Sustainable Resource Management

The concept of sustainability guides resource management around the world. In this Program Embedded General Education Course, students will discover the history of sustainable resource management and its similarities and differences from the concept of integrated resource management. With this starting point, weekly course topics will examine sustainability from the perspective of core contemporary issues: Climate change, biodiversity and extinction, pollution, and social justice. Material will examine current case studies in natural environment areas including old-growth forests, wetlands, protected areas, fish and wildlife management, mining and outdoor recreation. Classes will be delivered in the form of lectures, guest lectures, readings small group discussions, and debates. Ultimately, students will gain an understanding of the impact of economic and social forces on the integrity of ecosystems and explore how concepts and practices of sustainability influence their lives.