In this course, you will have the opportunity to explore and research issues relating to the impact of environmental issues, changes and policies, both locally and globally. This is an interdisciplinary course which will explore environmental issues principally from an Economic and Sociological perspective, as well as from the perspectives of other disciplines, such as Architectural technology, Psychology, and Hospitality management. The course is co-taught by both an Economist and a Sociologist.
In the course, you will have the opportunity to conduct research on a wide range of topics relating to the economic challenges posed by current environmental issues. This research ideally will be guided by a particular issue or question you are interested in exploring in more depth.
Open Lab will be used for a lot of the course work. The course syllabus along with links to readings and upcoming assignments will be posted here. Also, PowerPoint presentations, specific questions for class discussion on assigned readings, and your notations of progress with the semester research project will be posted here. (Note: Blackboard will still be used for grading purposes)
To prepare for weekly discussions, you should visit the course site weekly to link to and complete the assigned readings. Reminders will be announced in class. All assigned readings for the course (or links to them) should be completed before the next class session. You may occasionally be asked to post comments and reactions/thoughts on discussion questions related to the readings, guest lecturers, films, etc., which will count as part of class participation.
There will also be one group (class) scheduled tour of a site that is relevant to current environmental issues. The resources of the Brooklyn waterfront are viewed as a vital resource and laboratory for studying current environmental challenges, new technological innovations, and community progress toward addressing large environmental problems on a local scale. The purpose of the trip is to introduce students to some of these resources and to illustrate the concept of ‘place-based’ research, which will be an important focus of the research you will conduct. As such, the information the visit provides is of much value in planning your own place-based research for the semester research project.The Sustainable Architecture and Industries Tour at the Brooklyn Navy Yard is the site of our group tour this semester during week 6.
The course site also features daily RSS news feeds on issues relevant to the environment from the New York Times and other sources, which can offer additional information, new perspectives and updates on current environmental initiatives.
Open Lab will also be used for posting midterm reviews questions and updates/reminders about the final semester project
