Course |
Fall 2020 |
Spring 2021 |
Fall 2021 |
Spring 2022 |
511
Ecological Patterns and Processes
511 Ecological Patterns and Processes : This course gives students a fundamental mechanistic understanding about the way abiotic (e.g., climate) and biotic (e.g., resources, competitors, predators) factors determine pattern in the distribution and abundance of species. Students learn how individuals within a species cope with changing environmental conditions by altering their behavior, making physiological adjustments, and changing the allocation of resources among survival, growth, and reproduction. Students learn how populations of species coexist within communities and how species interactions within communities can drive ecosystem functioning. Students also learn how ecologists use scientific insight to deal with emerging environmental problems such as protecting biodiversity, understanding the consequences of habitat loss on species diversity, and forecasting the effects of global climate change on species population viability and geographic distribution. : Kealoha Freidenburg : Kealoha Freidenburg
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OnlineFreidenburg Th - 10:00-11:20 |
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Freidenburg TBA - TBA |
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512
Microeconomics for Environmental Management
512 Microeconomics for Environmental Management : Meets Fall-1 (August 31 - October 13)
This six-week course provides an introduction to microeconomic analysis and its application to environmental policy. Students study how markets work to allocate scarce resources. This includes consideration of how individuals and firms make decisions, and how policy analysts seek to quantify the benefits and costs of consumption and production. We consider the conditions under which markets are beneficial to society and when they fail. We see that market failure arises frequently in the context of environmental and natural resource management. The last part of the course focuses on the design of environmental and natural resource policies to address such market failures. The course is designed to cover basic knowledge of economics analysis and prepare students for ENV 834 and other more advanced offerings. : Matthew J. Kotchen : Matthew J. Kotchen
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OnlineKotchen M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Kotchen TBA - TBA |
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521
Physical Science Foundations for Environmental Managers
521 Physical Science Foundations for Environmental Managers : This required foundational course provides students with the physical science basics that they need in order to understand and manage environmental problems. The course draws on the following disciplines: climatology, environmental chemistry, geology, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, and soil science. Focus is on understanding both the underlying concepts and how they apply to real-world environmental challenges. Useful both as a freestanding course and as a gateway to a wide spectrum of intermediate and advanced courses. : Shimon C. Anisfeld : Shimon C. Anisfeld
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OnlineAnisfeld Th - 8:00-9:20 |
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Anisfeld TBA - TBA |
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522
Introduction to Environmental Social Sciences
522 Introduction to Environmental Social Sciences : Meets Fall-2 (Oct 13-Dec 1)
The environmental social sciences shed light on how humans define, perceive, understand, manage and otherwise influence the environment. Insights into the cultural, institutional, political-economic, and historic drivers of human actions are needed to describe and understand human-environment interactions as well as to move towards long-lasting and flexible responses to socioenvironmental change. This basic knowledge course is designed to introduce students to a range of social science disciplines that are engaged in understanding the relationships between nature and society. Explicit focus will be in on how to mobilize the insights gained from environmental social sciences for natural resource management. : Amity Doolittle : Amity Doolittle
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OnlineDoolittle Tu,Th - 6:00pm-7:20pm |
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Doolittle TBA - TBA |
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550
Natural Science Research Methods
550 Natural Science Research Methods :
The course prepares students to design and execute an intensive research project. It covers elementary principles and philosophy of science; research planning, including preparation, criticism, and oral presentation of study plans; communicating research findings; limitations of research techniques; the structure of research organizations; and professional scientific ethics. : Annise Dobson : William Lauenroth
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In PersonDobson Tu,Th - 8:00-9:20 |
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Lauenroth TBA - TBA |
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551
Qualitative Social Science Research Methods
551 Qualitative Social Science Research Methods :
This course is designed to provide a broad introduction to issues of qualitative research methods and design. The course is intended for both doctoral students who are in the beginning stage of their dissertation research, as well as master’s students developing research proposals for their thesis projects. The course covers the basic techniques of designing qualitative research and for collecting, interpreting, and analyzing qualitative data. We explore three interrelated dimensions of research: theoretical foundations of science and research, specific methods available to researchers for data collection and analysis, and the application and practice of research methods. The final product for this course is a research proposal. : Amity Doolittle : Amity Doolittle
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OnlineDoolittle Tu,Th - 8:00-9:00 |
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Doolittle TBA - TBA |
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552
Master's Student Research Colloquium
552 Master's Student Research Colloquium :
One of the most important aspects of scientific research involves the communication of research findings to the wider scientific community. Therefore, second-year M.E.Sc. and M.F.S. students are required to present the results of their faculty-supervised research as participants in the Master’s Student Research Conference, a daylong event held near the end of the spring term. Student contributors participate by delivering a fifteen-minute oral presentation to the YSE faculty and student body or by presenting a research poster in a session open to the YSE community. Students receive a score of satisfactory completion for this effort. : TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty
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Faculty TBA - TBA |
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Faculty TBA - TBA |
553
Perspectives: Environmental Leadership
553 Perspectives: Environmental Leadership :
The course is intended to offer a common experience and exposure to the variety of perspectives represented by YSE faculty and guest experts on the challenges and opportunities of environmental management. This year’s theme is Environmental Leadership and over the semester we will create and foster a leadership toolkit and systems-thinking appreciation that enables 1st-year MEM students to map out and maximize an impactful path through Yale, their careers and their lives
Discussion Sections to be added after first class
: Julie Zimmerman : TBD Faculty : Peter Boyd
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OnlineZimmerman Tu - 8:00-9:00 |
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Faculty TBA - TBA |
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560
Dimensions of Climate Change
560 Dimensions of Climate Change : In this course, students discuss a range of research fields related to climate change through weekly discussions surrounding the BIOMES seminar series, YSE’s flagship forum for bringing cutting-edge research to the community. Topics covered include climate adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity loss, climate impacts in the Arctic, and quantifying the impacts of industry. This course highlights diverse perspectives on climate change—including practitioners, policy experts, and natural and social scientists—and aims to develop an impactful product addressing climate action plans, whether in YSE, New Haven, or beyond. : Michael Oristaglio :
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OnlineOristaglio W - 12:00-1:50 |
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565
International Environmental Challenges and Opportunities
565 International Environmental Challenges and Opportunities : An in-person discussion-based seminar class focused on critical reading and evaluation of international environmental challenges and issues. : Julie Zimmerman :
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In PersonZimmerman TBA - TBA |
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573
Urban Ecology for Local and Regional Decision Making
573 Urban Ecology for Local and Regional Decision Making : Urban ecology is the interdisciplinary study of urban and urbanizing systems from local to global scales. While urban ecology shares many features with the biological science of ecology, it emphasizes linkages with social, economic, and physical sciences and the humanities. Geographically, the subject includes central and edge cities, suburbs of various ages and densities, and exurban settlements in which urban lifestyles and economic commitments are dominant. In application, urban ecology can be useful as a social-ecological science for making cities more sustainable, resilient, and equitable. Emerging “grand challenges” in urban ecology include the development of robust approaches to and understanding of (1) integrated social-ecological systems in urban and urbanizing environments; (2) the assembly and function of novel ecological communities and ecosystems under novel environmental conditions; (3) drivers of human well-being in diverse urban areas; (4) pathways for developing healthy, sustainable, and disaster-resilient cities; and (5) co-production of actionable science for policy, planning, design, and management. : Morgan Grove : Morgan Grove
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OnlineGrove Tu - 5:00pm-7:50pm |
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Grove Tentative |
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577
Environmental Communicator (Feb 3-Mar 10)
577 Environmental Communicator (Feb 3-Mar 10) :
