Interdisciplinary
Minor in Global Sustainability
University
of California, Irvine
Supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, Division of Undergraduate Education
Senior Seminar
Bio. 191A/Soc. Eco. 186A/EarthSS
190A Wednesdays, 8-10 a.m.
140 Steinhaus Hall
Professor: Peter A. Bowler, pabowler@uci.edu
Office hours: Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-noon, 407 Steinhaus Hall
This seminar is the first of three senior courses designed to encourage critical thinking and expand research skills in global sustainability. This two unit Pass/Not Pass course is a seminar in the true sense. It is interactive, evolving, and designed to engage students in a direct, thoughtful dialogue. The course will include field trips into the environment to experience the environmental qualities about which we be reading. These will include trips to the UNCRS Burns Reserve in Yucca Valley and the UCNRS San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh. Students will read and discuss a relevant text (Seitz, 1995), as well as read and present written and verbal summaries of approximately 40 papers. Among others, topics include biodiversity, economics, human populations, environmental ethics, human generated pollution of the air, earth and water, habitat restoration, and habitat management. Various videos will supplement readings and discussion ("After the Warming", "Wild by Law", and others.).
Required Text:
Seitz, J.L. 1995. Global Issues: An Introduction.
Blackwell Publishers, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Additional readings to be summarized in class:
Arrow, K., B. Bolin, R. Costanza, P. Dasgupta, C. Folke, C.S. Holling, B.-O.
Jansson, S. Levin, K.-G. Maler, C. Perrings, and D. Pimentel. Economic Growth,
Carrying Capacity, and the Environment. Policy Forum. Science 268:
520-521.
Cairns, J.C., Jr. 1991. Saving endangered species. Symposium on Virginia's Endangered Species. MacDonald and Woodward Publishing Co., Blacksburg, VA. pp. 623-629.
Eisner, T., J. Lubchenco, E.O. Wilson, D. S. Wilcove, and M.J. Bean. Building a Scientifically Sound Policy for Protecting Endangered Species. Policy Forum. Science 268: 1231-1232.
Meyer, S.M. 1993. Environmentalism and economic prosperity: An update. 10 pp.
Naiman, R.J, J. J. Magnuson, D.M. McKnight, J.A. Stanford and J.R.Karr. 1995. Freshwater ecosystems and their management: A national initiative. Science 270: 584-585.
St. Clair, J. and A. Cockburn. 1996. A songbird by the throat is worth two in the bush: how consensus killed the gnatcatcher and the endangered species act.
Wilson, E.O. 1992. Biodiversity: Challenge, Science, Opportunity. Amer. Zool. 32: 1-7.
Wolf, E.C. 1991. Survival of the Rarest. World Watch (March-April issue): 12-20
Day trip to the UCNRS Burns Pinon Ridge Desert Reserve
Student papers
Fall quarter 1996
Salvage Logging by M. Ajao, February 5, 1997
The Endangered Species Act: To Be or to Be Reformed by Steven Bekedam, February 2, 1997
Conflict over Air Quality Standards by Allison Gotoh, February 5, 1997
Proposition 197- Public Safety or Public Trickery by Steve Jones, February 5, 1997
Dolphin Protection in the Tuna Fishery by John Malek, February 1997
Natural Communities Conservation Planning by Ruth Michelstein, February 1997
America's Endangered Species Act by Parvez Nawab, January 25, 1997
Poaching of Black Bears in Canada by Duc Nguyen, February 4, 1997
Bringing back the Bison by Mari Ohara, February 1997
Restoration of Bison onto the American Prairie by Moneil Patel, February 1997
Turtle Safety by Kevin Tiyaamornwong, February 1997
Hunting for Safety or Pleasure? by Mark Weng, February 1997
India: A Test of Global Sustainability by Parvez Nawab, February 1997 Winter quarter 1997
Native Americans and the Environmental Movement by Mandy Tran, March 1997
Ecotourism by Ruth Michelstein, March 1997
Owens Valley Tragedy by Steven Bekedam, March, 1997
Wetland Restoration by John Malek, March, 1997
Pros and cons of wildlife corridors by Mandy Tran, March 1997
Global Change by Kenneth B. Pierce Jr., March 1997
The Damming of the Yangtze River by Kevin Tiyaamornwong, March 1997
Climbing and Respecting the Environment by Jason Davis, March 5, 1997
