After 30 years in common parlance, the success of "Sustainability" still seems far from its goal. In part, this is because sustainability is typically applied as another way to manage scarcity, a paradigm informing economic and social policy for well over a century. Underlying this dominant view of sustainability, an increasing number of approaches to sustainability projects, some of longstanding are entering the mainstream as pieces of an identifiable, and distinctly novel, paradigm based on the assumption of abundance, rather than scarcity. These include ideas of the Natural Step and Natural Capital, as well as Cradle to Cradle and Biomicry. The goals of this seminar are (1) to survey and discuss this growing literature and its application to the solution of sustainability problems; and (2) research and analysis towards transforming scarcity-based to abundance-based solutions. To be considered as a capstone option for majors in Environmental and Conservation Sustainability, students must also register for NR 754 in the Spring semester.

Practical and conceptual presentation of the use of remote sensing and other geospatial technologies for mapping and monitoring the environment. This course begins with the use of aerial photographs (photogrammetry, and photo interpretation) and includes measures of photo scale and area, parallax and stereo viewing, object heights, flight planning, photo geometry, the electromagnetic spectrum, camera systems and vegetation/land cover mapping. The course concludes with an introduction to other geospatial technologies including digital image analysis, global positioning (GPS), and geographic information systems (GIS). Conceptual lectures are augmented with practical homework assignments and hands-on lab exercises. Lab.

The pursuit of sustainable solutions to living in our contemporary world is a global endeavor. In this course, the concept of living sustainably is explored from a broad international perspective. Global scale issues impacting sustainable resource use are considered, including population growth, economic globalization and development, social equity, and cultural values. We will expand our awareness of alternatives to those current practices that impede the sustainability of human societies as part of the earth's natural systems. We will also pursue an understanding of the interrelated socio-economic conditions, combined with social and personal ethics and values necessary to move toward a more sustainable future. And each of us will come to value what sustainable living means for our own lives.

This course engages students in advanced topics in sustainable energy. Course reviews basic structures of our energy system, energy markets and economics, and the environmental, economic and technological of energy landscape. Focus is on electricity and building use with introductions to the transportation system. Students gain the knowledge to evaluate innovations in technology, policy and financing necessary to implement sustainable energy goals from conservation and efficiency to renewables and energy storage.