This course prepares students for the communication tasks they will face as environmental professionals, researchers, or employees. In their careers, most professionals spend more than half their work time communicating with others, both inside and outside their organization. To advance in their careers and contribute to the progress of an environmental cause, students need a refined ability to communicate their ideas with clarity and credibility. This course focuses on building a constellation of skills that students can apply to their work. They learn how to use communication to influence others, advocate their ideas, and collaborate with colleagues on project teams. Course topics include strategy in communication, diplomatic language, public speaking, writing styles, listening to people, and framing environmental issues for the public. The course meets for a weekly two-hour lecture and demonstration, and students attend a one-hour small group practice session that allows them to reinforce new communicative behaviors in simulated job tasks, such as project meetings, budget requests, and public hearings. : William Vance : William Vance
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OnlineVance W - 7:00-8:20pm |
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Vance Tentative |
578
PSC: Financial Concepts for Environmental Managers
578 PSC: Financial Concepts for Environmental Managers :
This course, which meets Fall-2, exposes students to the financial concepts used by companies to make and evaluate business decisions. The class covers key financial statements of for-profit businesses; building financial projections for a business, project, or investment; financial markets: what they are and how they operate; investors: the tools they use to evaluate potential investments; and common valuation techniques: uses and limitations. : Maureen Burke :
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OnlineBurke M - 6:00pm-8:00pm (Fall-2) |
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583
American Energy History
583 American Energy History : : : Paul Sabin
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Tentative (No Semester)
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584
Agricultural Climate Change Mitigation
584 Agricultural Climate Change Mitigation : : : Eric Toensmeier
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Toensmeier Tentative |
590
The Climate Change Negotiations: A Practical Approach
590 The Climate Change Negotiations: A Practical Approach : : : Susan Biniaz
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Biniaz Tentative |
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592
Documentary Film Workshop
592 Documentary Film Workshop : This workshop in audiovisual scholarship explores ways to present research through the moving image. Students work within a Public Humanities framework to make a documentary that draws on their disciplinary fields of study. Designed to fulfill requirements for the M.A. with a concentration in Public Humanities. : Charles Musser : Charles Musser
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OnlineMusser W - 10:30-1:20 |
OnlineMusser T-7:00-9:30pm; W-10:30-1:20pm |
Musser Tentative |
Musser Tentative |
595
Yale Environment Review
595 Yale Environment Review :
The Yale Environment Review is a student-run publication that aims to increase access to the latest developments in environmental studies. We aim to shed light on cutting-edge environmental research through summaries, analysis, and interviews. During this one-credit course, students produce one or two articles on subjects of their choosing for publication on the YER website. Please refer to our Canvas page for an overview of the different types of content that YER produces. Students receive coaching to improve their writing skills, and their work goes through a rigorous editing process. Participation in Yale Environment Review helps students sharpen their writing skills and familiarize themselves with science communication, and it provides a platform to showcase their expertise. Enrollment is limited to sixteen, and the class is selected through an application process. Application instructions can be found on our Canvas page. Please e-mail environment.review@yale.edu with any questions. Class meets five to six times throughout the term, dates to be announced. An information session will be held on a date to be determined.
: Matthew J. Kotchen : Matthew J. Kotchen
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HybridKotchen Th - 12:00-12:50 |
HybridKotchen TBA - TBA |
Kotchen TBA - TBA |
Kotchen TBA - TBA |
602
Ecosystems and Landscapes
602 Ecosystems and Landscapes :
This course is an introduction to concepts in ecosystem and landscape ecology. Topics covered include biogeochemical cycling, food web interactions, biodiversity, and the abiotic and biotic controls that act on them. The course emphasizes how to integrate this knowledge to understand and manage natural systems so they continue to serve their own and human needs. : Mark Bradford : Mark Bradford
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In PersonBradford M,W - 8:00-9:20 |
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Bradford TBA - TBA |
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603
Environmental Data Visualization & Communication
603 Environmental Data Visualization & Communication : Welcome to the Information Age. Data production is growing at 50 percent per year, or more than doubling every two years. We are not only producing more data from existing sources, we are also constantly creating entirely new streams of data, whether statistical, text, audio, video, sensor, or biometric. Yet our ability to access, manage, understand, and synthesize all this data is extremely limited. Visualization is a powerful means of enhancing our cognitive abilities to learn from data, especially when informed by insights into human behavior and social systems. While developing the quantitative skills necessary for analyzing Big Data is important, understanding how to effectively explore and communicate insights from data—whether big or small—is equally essential for policy makers, researchers, and practitioners alike. Applications are due by Jan 8, 2021. Application instructions can be found https://yale.instructure.com/courses/65519/assignments/syllabus : Jennifer Marlon : Simon Queenborough
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OnlineMarlon M - 10:00-12:50 |
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Queenborough TBA - TBA |
604
Social Entrepreneurship in Public Health
604 Social Entrepreneurship in Public Health :
This is a case based course about innovation and entrepreneurship for health equity and drivers of health. Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, racism, gender and other biases and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, healthy foods, safe environments, and health care. We refer to these as drivers of health. COVID-19 has brought to light for many the complexities in drivers of health, and the role of entrepreneurship and cross-sectoral collaboration in eliminating health disparities.
We examine cases of entrepreneurship for health equity in the U.S. and globally, using a research-based framework to analyze the role of innovation and design thinking, resource mobilization, financial viability, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and systems strengthening. Cases include start-ups and new ventures within existing institutions, referred to as intrapreneurship. We also examine cases of collective impact, or innovating across multiple institutions. Over the years, students in this class have began referring to these as extrapreneurship. This course brings together students from the Schools of Management, Public Health, Environment, Divinity, Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and undergraduates. : Teresa Chahine :
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HybridChahine M,W - 1:30-2:50 |
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605
Environmental Risk Communication
605 Environmental Risk Communication : Risk communication is a critical but often overlooked part of how organizations identify and manage risks. Risk communication can help people take seriously risks that they might otherwise ignore (e.g., to wear a seatbelt or bicycle helmet, check for radon in their homes, evacuate from a coming hurricane). Risk communication can also provide reassurance when data indicate that a risk is not serious. Effective risk communication enables environmental professionals to communicate information in a way that is understood and accepted by different stakeholders (e.g., the public, industry, government leaders, etc.) and allows the participation of these stakeholders in risk management decisions. This course provides an overview of the theory and practice of effective communication about environmental and health risks to diverse stakeholders. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions, drawing upon assigned readings, lectures, and videos. : Andrew Schwarz : Andrew Schwarz
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HybridSchwarz Tu,Th - 3:00-4:20 |
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Schwarz Tentative |
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608
Air Pollution and Public Health
608 Air Pollution and Public Health : Exposure to air pollution is a leading contributor to the global disease burden. This course discusses major emission sources, atmospheric transformation and transport, measurement and modelling techniques for human exposure assessment, and the health impacts of air pollutants. Emphasis is placed on students gaining hands-on experience with measurement (e.g., low-cost sensors, passive samplers) and spatial analysis tools (e.g., ArcGIS) for application to research, public health practice, and community engagement. Through a series of laboratory sessions, students quantitatively characterize indoor and outdoor exposure concentrations and learn methods to critically assess data quality. The public health implications of air pollutant exposure are examined through review of recent epidemiological and toxicological research. The course discusses inequitable distribution of air pollutant exposure across the United States in relation to environmental health disparities. The health benefits of air pollutant intervention strategies in developed and developing regions and implications for public action are also covered. : TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty
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OnlineFaculty W - 10:00-11:50: 2:00-2:50 |
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Faculty Tentative |
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609
Industrial Symbiosis - Value Creation through Data & Resource Sharing
609 Industrial Symbiosis - Value Creation through Data & Resource Sharing : Reducing society’s impacts on the environment can generate a variety of co-benefits. One phenomenon that depends on this potential is industrial symbiosis—the manifestation of the idea that the waste of one enterprise can become the raw material for another—studied as a sub-discipline of industrial ecology.
