental policies, we still face the challenge of implementing them and ensuring that they work. The course is therefore designed to give students interested in careers in environmental policy and management an understanding of the following: What are the politics of the environment policymaking? What types of environmental policy tools are available to address environmental problems? What are some of the key management issues we face in implementing environmental policies? The goal of this course is to take a system-level approach to environmental policy problems. Issues presented include: defining the environmental problem, the politics of the environment, environmental agenda setting, pollution prevention, U.S. pollution control through regulation, public works and market incentives, cross-media and cross national environmental problems, and the response of societies, economies and political systems to environmental issues. The course will also discuss international environmental regime development, conflict resolution and citizen participation in environmental decision-making.
Professor - S. MacBride
3 pts.

INAF U4729
Alternative Energy Resources
Unconventional, alternative energy resources and their role in a future energy market are introduced. The course emphasizes technological options and how they fit into a full systems approach to the world's energy markets. The course compares conventional and unconventional, renewable and non-renewable, energy resources and analyzes the consequences of various technological choices and constraints. Consideration will be given to economic issues, energy availability, and the environmental consequences of large-scale, widespread use of each particular technology. The list of alternative energy sources includes extended hydrocarbons, solar energy, wind energy, geothermal, nuclear, and unconventional sources of hydro-energy. The course also introduces carbon dioxide capture and carbon dioxide disposal as a means of sustaining the fossil fuel option. Prerequisites include high-school-level physics or the permission of the instructors.
Professors - R. Anderson, K. Lackner, D. Walker
3 points.


INAF U4740y / SOCI W3290
Introduction to Environmental Sociology
This course is an introduction to the sociology of the environment and technology, more commonly known as environmental sociology. The course is divided into two sections. The first will provide a broad initial overview of the field, presenting some of the major theoretical themes. The second will examine five key areas of study: resource dependency, social movements, environmental justice, globalization, and post-materialism. The coursework and the readings are intended to be helpful to two main groups of students: (1) those in the Sociology department who are interested in looking at the relationship between society and the natural environment; and (2) those in the School of International and Public Affairs who are within the Environmental Policy Studies Concentration. Contact Dr. Fisher with more questions regarding the course or to receive a copy of the syllabus. Office: 803 A SIPA 854-9623 or E-mail: drf2004@columbia.edu.
Professor - D. Fisher
3 points.

INAF U6243y
International Relations of the Environment
This course examines important issues in the theory and practice of international environmental politics. It provides a foundation of conceptual frameworks and factual knowledge needed to do future work in the study, design, and implementation of environmental policy. The focus is on factors that may retard or contribute to effective international environmental cooperation.
Professor - D. Downie or M. Levy
3 points.


URBAN PLANNING PROGRAM, GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING AND PRESERVATION


PLAN A4319x
Introduction to Environmental Planning
The goal of this course is to provide an introduction to the ideas and information necessary to integrate environmental viability and sustainable development with other primary concerns of urban planners, namely, equity, healthy communities and economic development. The course will explore the historical roots of current trends in environmental planning; examine theories that have developed recently to encourage the restructuring and redesign of land use patterns, environmental regulation and systems of production; and review the status of some of the basic methods and processes of environmental planning. These topics will be discussed in terms of two practice areas: environmental management (policy and regulatory decisions) and environmental planning (including land use planning and facility siting). The focus will be on providing an overview of the major concepts, actors, methods and policies used in the decision-making context, while emphasizing practical considerations and local examples.
Professor - J. Rosenthal

PLAN A4540y
Urban Environmental Planning
The goal of this course is to provide the ideas and information necessary to integrate environmental viability and sustainable development with other primary concerns of urban planners and public health practitioners, namely, social justice, environmental integrity, and health in the broadest sense, to include quality of life. Planners who work towards meeting population needs, e.g., safe and affordable housing and employment that provides a living wage, need to structure development in ways that address and solve environment and health problems, rather than making them worse. This course will cover the major concepts of population health research and practice relevant to urban planning by providing an historical basis for the topics discussed, as well as current applications.
Professor - M. Northridge


SCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY

SCPP BC3335y
Environmental Literature, Ethics, and Action
Reviews environmental literature to examine the consequences of human interactions with the Earth's ecosystem. Module I: The Individual: Relationship of Humankind to Natural World. Human rolfe in environmental decline. Module II: The Community: Coming Together for Greater Good. Key theories of environmental ethics and social justice. Module III: Environmental Stewardship: Successful Models of Leadership. Student teams research and create stewardship projects. Science, non-science, fiction, and non-fiction texts.
Professor - D. Dittrick, R. Balmer
Prerequisite: One year of college science.
Limited to 16.
4 points.

SCPP BC3340
Exhibitions: Engaging Public Understanding
Museum exhibitions educate the public, inform discourse, and shape opinion.  In this practicum students work with curators and exhibition designers on conceptualization and research, design and preparation, writing interpretative material, and developing media and ancillary programming.  Students engage in the communication of learning goals through both the exhibition’s content and its physical manifestation. Spring 2008: The upcoming American Museum of Natural History Climate exhibition will be the initial focus.  
Prerequisites: 1 semester of any of these courses: Earth’s Environmental Systems: Climate EESC 2100 or Life EESC 2300, Physiology, Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology, BIOL BC 2002, Life in the Universe, PHYS BC1753, Any Art course, including Intro to Art History, AHIS 1001.
Professors - S. Pfirman, A. Higonnet, D. Harvey, E. Mathez--both of the American Museum of Natural History.
Limited to 10.
1 point.

SOCIOLOGY

SOCI W3290 / INAF U4740y
Environmental Sociology
See INAF U4740y (above)


URBAN STUDIES

URBS V3200
GIS Methods and Case Studies
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has become an increasingly useful tool for observing and analyzing phenomena over time and space. Most of the physical and social sciences, as well as a number of professions are currently building an infrastructure of GIS data that is allowing for new interdisciplinary analyses to occur and for new spatial relationships to be realized. This course will introduce students to the basic concepts and skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) through the use of various case studies pulled from urban planning and closely related fields. Concurrently, students will be exposed to a number of urban issues that comprise the specializations of urban planning, as well as to some basic research and statistical methods.
Professor - J. Connolly
3 points

URBS V3310
Science and Technology in Urban Environments
An interdiscplinary study of science and technology in cities since the industrial revolution. The course will examine how politics, economics, culture and the natiral environment have influences the development and application of new technologies, and vice versa. Students will also participate in a lab-based service learning project, working with teams of engineering students, applying theories and knowledge about how other periods and cultures approached similar circumstances. Lab required, Limited to 30 students. Instructors permission required.
Professors - T. Cross, J. McGourty
3 points

URBS V3560
Land-Use Planning in the US
This seminar course will cover the basic proceses of planning, including those that relate to the creation of Master Plans, as well as a wide range of narrower planning topics including tax incentives for housing, smart growth initiatives, historic preservation rules, zoning board activities, etc. Class is limited to 16 students. The course counts as a Category B course.
Professor - P. Abeles
4 points.

URBS V3565x
Urban Planning in Developing Countries: Problems and Prospects
An examination of urban planning issues in cities in developing countries, with a focus on environment, employment, and housing. Four cases will be studied: Sao Paulo, Brazil; Johannesburg, South Africa; Bombay, India; and Shanghai, China. In this seminar students will consider urbanization patterns and the attendant issues, the impact of global economic trends, and governmental and non-governmental responses. Enrollment limited to 16, with departmental permission.
Professor - Staff
4 points


Listed as of by ccook@barnard.edu.