FYS ENV02 - Preserving Global Biodiversity and Justice

4 Hour(s) Credit
One of the grand challenges of the 21^st century is determining how to balance the need for sustainable development of human communities with the need to preserve and restore the world’s increasingly threatened species and ecosystems. Even as an ever-decreasing percentage of the world’s population lives without electricity or drinkable water, we are also living through the planet’s sixth global extinction event. This sense of crisis has led many conservationists to pit the preservation of nature against the flourishing of peoples living in or near biodiverse landscapes - this has resulted in tragedy in many places around the globe, from Yellowstone National Park in the U.S., to Bharatpur in India, to Kruger National Park in South Africa. Use an interdisciplinary lens to describe the contemporary global biodiversity collapse, its historical roots and its related human history. Using a series of case studies, investigate possible futures that might allow for flourishing of both human and non-human communities.
Three hours per week with enhancement
Meets General Education: First Year Seminar (FYS)
May Not Receive Credit for Both if a second FYS is taken. Taking a second FYS will replace the original FYS grade, regardless of topic.