Industrial symbiosis (IS) features a collective approach to value creation grounded on byproduct exchanges and can simultaneously improve an individual firm’s operational efficiency, regional economic growth, and reduction of climate impacts, among other issues. IS is of increasing interest to business, government, and multi-lateral agencies and is being adopted globally in various forms.
This seminar will take a deep dive on the development processes and evolution of industrial symbiosis projects with a particular focus on data. The first section of the course will help students understand the conceptual framework of theories and data types involved in analyzing symbiosis. In the latter section, students will learn how these concepts apply to specific programs by learning the ways in which symbiosis is implemented and operated from leading professionals and scholars on almost every continent. Evaluation will be based on participation and a term project in which students will evaluate how data is collected and managed by operating industrial symbiosis programs. The goal of this seminar is for students to improve the holistic understanding of development mechanisms and outcomes of industrial symbiosis (environmental, economic, and social) through systematic data collection and analysis. : Marian Chertow :
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OnlineChertow Tu - 8:30-9:50 & time TBD |
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612
Waste and Materials Management: Fundamentals and Frontiers
612 Waste and Materials Management: Fundamentals and Frontiers : : : TBD Faculty
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Faculty Tentative |
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613
Writing as a Public Scholar
613 Writing as a Public Scholar :
Environmental scholars and practitioners increasingly recognize the need, and often have the desire, to communicate their passions and expertise to a wide, lay audience. The seminar starts from the premise that to do this effectively a mastery of written storytelling is essential, particularly in today’s saturated and fractured media landscape. Students will read popular works by classic and contemporary scholars, such as Rachel Carson and Richard Prum; practitioners in the sciences, such as Atul Gawande and Peter Wohlleben; and journalists such as Elizabeth Kolbert and John McPhee; as well as growing number of authors, such as Bill McKibben, whose work crosses these categories. Some pieces students will analyze multiple times, developing a increasingly nuanced understanding of storytelling technique : Stephanie Hanes Wilson : Stephanie Hanes Wilson
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HybridWilson Th - 1:00-3:50 |
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Wilson TBA - TBA |
620
Integrative Assessment
620 Integrative Assessment :
This course illustrates how to integrate the insights and models of different disciplines to address key environmental management questions facing society. Examples are drawn from across pollution and natural resource issues so that students can become familiar with a diverse set of issues. The course illustrates the merits of learning about the natural sciences, engineering, and economics in order to practice environmental management : Robert O. Mendelsohn :
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OnlineMendelsohn M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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622
Decarbonizing Pathways to Limit Climate Change
622 Decarbonizing Pathways to Limit Climate Change : Pollution from fossil fuels, deforestation, and other causes have already resulted in more than 1ËšC of warming above pre-industrial levels, which has radically altered our climate. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that the world will face severe climate impacts even with 1.5ËšC temperature rise. And without increased ambition in countries’ climate commitments and climate actions we can anticipate at least 3ËšC of warming by the end of the century (UNEP 2019), leading to an unrecognizable planet. To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, global emissions will need to be halved by 2030 and reach net zero by mid-century. As we head into this decisive decade, we need to understand the magnitude of the climate challenge and which mitigation pathways are available to transition to a net-zero future and limit the most dangerous climate impacts. Accordingly, this course is devoted to understanding the scale of the climate problem and solution sets that would set us on an emissions pathway to achieve net-zero emissions. We start the course by examining emissions trends and impacts, as well as the necessary scale of emissions cuts consistent with achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. We then turn our attention to strengthening our global response, with an investigation into countries’ commitments, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), long-term strategies and net-zero targets. This is particularly relevant this coming year as countries are preparing these commitments in advance of the 26th Conference of the Parties, to be held in November 2021. The last portion of the class is dedicated to informing the design of climate solutions, as we have a narrow window of time to steer action. We first explore theoretical frameworks for shaping our interventions, and then examine the role of different sectors and solutions sets in achieving netzero greenhouse gas emissions. : Kelly Levin : TBD Faculty
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OnlineLevin Th - 5:30-7:20 |
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Faculty Tentative |
625
Writing Workshop
625 Writing Workshop : : : Roger Cohn
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Cohn Tentative |
626
Seminar: Writing for Publication in the Natural Sciences
626 Seminar: Writing for Publication in the Natural Sciences : This course is intended to give students insights into the process of writing natural science manuscripts. The seminar guides students through writing a paper and ends the term with a submitted manuscript. We also consider various strategies for writing, accountability, time management, and productivity. The course is aimed at students in the natural sciences with cleaned and analyzed data that they want to write up for publication. : Simon Queenborough :
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OnlineQueenborough Tu - 11:30-12:30 |
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628
Global Aspects of Food and Nutrition
628 Global Aspects of Food and Nutrition : : : TBD Faculty
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Tentative (No Semester)
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629
North American Drylands: Ecology and Land Use
629 North American Drylands: Ecology and Land Use : During the first half of course, I will lecture about the causes of the geographic distribution of North American drylands and their ecology. The second half of the course will consist of us reading and discussing scientific papers about past, present, and future land use. Students will lead the discussions. While we will cover the breadth of drylands, in the second half we will emphasize ecosystems in which big sagebrush is the dominant plant species : William Lauenroth :
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OnlineLauenroth M,W - 10:00-11:20 |
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630
The Physical Science of Climate Change
630 The Physical Science of Climate Change : This course covers the science behind Earth’s climate system. The first part of the course entails understanding the components of Earth’sclimate, including the chemical and physical atmosphere and the role of land, ice, and the oceans in regulating global climate. The second half takes a closer look at how Earth’s climate system impacts global sustainable boundaries, including its impact on ecosystems, waterresources, the built environment, human health, and the global food system. During the first half of the course students are expected to complete weekly homework assignments that reinforce class concepts and perform a guided analysis using a climate model. The second half of the course involves project work on the impact of climate on a system (e.g., ecosystem, water resource, community, health, etc). : Xuhui Lee : Xuhui Lee : Peter A. Raymond
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OnlineLee M,W - 10:00-11:20 |
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Lee TBA - TBA |
631
Poverty, Environment and Inequality
631 Poverty, Environment and Inequality : This course explores the relationship between poverty, environment, and social inequality. It examines how race and class interact in American rural and urban environments to produce or sustain inequalities. The course examines how structural factors and community characteristics influence environmental outcomes. Students will begin by examining the relationship between degraded environments and poor schooling. They will examine the environmental hazards that exist in or adjacent to urban and rural public schools. Students will analyze inner-city and poor rural communities as they examine disinvestment, the concentration of poverty, efforts to disperse the poor, and the potential for community revitalization. The class will examine homelessness and the ways in which climate disasters impact housing experiences. The course also examines another aspect of poverty – the issue of food security; it looks at the rise in community gardening in poor communities as an attempt to combat lack of access to healthy food.
