GEOS 1024: Earth Resources, Society and the Environment

This course provides an introduction to the Earth’s resources, including their nature, formation, occurrence, extraction, distribution, consumption, and waste management and disposal using an integrated cradle-to-grave analysis. Students will examine topics such as population, the Earth’s metallic and non-metallic resources, rare earth elements, non-renewable and renewable energy and water, sustainability, water abundance and quality, fracking, climate change, ocean acidification, and ozone depletion. They will also discuss the social, environmental, economic, and political impacts of resource production and consumption, both historically and currently, as well as predictions for future sources of energy within the United States and internationally.

Why take it?

As citizens and future professionals, students will need to make informed choices and support well-thought out policies, and this GEOS 1024 will provide them with an integrated science-based and intercultural and global understanding of complicated and controversial modern issues, such as sustainability, climate change, water resources, population grown, energy resources, and food resources.

GEOS 1024 fulfills an elective in the Blue Planet and Pathways to Sustainability Pathways minors.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites for this course.

This course fulfills Pathways requirements in Reasoning in the Natural Sciences and Intercultural and Global Awareness.