Current Issues in Environmental Science (EEB 3205)

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Evolving Syllabus: Current Issues in Environmental Science (honors) EEB 3205; Fall 2015, Tuesday-Thursday 12:30-1:45 PM, Room: TLS 301

Target Audience: students who wish to increase their understanding of alternative futures. Discussions of environmental issues and the science behind them will lay the groundwork. Although designed as an honors course, other students in good standing can enroll with permission.

Instructor: Chris Simon, Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Texts: G. Tyler Miller & Scott Spoolman. Living in the Environment. 17th Edition (Used copies are available; also available as an “e-book”.)

The Control of Nature, by John McPhee. Section 1 of this book will be discussed in Class in Mid Semester; the book was written in 1989 but is still relevant today. You can get used and new copies on-line very cheaply.

Listen or read each week, Public Radio International’s “Living on Earth” program at www.loe.org

Class Website: Google EEBedia UCONN current issues environmental science, userid: EEB3205, password: environment

Quiz & Current Each Tuesday except the first, there will be a quiz consisting of five to ten Events: questions related to the readings for the previous Thursday and the current Tuesday including www.loe.org from the previous Friday (Week 1 = 4 Sept 15). Reading the text is also required. Each Thursday at the beginning of class current events assignment are due and 3-5 volunteers will present their findings. Each student is required to present at least three of their current events assignments orally.

Attendance: As with all your classes, you will take away knowledge in proportion to the energy you put in. Students are expected to attend every class. However, UCONN policy states that students involved in activities supervised by a University faculty member or official (e.g, scholarly or artistic presentations or etc.) should “inform me in writing prior to the anticipated absence and take the initiative to make up missed work in a timely fashion.”) The same applies to medical and family emergencies that are documented in writing.

Grades: Current Events- 20%, Class participation (including attendance, input to class discussion)and Assignments (Unnatural Foods, Control of Nature, Alternative Futures) - 20%; Quizzes-20%; Term Project/Final Oral Presentation- 20%; Final Exam- 20%.

Office Hrs: Any time by appointment: chris.simon@uconn.edu. E-mail is better than phone. Office: Bio-pharmacy 305D; phone: 486-4640; lab- 486-3947

Seminars: Several scientific lectures (seminars) are listed on the syllabus. Some of these are part of UCONN’s multidisciplinary long- running TEALE Lecture Series, “Nature and the Environment.” Because these generally take place at 4:00 PM on Thursdays and could conflict with your class schedule, they are not mandatory. They are, however, highly recommended. Most represent talks by well-known international experts and relate to course material. These talks can be written up in place of a current events.

Follow Instructions: Part of your grade will depend on how well you follow the instructions each assignment; this is an important skill!

Pdficon small.gif Syllabus EEB 3205 17 Nov 15 w LOE shifted
Pdficon small.gif Possible seminars of interest in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, UCONN College of Agriculture
Pdficon small.gif Current Events Assignment EEB 3205 F 15
Pdficon small.gif Alternative Futures Questionnaire F 15
Pdficon small.gif Schwenk's Citation Format (shows format for citing scientific articles)
Pdficon small.gif Unnatural Foods Assignment Revised
Pdficon small.gif Control of Nature Assignment
Pdficon small.gif Term Project EEB 3205 1 Sep 15
Pdficon small.gif Sample term project outline
Pdficon small.gif Tips for Powerpoint Presentations EEB 3205 1 Sep 15
Pdficon small.gif Tips for reducing text on powerpoint slides.
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 1 notes
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 2 notes
Pdficon small.gif Five Most Serious Threats Facing the World Today
link= https://dropbox.uconn.edu/dropbox?n=Lecture%203%20EEB%203205%20Ch3%20webs%2C%20nutrient%20cycles%2017e.ppt.pdf&p=EWZ3eb4lA3v945VKd5 Lecture 3 notes
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 4 notes
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 5 notes
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 6. Mark Urban lecture notes
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 7. notes (and first part of lecture 8)
Pdficon small.gif Lectures 8 & 9 Human Population Growth (second half revised).
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 10. Food and Soil Resources (including a summary of class unnatural foods results).
Pdficon small.gif Interesting pages on nuts and oils from the Nutrition Action Health Letter
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 11. Agriculture and pesticides.
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 12. Mineral and water resources.
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 13. Water pollution and air pollution
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 14 notes Biodiverstiy, Invasive Species, Endangered Species, Ecosystem Conservation.
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 15. Robin Chazdon Guest Lecture on Forest Regeneration.
Pdficon small.gif Science article focusing on the career of Robin Chazdon.
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 16. Hawaii: endemism, endangerment, and extinction
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 17. Fossil & Nuclear Fuels
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 18. Acid Rain: Past, Present, and Future; Gene Likens
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 19. Part I. Nuclear Energy.
Pdficon small.gif Lect 19 (part 2) and Lecture 20. Alternative Energy
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 21. Rich Miller. Reducing UCONN's ecological footprint.
Pdficon small.gif Handout. Alternative cleaning products & toxic waste articles
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 22. Solid and Hazardous Waste.
Pdficon small.gif Lecture 23. Sustainable Cities.