Students will examine residential segregation and zoning. The class will also study the spatial inequalities that arise from the siting of hazardous facilities in minority and low-income urban and rural communities. The course examines the classic environmental justice question – which came first the facilities or the people? It examines economic questions related to costs of hosting noxious facilities and if and how communities can seek compensation to host such facilities. The course also examines the quandary communities face when presented with economic models that seek to provide compensation – the question of the long-term health of the people and environment take center stage as community residents seek to determine how to balance economic development with concerns about sustainability. Students will analyze water, energy, and climate justice. This course will be taught every two years. : Dorceta Taylor :
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OnlineTaylor Th - 1:00-3:50 |
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632
Social Entrepreneurship Lab
632 Social Entrepreneurship Lab : Follows SOM calendar. Must follow non-SOM student enrollment request
Section 01- M/W 1:30-3:20
Section 02-M/W 3:30-4:20
Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship is a practice-based course in which students from across campus form interdisciplinary teams to work on a social challenge of their choice. Teams include students from SOM, SPH, FES, YDS, Jackson Institute, and other schools and programs. Students start by identifying a topic area of focus, then form teams based on shared interests and complementary skills. Over the course of thirteen weeks, student teams delve into understanding the challenge through root cause analysis, research on existing solutions and populations affected; then apply human centered design thinking and systems thinking to design, prototype, test, and iterate solutions. Using tools such as the theory of change, logframe, business canvas, and social marketing strategy; teams build and test their impact models, operational models, and revenue models. Readings and assignments from the textbook “Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship” are used to guide this journey. These include technical templates, case studies, and interviews with social entrepreneurs and thought leaders in different sectors and geographies around the world. The class meets weekly for three hours in a workshop-style session, and includes guests from local social enterprises who join the class to share their experience, advice and challenges. At the end of the semester, student teams pitch their ventures to a panel of judges including social venture funders and social entrepreneurs. Teams are encouraged, but not required, to submit their ventures to one of the campus wide startup prizes (see: city.yale.edu/funding). While there are no prerequisites, this course builds on the SOM core course Innovator, and electives including Principles of Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship & New Ventures, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Public Health, Global Social Entrepreneurship, Managing Social Enterprises, Business & the Environment Solutions. : Teresa Chahine : Teresa Chahine
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OnlineChahine TBA - 2 sections: see description for times |
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Chahine Tentative |
633
Critical Race Theory
633 Critical Race Theory : This class will study Critical Race Theory from its origins to its current expression.Understanding the deep interconnections between race and law, and how race and law are co-constitutive is the project of Critical Race Theory. One of the central claims of Critical Race Theory is that racial subordination is not a deviation from the liberal legal ideal but is, unfortunately, part of its expression. We will focus on the origins of the critique that is central to the development of the theory and contrast its analysis with conventional analytic frameworks on race and American law and society.Because it is a positive theory but also driven by a normative vision, we will explore the possibility of transforming the relationship between law and racial power. The law is not the only site of Critical Race Theory; it has had a significant impact on other disciplines in the social sciences. We will examine those impacts as well. : Gerald Torres :
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OnlineTorres W - 5:00pm-7:50pm |
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634
Ecology of Global Drylands
634 Ecology of Global Drylands : : : William Lauenroth
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Lauenroth TBA - TBA |
635
Renewable Energy Project Finance
635 Renewable Energy Project Finance : The course is intended to be a practicum, exposing students to real-world tools of the trade as well as the theory underlying them. In place of a textbook, students are provided with approximately 400 pages of actual project documents used for a U.S. wind energy project constructed relatively recently. Through weekly homework assignments, students develop the skills necessary to construct a detailed financial model, largely comparable to what would be used by an investment firm, project developer, or independent power producer. Modeling skills include sizing debt capacity, sensitivity analysis, stochastic forecasting, taxes, and the creation of financial statements. Lectures also provide an introduction to risk management, energy market dynamics, alternative contractual structures, financial structuring, and the core engineering and risks inherent in the most common renewable energy technologies.
This course is 100% online. While cross-listed at the School of Management, it will follow the YSE Academic Calendar.
Admission to the course requires an application consisting of a one-paragraph statement of interest. The application is available on Google Forms and can be submitted at: https://forms.gle/u5Y84yWqiYVQbB867.
Deadline January 11, 2021
: Daniel Gross : Daniel Gross
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OnlineGross M,W - 2:30-3:50 |
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Gross Tentative |
642
Environmental Justice/Climate Justice
642 Environmental Justice/Climate Justice : In this seminar, we will focus on the evolution and development of the environmental justice movement. We will pay particular attention to its embrace of climate justice, and we will ask what conception of justice is at play in both the environmental justice and climate justice movement. We will begin with a legal and social-historical survey but will quickly bring the inquiry up to the current moment. We will explore the legal and policy developments that have followed the environmental justice critique. I will expect students to choose a particular movement (or one expression of it) and write a paper bringing to bear all of the questions we raise in the seminar. (For example, how did opposition from environmental justice advocates lead to a reformed climate change initiative in California? Or What is the genesis of the Sunrise movement and what legal or policy changes would be required to make it a reality.)The paper need not focus on a domestic response, because the environmental/climate justice critique is now global. : Gerald Torres : Gerald Torres
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OnlineTorres Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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Torres TBA - TBA |
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645
Urbanization, Global Change and Sustainability
645 Urbanization, Global Change and Sustainability : Urbanization and associated changes in human activities on the land (land use) and in the physical attributes of Earth’s surface (land cover) have profound environmental consequences. Aggregated globally, these effects constitute some of the most significant human impacts on the functioning of Earth as a system. This class examines the interactions and relationships between urbanization and global change at local, regional, and global scales with an emphasis on the biophysical aspects of urbanization. Topics include urbanization in the context of global land use change, habitat and biodiversity loss, modification of surface energy balance and the urban heat island, climate change and impacts on urban areas, urban biogeochemistry, and urbanization as a component of sustainability. Emphasis is on management of urban areas worldwide or at national scales for planetary sustainability. : Karen C. Seto : Karen C. Seto
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OnlineSeto M - 3:00-5:50 |
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Seto TBA - TBA |
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646
Foundations of Agriculture and Environment
646 Foundations of Agriculture and Environment : Agricultural systems have a profound impact on the environment, but also depend on environmental processes—such as climate and nutrient cycling—for continued productivity. Because of this two-way relationship, there has been a growing integration of environmental and agricultural sciences over the past several decades with growing recognition that designing and implementing agricultural systems that minimize environmental harm and benefit people is necessary to sustainable development. This course provides foundational knowledge of how agricultural and environmental systems are linked. The goal is to provide theoretical understanding of the important environmental and human processes, as well as practical experience interpreting these processes and applying them to real-world scenarios. : Stephen Wood : Stephen Wood
