Skills you'll gain

Specialization - 3 course series

The three courses comprising the Introduction to Environmental Science Specialization utilize video lectures; case studies from various sites in and around Dartmouth; interviews with experts; readings; both prompted and open discussions; and one graded quiz per module.

1. What is the difference between environmental science and environmental studies? 2. How do both differ from environmentalism? 3. Why is energy so important in environmental science? 4. What do you mean by biodiversity? You will also explore what global cycles are and how they impact our lives. You must be aware that the human impact on biodiversity and global change are two of the most important discussion points in environmental science. Have you ever wondered how we are affecting global change and biodiversity? How can we reconcile human population growth, resource demands and sustainability? The effects of global change on humans and natural ecosystems and additional factors in evaluating personal environmental impact will also be discussed in this course.

We explore questions such as: 1. How many people live on Earth right now? 2. What is the carrying capacity of Earth? 3. What is the relationship between the number of people, where they live, the resources they consume, and their environmental impact? 4. What types of agriculture are used right now? 5. What is the difference between organic and conventional agriculture? 6. Why would you want to dig a soil pit? A conversation with Phil Connors, an Australian Environmental Scientist, will explore the topic of human population and sustainability. You will also listen to the conversations with Danielle Allen, an organic farmer, and Justin Richardson, a soil scientist.

1. Non-renewable fossil fuels with a focus on coal, petroleum and natural gas and the benefits and consequences of using each. 2. Renewable fuels such as wind and solar and identify that even renewable “green” energy sources have impacts as well as benefits. 3. Biodiversity and global change, which are the integrating units of environmental science. Additionally, you will explore answers to the following questions: 1. How do we evaluate coal, oil, and natural gas from an environmental science perspective? 2. What regulates energy conversions and losses in human-built systems? 3. How much energy “flows through your fingertips?” 4. How do we evaluate hydro, solar, wind, and biomass from an environmental science perspective? 5. How can we increase efficiency and conservation? You also take a tour of the Dartmouth Powerplant and listen to a conversation with Dartmouth Sustainability Director, Rosi Kerr. Furthermore, you will take a field trip to a PV tracker solar system, visit a straw bale house, and have a conversation about waste vegetable oil as an energy source in India.

Population, Food, and Soil

Energy and Environment