BIOL 310
Environmental Issues
General Information
- Instructor: Dr. Mark Merlin
- Textbooks:
- Principles of Environmental Management.
The Greening of Business by R. A. Buchholz,
1993. Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs.
- Alteration of Hawaiian Vegetation, Effects of Humans,
Their Activities and Introductions,
by L. W. Cuddihy and C. P. Stone, 1990.
University of Hawaii Press: Honolulu.
The environmental crisis is an outward manifestation of a
crisis of mind and spirit. There could be no greater
misconception of its meaning than to believe it is concerned
only with endangered wildlife, human-made
ugliness, and pollution. These are part of it, but more
importantly, the crisis is concerned with the kind of
creatures we are and what we must become in order to survive.
-- Lynton K. Caldwell
Introduction
The environmental awareness that has grown during the last several
decades has changed how we as a species conduct our affairs
on this planet. This awareness
and sensitivity has evolved from a knowledge of local effects
on our environment through the use of chemicals such as DDT to a global
consciousness of environmental impact affecting such
factors as biodiversity and ozone integrity.
While it is certainly an understatement to say
that not all members of our species embrace
an environmental ethic and will act
within natural boundaries which preserve the Earth's ecological
balance, it is also true that many individuals do understand what is at stake
and will monitor and critique human activity and our past actions
have brought us to a point where natural consequences cannot be ignored.
Consequently, it is important that each of us understand and value what the
science of ecology has to say regarding the nature
of the Earth's web of life, how this biosphere interacts
with the planet, and how Hono sapiens fits into and affects this world
wide web. A scientifically literate and responsible citizen of the 21st
century will need basic ecological information to interpret news stories and
make intelligent personal, economic, and political decision.
Biology 310 has a number of curricular objectives based on knowledge,
skills, and values to include:
- to become knowledgeable about basic ecological terminology and principles
and the impact of humans on the enviroment
- to acquire skills in the critical analysis and evaluation of
environmental issues and in communicating opinions and
arguments to others
- to foster the value of examining human activity within environmental
parameters and considering long range consequences
The format of this course addresses issues by examining:
- basic concepts of environmentalism to include principles of
ecology, environmental ethics, and the interplay of economics
and politics with ecology
- specific environmental issues from a global, national, and Hawaiian perspective
- alterantive perspectives and solutions
Topics
- Course introduction and mechanics
- Emergence of environmental awareness
- Basics of ecology - energy flow and matter cycles
- Basics of ecology - ecosystems as cybernetic systems
- Environmental ethics - the evolution and diversity of world views
- Economics and ecology
- Politics and ecology
- Global warming and ozone depletion
- Environmental home pages on the World Wide Web
- Biodiversity - ecosystem destruction and extinction
- Human population growth and impact
- Air and water pollution (2x)
- Solid and hazardous wastes
- Pesticides and other toxins
- Wetlands and coastal erosion
- Individual environmental activism
- Evolution/ecology Haqwaiian style (native biota)
- Polynesian imapct
- Post-Polynesian impact
- Indivudual and global actions for a sustainable Earth ethic
Note: there are likely to be a number of invited speakers who will
highlight perspectives from other academic disciplines, government
agencies and ecologically-oriented organizations.
From Spring 1995 syllabus.