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OnlineWood Tu - 10:00-12:50 |
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Wood Tentative |
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650
Seminar in Wildland Fire Science and Management
650 Seminar in Wildland Fire Science and Management : The goal of this seminar is to offer an introduction to the ecology, management, and policy drivers of wildland fire. In this seminar, we seek to build a base of knowledge and understanding regarding fire and its applications/management in modern forestry. We start by learning the basic history and ecology of forest fire, then look at landscape-level fire behavior, prescribed fire applications, and the drivers of catastrophic fire. The course concludes with an applied field learning experience managing fire at YaleMyers Forest. We meet once a week with a guest Zoom lecturer from the field of fire ecology and management joining most weeks. Each week, there will be a presentation followed by a discussion around the lecture content and reading material assigned by the guest lecturer. Students are expected to have read the papers and to come with questions and thoughts ready to discuss. : Mark S. Ashton :
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OnlineAshton M - 4:00-5:20 |
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652
Wood: Structure and Function
652 Wood: Structure and Function : This course focuses on the extraordinary diversity of wood anatomy at the cellular level, and on the practice of dendrochronology that allows students to take advantage of predictable, inter-annual variability in tree growth to reconstruct environmental history. The primary focus of the course is on common northeastern trees and other commercially important timber species. A primary goal is to participate in the development of a master tree-ring chronology for the School forests. Basic statistics and a background in tree physiology and anatomy are strongly recommended. : Craig Brodersen : Craig Brodersen
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OnlineBrodersen Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
Brodersen TBA - TBA |
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653
Maple: From Tree to Table
653 Maple: From Tree to Table : This course covers the cultural, industrial, and sustainable practices of non-timber forest products through the lens of maple sap and syrup. Maple sugar is a forest product unique to northeastern North America, and it has seen a resurgence in interest as global consumers seek nutritious, natural, and sustainably produced foods. This course covers the booming industry and culture around maple syrup, from backyard operations through modern 100,000-tap investment operations. Maple producers are on the front lines of climate change and forest health threats. The course provides students with the knowledge of how challenges related to forest health and climate change are directly impacting maple producers and how these producers are learning to adapt in ways that are environmentally friendly, ecologically sound, and financially competitive in a global market. : Joseph Orefice : Joseph Orefice
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OnlineOrefice M - 5:30-6:50 |
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Orefice Tentative |
654
Structure, Function, and Development of Trees
654 Structure, Function, and Development of Trees :
This course focuses on two aspects of plant life: (1) basic processes that drive plant development, such as seed formation, germination, seedling establishment, maturation, and senescence; and (2) basic structure and function of plants (such as root systems, leaf formation and development, height, and diameter growth). Differences between different groups of seed plants are analyzed from structural, functional, ecological, and evolutionary standpoints. Special attention is given to woody plants and their importance in the biosphere and human life. Coverage includes tropical, temperate, and boreal trees. Plant biology is discussed in the context of physiological and structural adaptations in terms of strength, storage, and water and solute transport. : Graeme P. Berlyn : Graeme P. Berlyn
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OnlineBerlyn Tu,Th - 4:00-5:20 |
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Berlyn TBA - TBA |
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656
Tree Physiology and Ecophysiology
656 Tree Physiology and Ecophysiology :
Mineral nutrition and cycling, mycorrhizas, symbiosis, nitrogen fixation, light processing, photosynthesis, respiration, water relations including transpiration, and ecophysiology are covered. The interaction of photosynthesis with water relations, mineral nutrition, temperature, and environmental stress is discussed. Effects of climate changes on forests, past and present, and other current topics like wild land fires are also considered. Term paper required. : Graeme P. Berlyn : Graeme P. Berlyn
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OnlineBerlyn Tu,Th - 4:00-5:20 |
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Berlyn TBA - TBA |
659
The Practice of Silviculture: Principles in Applied Forest Ecology (Friday field trips)
659 The Practice of Silviculture: Principles in Applied Forest Ecology (Friday field trips) :
The scientific principles and techniques of controlling, protecting, and restoring the regeneration, composition, and growth of natural forest vegetation and its plantation and agroforestry analogs worldwide. Analysis of biological and socioeconomic problems affecting specific forest stands and design of silvicultural systems to solve these problems. Applications are discussed for management of wildlife habitat, bioenergy and carbon sequestration, water resources, urban environments, timber and nontimber products, and landscape design. Recommended: some knowledge of soils, ecology, plant physiology, human behavior, and resource economics. Four to six hours lecture. One hour tutorial. Seven days fieldwork. : Mark S. Ashton : Mark S. Ashton
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HybridAshton M,W,F - 8:00-9:50 |
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Ashton TBA - TBA |
660
Forest Dynamics
660 Forest Dynamics : This course introduces the study of forest stand dynamics—how forest structures and compositions change over time with growth and disturbances. Understanding the dynamic nature of forest stands is important for creating and maintaining a variety of critical ecosystem services sustainably and synergistically, including sustainable supplies of wood products, biodiversity and wildlife habitats, water, fire protection, and others. Through readings, lectures, discussions, and field trips we explore forest development processes and pathways, concentrating on the driving mechanisms and emergent properties including natural and human disturbances. We make use of New England forests as living laboratories while discussing how similar forest patterns and processes are played out throughout the temperate, tropical, and boreal worlds. This class is a core component of the M.F. degree but is explicitly designed to be accessible to anyone interested in an in-depth exploration of forest ecosystems. : Marlyse Duguid : Marlyse Duguid
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OnlineDuguid Tu,Th - 10:00-11:20 |
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Duguid TBA - TBA |
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664
Managing River Systems in a Changing Landscape
664 Managing River Systems in a Changing Landscape : The course provides an introduction to how fluvial processes reflect the dynamic interaction of water, sediment, and the landscape across multiple time and space scales in support of sustainable river management and restoration. The course covers key concepts in fluvial geomorphology and includes up-to-date applications for supporting decision-making and policy development related to current river management, rehabilitation, and protection topics. The course is taught at the advanced undergraduate or graduate level. The content is rigorous but with an underpinning of understanding that students will be coming from a diverse range of backgrounds. This diversity will also be highlighted and explored during the course. The course, taught in the Yale School of the Environment is aligned with degree programs of master’s and Doctoral Programs in Environmental Management (MEM), Forestry (MF), Forest Science (MF), Environmental Science (MESc), and joint degrees. It is especially fitting for the Water Resource Science and Management specialization in MEM. Other learning communities may include Climate Change Science and Solutions and Ecosystem Management and Conservation. : TBD Faculty :
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OnlineFaculty Tu,Th - 5:30-6:50 |
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668
Field Trips in Forest Resource Management and Silviculture
668 Field Trips in Forest Resource Management and Silviculture :
Seven- to twelve-day field trips to study the silviculture and forest management of particular forest regions. In previous years, classes have visited Slovenia, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, British Columbia, and, in the United States, the southern Coastal Plain and Piedmont, and the Allegheny, Appalachian, Adirondack, and Green mountains. Enrollment limited to sixteen. : Mark S. Ashton : Mark S. Ashton
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Ashton Tentative |
