Environmental Issues      BI 326   Spring 2006

 

Meeting Times and Location:

 

3:00-4:30 Mon, Wed   Spiro 28

 

Instructor:

 

Dr. Brian Palestis

Megerle Science Bldg  417

718-390-3237

bpalesti@wagner.edu

 

Office Hours: TBA

 

Course Description:

 

This course is part of an Intermediate Learning Community with EC306 Economics of the Environment. Lectures will focus on the principles of conservation biology and environmental science. In addition to lectures, a large portion of the course will involve discussion of current environmental issues. Students are expected to actively participate in these discussions. For each article that we read, one student will be assigned to distribute a brief outline to the class that includes potential discussion questions or issues to get the discussion started.

 

Learning goals addressed are as follows: 1) an appreciation of and access to different modes of inquiry that will lead to a continued search for truth, knowledge and understanding 2) skills of listening, writing, and speech that enable effective communication and self-expression 3) competency in scientific reasoning and quantitative analysis, which promotes critical thinking and problem solving 4) knowledge and skills in a chosen field of study, which provide both the proficiency and flexibility to achieve future goals.

 

Required Text:

 

Cunningham, W.P. and M.A. Cunningham. 2006. Principles of Environmental Science.

            Inquiry and Applications. 3rd ed. McGraw Hill, New York.

 

Articles on controversial issues will be distributed by the instructor.

 

Grading:

 

Midterm exam                                      25%

Final exam                                            30%

Term Paper                                          15%  

Participation in discussions                    20%

Critical thinking exercises                      10%

 

Class Schedule:                                                               Cunningham & Cunningham Pages

Week 1 (1/18-1/20)   

            Introduction                                                                  xi-xii, 1-4, 16-22, 75-77

             

Week 2 (1/23-1/27)   

            Principles of ecology                                                                 26, 36-45, Chpt. 3

            Issue 1 Wed: Urban conservation                                              343

 

Week 3 (1/30-2/3)     

            Biodiversity                                                                              Chpt. 5

            Issue 2 Wed: Value of ecosystem services                                 330-331, 334-335

                                                                                     

Week 4 (2/6-2/10)

            Habitat destruction & fragmentation                                          111-112, 67-68

            Design of nature reserves                                                          141-144

            Issue 3 Wed: Deer overpopulation

            Issue 4 Wed: Farmland preservation

           

Week 5 (2/13-2/17)   

            Problems of small population size, conservation genetics           

            Issue 5 Wed: The Endangered Species Act                               118-120          

Invasive species                                                                        70, 112-114    

 

Week 6 (2/22-2/24; no class 2/20 – Presidents’ Day)

Issue 6 Wed: GM foods                                                           166-168, 150

            Harvesting populations                                                  115-116, 157, 333      

           

Week 7 (2/27-3/3)

            Issue 7 Mon: Overfishing

            Issue 8 Mon: Aquaculture                                                        

            Establishment of new populations, restoration ecology   139                                        

Week 8 (3/6-3/10)

            Issue 9 Mon: Captive breeding 

            Midterm Exam Wednesday 3/8

           

Spring Break

 

Week 9 (3/20-3/24)

            Issue 10 Mon: Conservation medicine                           176-182

            Pollution                                                           182-192, 163-164, 213-226, 241-256           

 

Week 10 (3/27-3/31) 

            Film “Pork Power”                                                                   156-157

            Issue 11 Mon: Green industry & agriculture                              328-329, 337-338, 170

            Global climate change                                                               199-201, 205-213      

                                                                                               

Week 11 (4/3-4/7)

            Issue 12 Mon: Global warming

            Issue 13 Mon: Water resources                                                230, 236-240

            Energy sources                                                             266-269, Chpt. 12

           

Week 12 (4/10; no classes 4/12-4/14 – Passover & Easter)                       

            Issue 14 Mon: The energy crisis           

 

Week 13 (4/17-4/21) 

            Issue 15 Mon: Alternative energy sources         

            Waste disposal                                                             Chpt. 13

 

Week 14 (4/24-4/28) 

Issue 16 Mon: Recycling                                                           270-271, 313-318

Issue 17 Mon: Nuclear waste storage                                        260, 287-288

      Sewage treatment plant field trip Wed                                 252-254

Week 15 (5/1)

            Review, discussion of term papers

            Term paper due Monday 5/1

 

Final Exam Monday, May 8, 3:00-6:00

 

 



Supplemental Readings for Discussions:

 

Issue 1: Urban conservation

            Conover (2005) The city wild

           

Issue 2: Value of ecosystem services    

            Goldfarb, ed. (1999) Should a price be put on the goods and services provided by

the world’s ecosystems?

 

Issue 3: Deer overpopulation

            Ness (2003) Oh, deer

 

Issue 4: Farmland preservation

            Twomey (2003) Sprawl’s farm team

            Mulshine (2003) Builders’ farm critique comes a cropper

 

Issue 5: The Endangered Species Act

            Goldfarb, ed. (1999) Is the U.S. Endangered Species Act fundamentally sound?

 

Issue 6: GM foods

            Cohen (2003) Crop circles

            Milius (2003) When genes escape

 

Issue 7: Overfishing

            Kunzig (2002) 2001: year of the ocean

            Pauly & Watson (2003) Counting the last fish

 

Issue 8:  Aquaculture

            Holloway (2002) Blue revolution

 

Issue 9: Captive breeding

            Ness (2001) How to breed a 2,000 pound rhino

            van Heezik & Seddon (2001) Born to be tame

 

Issue 10: Conservation medicine

            Norris (2001) A new voice in conservation

 

Issue 11: Green industry & agriculture

            Roston (2002) New war on waste

            Rice & Greenberg (2003) The chocolate tree

 

Issue 12: Global warming

            Shute (2001) The weather turns wild

           

Issue 13: Water resources

            Postel (2003) Hydro dynamics

 

Issue 14: The energy crisis

            Barlett & Steele (2003) Special report: the new energy crisis

            Holdren (2002) Energy: asking the wrong question

 

Issue 15: Alternative energy sources

            Lemley (2001) Lovin’ hydrogen

            Roosevelt (2002) The winds of change

 

Issue 16: Recycling

            Goldfarb, ed. (1999) Municipal waste: is recycling an environmentally and

economically sound waste management strategy?

 

Issue 17: Nuclear waste storage

            Wheelwright (2002) Welcome to Yucca Mountain