ENVS& 100 Survey of Environmental Science (5 credits)

2. Summarize the history of environmentalism and the progress made in environmental awareness and cleanup.

3. Using the scientific method, describe the major components of solving environmental problems.

4. Explain how risk assessment helps determine pollution and natural hazard events and long-term effects.

5. Distinguish between the major federal environmental laws (e.g. Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, NEPA, Endangered Species Act, etc).

6. Assess the role of economics in relation to pollution, enjoyment, and value of environmental components.

7. Differentiate the biogeochemical cycles and summarize the flow of energy in an ecosystem and a food web.

8. Discuss the role of solar energy in the Earth system.

9. Summarize the roles of the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere within the Earth system and relate each to the biosphere.

10. Relate the role of humans to natural hazards in the environment.

11. Define ecology, explain symbiosis, and distinguish the various ecological levels

12. Sketch and explain the pyramids of numbers, biomass, and energy.

13. Define a biome and describe the major terrestrial biomes in relation to natural vegetation and climate.

14. Give examples of how water conservation can be practiced by industry, agriculture, and homes. Contrast the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing surface water and groundwater resources.

15. List and describe at least five categories of water pollutants and air pollutants.

16. Describe the distribution, growth, and dynamics of the world human population and analyze the impact of the human population on the environment.

17. Information Competency: Demonstrate the ability to use the library and the Internet as resource tools for locating and analyzing environmental data and information.

18. Effective Communication: Ability to do field observation and make field notes of local animal and plant communities and formulate the data gathered into concise reports and presentations.

19. Multiculturalism: Understand, appreciate, and discuss the different environmental viewpoints of various world cultures.

20. Responsibility: Examine the relationship between self and the environment, evaluate potential impacts of actions, and make choices based on that examination and evaluation.

Degree Outcomes
Natural Sciences: Graduates use the scientific method to analyze natural phenomena and acquire skills to evaluate authenticity of data/information relative to the natural world.

Responsibility: Graduates will be able to critically examine the relationship between self, community, and/or environments, and to evaluate and articulate potential impacts and consequences of choices, actions, and contributions for the creation of sustainable systems.

Information Competency: Graduates will be able to seek, find, evaluate and use information and employ information technology to engage in lifelong learning.

Lecture Contact Hours 50
Lab Contact Hours 0
Clinical Contact Hours 0
Total Contact Hours 50