Humans and their environment make up a complex and dynamic system. As with all ecological systems, key components are the availability and use of resources and the interactions with other species - both of which have important impacts on the nature and stability of the system itself. This course investigates these far-reaching concepts by examining topics such as the broad implications of thermodynamics, energy and material flows through human and natural systems, natural resource management, and the conservation of resources and biodiversity. We will also explore the role of science and technology in surmounting previous limits (e.g. energy use and agricultural yields), as well as the implications of inherent limits that may never be broken. Laboratory work will focus on quantitative skills and modeling tools used to examine a range of systems.

This course has a required co-requisite Laboratory - ES 220L.

Units: 1.25

Max Enrollment: 12

Prerequisites: One of the following - ES 100, ES 101, GEOS 101, GEOS 102, BISC 108, or permission of the instructor.

Distribution Requirements: LAB - Natural and Physical Sciences Laboratory; MM - Mathematical Modeling and Problem Solving; NPS - Natural and Physical Sciences

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered; Spring