The Ahmanson Ranch Development by Allison Gotoh, March 12, 1997
Ecotage: A Practical or Punishable Means of Environmental Activism? By: Steve Jones, March 15, 1997
Agent Orange by Duc Nguyen, March 4, 1997
Norwegian Whaling By Nalen Uk, May 1997
Preservation of Laguna San Ignacio by Mark Weng, April 23, 1997
Spring quarter 1997
Golf Courses, Biofilms, and the Black Plug Layer by Diego Caivano, June 6, 1997
Coastal California Gnatcatcherby Allison Gotoh, June 1997
Constructed Wetlands: A Last Effort to Save a Disappearing Habitat? by Christine A. Hager, June 1997
Why we need wolves in Yellowstone by Christine A. Hager, June 1997
Regulation of California Wetlands: Batiquitos Lagoon a Model by Amelia Minegar, June 1997
The Destruction and Restoration of California Wetlands by Amelia Minegar , June 1997
American Chestnut Blight and the Conservation of Chestnut Trees by Moneil Patel, June 1997
Lawn Pesticides by Chris Syrengelas, June 1997
Golf and the Environment by Chris Syrengelas, June 1997
The Effects of Chemical Control Agents Used Against the Gypsy Moth by Stephanie Wronski, June 1997
Freshwater Mussels by Moneil Patel, June 1997
Foothill Toll Road's Toll on Wildlife by Mark Weng, May 1997
Winter quarter 1998
The USDA’s Standards for Organic Food By Dore Burry, March 1988
Are we Roundup® ready? By Dore Burry, March 1988
Sustainability By Johnny Djordjevic, March 1998
Three Gorges Dam By Johnny Djordjevic, March 1998
Can We Count on Aquaculture to Save Us? By Debra Einstein, February 11, 1998
Intensification: Can Agriculture Keep Up With Population Growth? By Debra E. Einstein, March 4, 1998
The world will not end with a crash, but in a whisper by Ian Forrest, March 10, 1998
Mitigation by Ian Forrest, March 10, 1998
Laguna San Ignacio By Irma Garcia, February 11, 1998
Saving the Ballona Wetlands By Irma Garcia, March 1998
Golden Lion Tamarin Reintroduction Program: Save them, Save us. By Nicole Litzie, February 11, 1998
Whaling: What's going on at the IWC By Nicole Litzie, March 11, 1998
The Salton Sea by Natalie L. Meyerhoff, February 22, 1998
Why Kill Dolphins? By Daniel G. Nunez, March 1998
Rethinking Chlorinated Tap Water By Daniel G. Nunez, April 1998
Hanford: a historical perspective By Hung Dan Phu, March 8, 1998
The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project By Stephanie Rice, March 1998
El Nino kills off our Seals By Benyamin Rocca, March 2, 1998
The Yucca Mountain Project by Jeffrey O. Smith, March 1998
Ocean Contaminants and the Impact of El Nino by Jeffrey O. Smith, March 1998
Spring quarter 1998
Oil Spill Response by Noyan Aynechi
Pfeisteria: the Cell from Hell by Boons Baythavong
Damaging Diversity by Debra E. Einstein
The Ozone Pollution Crisis by Ting-wan Huang
Cause and Effects of Noise Pollution by Daniel G. Nunez
Environmental Ethics By Mari Ohara
The Improvement of Automobile Fuel Economy by Manjeet Sandhu
Fishing in the North Atlantic: What's Left? by Kenny Tao
Can Electric Cars Solve Air Pollution Problems? by Chris Tomongin
Sustainable Development, Eco - Tourism, and Globalization: Are They Compatible by Andrea Yoder
Winter Quarter 1999
Economic Debates on the Performance of the Endangered Species Act by Lesley Ballou
Urbanization and its Human Influence by Debra Einstein
Sustainable Development by Fiorella Gardella
The Meat Industry..Is it worth it? by Fiorella Gardella
Atlantic Blue Giants, by Sarah Libecap
Nuclear Waste by Frances Lin
The Promise of Green Architecture by Riaz Adaikkalam
New Urbanism and the Environmental Movement by Riaz Adaikkalam
Winter Quarter 2000
CFL: The Light to the Future by Victoria Wang
Global Warming by Kenby C. Su
Tropical deforestation and its effect on
global climate by Pamela Shader
Cloning, the next step in species conservation?
by Pamela Shader
Fall Quarter 2001
HEVs
(hybrid electric vehicles) by Margaret Faoro
The South China Tiger by Margaret Faoro
Tropical Rainforest
Destruction by Margaret Faoro
For details contact the Program Co-directors: Dr. Peter A. Bowler, 321 Steinhaus Hall;
ext. 6006 Dr.
Peter J. Bryant (pjbryant@uci.edu)
School of Biological Sciences
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92717, USA
Phone (714) 824-4714 Fax (714) 824-3571