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Ashton Tentative |
669
Forest Ecosystem Management and Operations (Friday field trips)
669 Forest Ecosystem Management and Operations (Friday field trips) : : : TBD Faculty
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Faculty Tentative |
670
Southern Forest and Forestry Field Trip
670 Southern Forest and Forestry Field Trip :
This course augments our forestry curriculum by providing a forum for viewing and discussing forestry and forest management with practitioners. The trip provides M.F. candidates and other interested students with an opportunity to experience the diversity of southeastern forested ecosystems and ownership objectives ranging from intensively managed pine plantations to restoration and protection of endangered habitats. Students discuss forest management issues—including forest health, fragmentation, policy, law, and business perspectives—with landowners and managers from large industries, nonindustrial private landowners, TIMOs, federal and state land managers, NGOs, and forestry consultants. We also tour sawmills, paper mills, and other kinds of forest products processing facilities, active logging operations, and, weather permitting, participate on prescribed fires. Not least, we experience the unique cultures, food, and hospitality of the southeastern United States. The course can be taken for 1 credit by any student at F&ES or combined with the 2-credit Forest Management Operations (F&ES 669b) for 3 credits. : TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty
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Faculty Tentative |
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Faculty Tentative |
671
Temperate Woody Plant Taxonomy and Dendrology
671 Temperate Woody Plant Taxonomy and Dendrology : : : Marlyse Duguid
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Duguid TBA - TBA |
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674
Seminar in Forest Ecosystem Health and Climate Change
674 Seminar in Forest Ecosystem Health and Climate Change : : : Mark S. Ashton : Robert Talbot Trotter III
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Ashton Tentative |
677
Ecological Restoration
677 Ecological Restoration :
To apply for this class please 1) register so I have you in the canvas roster 2) fill out this google form https://forms.gle/7HNrDfFFq7Ec96vH6
This course is intended as a broad overview of restoration ecology. We will use the framework of ecosystem science to understand how and why humans facilitate the recovery of degraded ecosystems. We will balance discussions on the theory, background, and application of restoration ecology with topics related to the implementation of restoration projects (e.g., planning, evaluation, and policy). These various concepts will be integrated through the discussion of case studies presented by a variety of practitioners and scientists working across different systems (coral reefs, wildlife, fire, wetlands, etc.) and with diverse perspectives so that students get a broad exposure to the breadth and depth of scholarship and work in the field. : Marlyse Duguid :
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OnlineDuguid Tu,Th - 10:00-11:20 |
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679
Plant Ecophysiology
679 Plant Ecophysiology : This course focuses on the physiological ecology of plants and their interaction with the biotic and abiotic environment, understood through the lens of first principles. We use a quantitative approach to demonstrate the linkages between photosynthesis, growth, and carbon allocation at the tissue and whole plant level, which can then be scaled up to forests and ecosystems. We also focus on specific physiological and anatomical adaptations plants use to survive in the many varied habitats on Earth. The laboratory component of this course ( ENV 679L) involves the theory, programming, and deployment of micrometeorological equipment to monitor environmental conditions in the field, as well as methods for measuring photosynthesis and growth in the greenhouse and field. Enrollment limited to twenty-four. : Craig Brodersen : Craig Brodersen
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OnlineBrodersen Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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Brodersen TBA - TBA |
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681
Ethnobotany
681 Ethnobotany : : : Ina Vandebroek
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Vandebroek Tentative |
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683
Seminar in Tropical Forest Restoration in Human Dominated Landscapes
683 Seminar in Tropical Forest Restoration in Human Dominated Landscapes : : : Mark S. Ashton
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Ashton TBA - TBA |
684
Forest Finance
684 Forest Finance : Understanding the tools used in financial analysis is an important component of successful forestland investment and forest management decision making. This course will provide students with a basic suite of financial tools used in the acquisition and management of forestland/timber. It will include an overview of traditional financial analysis metrics used in land acquisition, timber management, and risk management, as well as topics related to supply and demand for forest products, international timberland investment and emerging trends in forestland investing. The first eight weeks of the course will be a lecture format, and the remainder of the course will be a case study / project that will give students an opportunity to apply their knowledge in the analysis of an actual “deal”. : Deborah Spalding : Deborah Spalding
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HybridSpalding M,W - 5:00pm-6:20pm |
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Spalding Tentative |
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685
Engaging Landholders and Communities in Conserving and Restoring Tropical Forest Landscapes
685 Engaging Landholders and Communities in Conserving and Restoring Tropical Forest Landscapes : The design and implementation of sustainable land management strategies in tropical forest landscapes must effectively involve the people and communities who manage and govern these regions. In many cases, however, practitioners design projects that focus on technical solutions only and ignore people altogether, or base their projects upon incorrect assumptions about the people at the heart of their interventions. These trends ultimately lead to project failure and can cause a host of adverse unintended consequences that further exacerbate the problems that practitioners were trying to resolve. This pattern is particularly prevalent with recent pledges by global organizations and national governments to plant trillions of trees around the globe in an effort to address the adverse effects of climate change (see The Bonn Challenge and Trillion Trees). While these initiatives are largely well-intended, they largely ignore the socio-cultural and political complexities of the landscapes where the trees would be planted, including whether landholders already plant or protect trees and if they want to increase this practice and how, which species they want to plant or protect and how, and the effects of tree planting on land tenure systems, traditional livelihood strategies and gender dynamics. Little attention is also given to examining who removed the trees from the landscape and why, and whether tree planting is an appropriate solution. This course aims to provide forestry and land conservation students with the tools to think critically about the socio-cultural and political complexities of tropical forest landscapes and to more effectively engage landholders and communities in land management interventions. The course draws upon theoretical considerations in the social sciences literature and the applied experiences of the Environmental Leadership & Training Initiative (ELTI), a Center & Program of YSE focused on capacity development in tropical forest landscapes. ELTI staff and affiliates have 16 years of experience developing the capacity of people who manage and govern tropical forest landscapes to implement land management strategies that restore and protect tree and forest cover while supporting livelihoods. The program has a diverse collection of applied case studies featuring a range of strategies and approaches that practitioners use to engage landholders and communities on these themes. The course is designed to link YSE students to ELTI team members so they can learn directly from their experiences in a variety of contexts. Students will also interact with selected participants of ELTI’s yearlong online certificate program, Tropical Forest Landscapes: Conservation, Restoration & Sustainable Use, who are practitioners developing applied conservation and restoration projects around the globe. : Eva Garen : : Alicia Calle
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OnlineGaren Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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688
Forest Management and Operations
688 Forest Management and Operations : This course will provide students with an opportunity to understand many aspects of forest management, especially as it relates to multiple use forestry. Course content will include understanding and critique of forest inventory, and students will be introduced to growth and yield concepts. Forest planning and optimization for objectives such as forest products and carbon will be covered. Stewardship of forestland will be discussed as will legal aspects to land ownership and forest conservation.
