1. Introduction to the course

a. brief overview of topics

• problems and what people are writing about them
• exposure to a range of different approaches to environmental science issues
• how we learn about these
• using intellectual tools to study and communicate about these problems
• structure of the information
• matching tools to that structure
• using tools to probe for the structure
• some aspects can only be learned through experience
• this organizes into 3 threads
  • what are the problems (readings, discussions)
  • how do we learn and undesrtand these (ecological rationality)
  • the requirement for experience
• Expanding on the three threads
  • Academic (talking, wirting, dialog)
  • Structure
    • curriculum
    • authentic environment
      • viewers
      • heuristics
  • Experience
    • for direct comparison (not abstract)
    • to appreciate unique features
      • experience the sense of place
      • a curriculum of place
    • the feel of it - beyond the rational

detour: ecological rationality/heuristics/example PMI

b. this course is designed for majors - required course in Env Studies

• content
• help you learn other material more effectively and deliberately
• link to wider range of other disciplines

c. work

• attend lectures
• actively participate in discussions
• short written assignments in class and in preparation for class
• walks - (aka perambulatory perception practice)
• reading and notes before class (check the website for reminder)
• 3 short papers
• 1 final/synthetic paper

d. specific assignments - go through schedule

e. introduce myself

• academic background
• personal situation
• current research projects
  • UKL - brown water
  • UKL - algal physiology/buoyancy
  • Nicaragua
• realization about studying complex systems
• how all of these, sort of, tie together

f. write one page - non graded

• name (pronounciation)
• email
• major, year, etc
• what are several major environmental problems?
• which of these do you plan to work on in you life?
• what do you think you need to know more about to do that?

2. Environmental Problems

a. compile a list of environmental problems (each student write out)

• compare this list to others that are generate

b. compare this list to general underlying causes

• scientific knowledge
• problem solving and critical thinking
• values

c. problem types - good framework (will return to this in detail later)

d. discussion on what are the barriers to solving this problem

• Wendell Berry - 3 types of solutions
  • doesn't really solve it
  • pushes problem somewhere else
  • solves "in the pattern
• discuss major barriers
• let's come up with a description of problems that are human + nature
• range of world views

links -

topo map

Water Security Google Earth