Included in this course is are sections focused on forest operations. Students will gain experience in the diverse elements and aspects of forest harvesting. The course is taught from the perspective of what a forester should know about harvesting which includes logging safety, timber harvesting operations and sale administration, legal dimensions of harvesting, planning and maintaining forest access systems, timber procurement and appraisal, logging costs and analysis, and environmental and social influences. Field experiences will compliment lecture material : Joseph Orefice : Joseph Orefice
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HybridOrefice M,W - 2:30-3:50 |
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Orefice Tentative |
692
Science and Practice of Temperate Agroforestry
692 Science and Practice of Temperate Agroforestry : This course explores the science and practices of temperate agroforestry, covering current knowledge of agroforestry science and shedding light on the myths and assumptions that have yet to be tested regarding the integration of trees in agricultural systems. The course begins with an overview of modern agriculture to help us better understand why agroforestry systems have potential to improve the sustainability of farming systems. We also cover the social science regarding agroforestry and why it has not been widely adopted. Silvopasture and forest farming systems are the primary focus, but windbreaks, alley cropping, and riparian forest buffers are also covered. The field of agroforestry has struggled with the promotion of hypothetical practices; this course introduces students to real-world production agroforestry systems and helps them better contribute to financially viable and environmentally sound agricultural operations. : Joseph Orefice : Joseph Orefice
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HybridOrefice M,W - 3:00-4:20 |
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Orefice Tentative |
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693
Advanced Readings: Social Science of Development and Conservation
693 Advanced Readings: Social Science of Development and Conservation :
This course is an advanced seminar on the social science theory of conservation and development, designed to give M.E.Sc. and doctoral students a wider theoretical context for analyzing and writing up their research. The course traces the conceptual history of the social science theory of conservation and development, focusing on theories of power, governmentality, subject creation, and the economy. It examines relations between these theories, alternative theories, and how this history influences the field. The course covers the works of Michel Foucault most relevant to the field, important social scientists who have used Foucault’s ideas (e.g., Timothy Mitchell, Tania Li, Donald Moore, David Mosse, Anand Pandian), alternative theories of power (e.g., James Scott, Bruno Latour, Timothy Mitchell), applications of Foucault’s ideas to development (James Ferguson and Arturo Escobar), applications of Foucault’s ideas to the environment (especially Arun Agrawal, Bruce Braun, Eric Darier), theories of the economic subject (Peter Miller & O’Leary, Anna Tsing, Katherine Rankin); Foucault on the economy and neoliberalism; the power of the economy in Tania Li;theories of resistance and counter-conduct (Michel Foucault, Carl Death, James Scott), and Foucault and Space. Students are expected to use the course to develop, and present in class, their own research and writing. Prerequisite: ENV 839a, 877b, or 882a. Three hours lecture/seminar. : Carol Carpenter : Carol Carpenter
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In PersonCarpenter W - 9:00-11:50 |
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Carpenter TBA - TBA |
701
Climate Change Economics Seminar
701 Climate Change Economics Seminar : : : Robert O. Mendelsohn
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Mendelsohn TBA - TBA |
704
Workshop on Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry with Drones
704 Workshop on Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry with Drones : : : Xuhui Lee
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Lee TBA - TBA |
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706
Organic Pollutants in the Environment
706 Organic Pollutants in the Environment :
An overview of the pollution problems posed by toxic organic chemicals, including petroleum, pesticides, PCBs, dioxins, chlorinated solvents, and emerging contaminants. Processes governing the environmental fate of organic pollutants, e.g., evaporation, bioconcentration, sorption, biodegradation. Technologies for prevention and remediation of organic pollution. Previous experience with organic chemistry is not required. : Shimon C. Anisfeld :
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OnlineAnisfeld Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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707
Introduction to Environmental Chemistry
707 Introduction to Environmental Chemistry :
A descriptive overview of baseline biogeochemistry and the nature and behavior of pollutants in the environment. The course is designed to aid future environmental professionals who sometimes may find it necessary to make decisions based on knowledge of environmental chemistry. It is geared to the nonspecialist who needs to establish familiarity with various classes of pollutants and the chemical, biological, and physical processes that control their sources, behavior, toxicity, and fate. Topics include the fundamental kinds of chemical reactions in the environment, critical analysis of chemical data, sampling techniques, analytical methods, natural biogeochemical controls on environmental chemistry, water treatment, and green infrastructure, as well as detailed examination of such contaminants as acid precipitation, nutrients, urban runoff, and sewage. Three hours lecture. One class project, problem sets, midterm, final exam. A small number of field trips. : Gaboury Benoit : Gaboury Benoit
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In PersonBenoit Tu,Th - 1:00-2:15 |
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Benoit TBA - TBA |
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708
Aquatic Chemistry
708 Aquatic Chemistry :
A detailed examination of the principles governing chemical reactions in water. Emphasis is on developing the ability to predict the aqueous chemistry of natural and perturbed systems based on a knowledge of their biogeochemical setting. Focus is on inorganic chemistry, and topics include elementary thermodynamics, acid-base equilibria, alkalinity, speciation, solubility, mineral stability, redox chemistry, and surface complexation reactions. Illustrative examples are taken from the aquatic chemistry of estuaries, lakes, rivers, wetlands, soils, aquifers, and the atmosphere. A standard software package used to predict chemical equilibria is also presented. : Gaboury Benoit : Gaboury Benoit
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OnlineBenoit Tu,Th - 1:00-2:!5 |
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Benoit TBA - TBA |
709
Lectures, Discussions and Applications of Soil Science
709 Lectures, Discussions and Applications of Soil Science :
Topics cover the structure and functioning of soils, and how this relates to soil fertility, carbon accounting, climate feedbacks and ecosystem health in a changing environment. : Mark Bradford :
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HybridBradford M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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712
Water Management
712 Water Management :
An exploration of water management at scales ranging from local to global. The course looks at multiple dimensions of the water crisis, including both human and ecosystem impacts; quantity and quality issues; and engineering, legal, economic, and behavioral solutions. Theory is illustrated through a variety of case studies. Topics covered include global water resources; flooding; water scarcity; residential, agricultural, and industrial water use; water and health; water justice; impacts of climate change and land use change; stormwater management; dams and other technologies for water management; human impacts on aquatic ecosystems; water and energy; water economics; water rights; water conflict and cooperation. : Shimon C. Anisfeld : Shimon C. Anisfeld
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OnlineAnisfeld Tu,Th - 4:00-5:20 |
Anisfeld TBA - TBA |
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713
Coastal Ecosystems
713 Coastal Ecosystems :
An examination of the natural processes controlling coastal ecosystems, the anthropogenic threats to the health of these systems, and the potential for restoration. Coverage of estuaries, rocky shores, seagrass meadows, coral reefs, and mangrove swamps, with a special emphasis on tidal marshes. The course covers a wide range of physical, chemical, and ecological processes. Anthropogenic impacts covered range from local to global and include nutrient enrichment, hypoxia, sea-level rise, invasive species, over-fishing, chemical pollution, marsh drowning, and wetland filling. : Shimon C. Anisfeld :
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HybridAnisfeld M,W - 3:00-4:20 |
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714
Environmental Hydrology
714 Environmental Hydrology : : : James E. Saiers
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Saiers TBA - TBA |
716
Renewable Energy
716 Renewable Energy : Introduction to renewable energy, including physical principles, existing and emerging technologies, and interaction with the environment. Energy demand; transmission and storage; generation by hydroelectric, wind, solar, biofuel, and geothermal sources, as well as waves and tidal generation. Includes field trips to conventional, hydroelectric, and wind-power facilities in Connecticut. Prerequisites: high school physics, chemistry, and mathematics; college-level science, engineering, and mathematics recommended. : TBD Faculty : Ronald Smith
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Faculty TBA - TBA |
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Smith Tentative |
717
Tropical Field Ecology
717 Tropical Field Ecology : : : Liza Comita : Simon Queenborough
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Comita TBA - TBA |
718
Climate Change Seminar
718 Climate Change Seminar : This year the climate change seminar will focus on Climate and Carbon Management. Student will be expected to attend a weekly seminar at 4pm and submit a short summary of the seminar topic. The Climate and Carbon Management seminar series will be talks from global leaders from the fields of ecology, engineering, geology and climate science. Please contact Pete Raymond with any questions : Peter A. Raymond :
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OnlineRaymond Tu - 4:00-5:20 |
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719
Making Climate Knowledge
719 Making Climate Knowledge : : : TBD Faculty
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Faculty Tentative |
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720
Introduction to R
720 Introduction to R : : : Simon Queenborough
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Queenborough TBA - TBA |
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721
Climate Change Adaptation; Resilience and Resistance in Global Health
721 Climate Change Adaptation; Resilience and Resistance in Global Health : : : TBD Faculty
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Faculty Tentative |
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722
Boundary Layer Meteorology
722 Boundary Layer Meteorology :
This course examines the interactions between the atmosphere and the earth’s surface. Students gain an understanding of the surface energy and radiation balance, air motion in the atmospheric boundary layer, impacts of land use on surface climate, land surface parameterization for climate models, and field research methods. Three hours lecture and discussion. Data analysis/term paper/presentation. Permission of the instructor required. : Xuhui Lee :
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HybridLee Intro in person Class: Monday, August 31 |
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723
Wetlands Ecology, Conservation & Management
723 Wetlands Ecology, Conservation & Management :
Wetlands are ubiquitous. Collectively they cover 370,000 square miles in the United States and globally encompass more than five million square miles. Most points on a map are less than one kilometer from the nearest wetland. Yet wetlands are nearly invisible to most people. In this course we explore wetlands in all of their dimensions, including the critical services they provide to other systems, the rich biodiversity they harbor, and their impact on global climate. Additionally, wetlands are linchpin environments for scientific policy and regulation. The overarching aim of the course is to connect what we know about wetlands from a scientific perspective to the ways in which wetlands matter for people.
: Kealoha Freidenburg : Kealoha Freidenburg
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OnlineFreidenburg M,W - 1:00-2:15 |
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Freidenburg TBA - TBA |
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724
Watershed Cycles and Processes
724 Watershed Cycles and Processes :
Everyone lives in a watershed, an area of land that funnels rainfall and snowmelt to a stream, river, lake, or section of coastline. ENV 724 examines watershed processes that affect, or are affected by, the stocks, flows, and quality of freshwater. It also surveys challenges faced by watershed managers, while emphasizing the science that informs their choices. By drawing from the fields of hydrology, ecology, and chemistry, the course begins by investigating cycles that govern the fates of water, nutrients, carbon, and pollutants within watersheds. This basic knowledge underpins watershed management decisions that are, for example, intended to safeguard drinking-water quality, ensure sustainable freshwater consumption, and preserve ecosystem services that depend on healthy riparian corridors. In coordination with treatments of watershed functions, ENV 724 explores the impacts of anthropogenic stresses on freshwater flows, water quality, and the ecology of sensitive watershed ecosystems. The course also covers measurements, models, and other tools used in watershed assessment and case studies of science-based watershed planning and adaptive management. : James E. Saiers : James E. Saiers : Peter A. Raymond
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In PersonSaiers M,W - 10:00-11:20 |
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Saiers TBA - TBA |
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726
Observing Earth from Space
726 Observing Earth from Space :
A practical introduction to satellite image analysis of Earth’s surface. Topics include the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, satellite-borne radiometers, data transmission and storage, computer image analysis, the merging of satellite imagery with GIS and applicationsto weather and climate, oceanography, surficial geology, ecology and epidemiology, forestry, agriculture, archaeology, and watershed management. : Xuhui Lee : Ronald Smith
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OnlineLee Tu,Th - 9:00-10:15 |
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Smith TBA - TBA |
727
Global Food Challenges
727 Global Food Challenges : : : John P. Wargo
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Wargo TBA - TBA |
728
Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis in the Environmental Sciences
728 Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis in the Environmental Sciences :
An introduction to statistics and data analysis with emphasis on practical applications in the environmental sciences. Includes graphical analysis, common probability distributions, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and linear regression. The second part of the course introduces the topics of multiple regression and ANOVA that are typically not covered in an introductory class such as AP statistics. There are weekly problem sets using MINITAB, SPSS, or R, as well as a final project. This course is a prerequisite for other statistics courses offered through YSE, and it presents statistical methods used in many Yale courses in both the natural and social sciences. Three hours lecture : Jonathan Reuning-Scherer : Jonathan Reuning-Scherer
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OnlineReuning-Scherer Tu,Th - 10:00-11:20 |
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Reuning-Scherer TBA - TBA |
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729
Caribbean Coastal Development: Science and Policy
729 Caribbean Coastal Development: Science and Policy :
This three-credit seminar explores human-ecosystem interactions at the land-sea interface in the tropics, with Caribbean islands as the main study sites. Many tropical islands are undergoing rapid, uncontrolled development, placing severe local stress on several unique and vulnerable ecosystems types. In addition, human induced environmental changes on scales up to global also impose stresses. This course examines the normal functioning of these ecosystems, scientific methods to evaluate and characterize ecosystem condition and processes, how human activities interfere with natural cycles in biophysical systems, and what management and policy tools can be applied to reduce impacts. : Gaboury Benoit : Gaboury Benoit : Mary Beth Decker
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OnlineBenoit M,W - 1:00-2:15 |
Tentative (No Semester)
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731
Tropical Field Botany
731 Tropical Field Botany : : : Fabian Michelangeli : Lawrence Kelly
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Michelangeli TBA - TBA |
734
Biological Oceanography
734 Biological Oceanography :
This natural science course provides a foundation for those interested in the ecology and management of marine systems. Includes an exploration of a range of coastal and pelagic ecosystems. Relationships between biological systems and the physical processes that control the movements of water and productivity of marine systems. This course also covers anthropogenic impacts on oceans, such as the effects of fishing and climate change. Includes up to three Friday field trips. Recommended prerequisite: college-level biology or ecology course. Three hours lecture : Mary Beth Decker : Mary Beth Decker
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OnlineDecker Tu,Th - 11:35-12:50 |
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Decker Tentative |
742
Fundamentals of Working with People
742 Fundamentals of Working with People : Using environmental science to help inform and change human actions is a key challenge for environmental managers. Doing so requires that professionals be able to work across different scales, including: (1) understanding their own values and ways of working, as well as those of others; (2) forming, working in, and leading teams reflecting a diversity of experiences and skills; (3) influencing the actions of the organizations within which they are working; and (4) building and managing collaborative networks with others in other organizations affecting the resource systems about which they care. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the scholarship being done (mostly within management fields) on how best to make these connections, as well as the ways individuals are putting those lessons learned into action. The course also introduces students to the professors, individual courses, workshops and other offerings across Yale that offer deeper dives into specific approaches to working more effectively with people. : Stuart DeCew : Bradford S. Gentry
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OnlineDeCew Tu,Th - 8:00-9:20 |
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Gentry Tentative |
743
Strategic Environmental Communication
743 Strategic Environmental Communication :
Strategic communication is a powerful means of achieving an organization’s mission, especially when informed by insights into human behavior and social systems. By the end of this course, students are able to develop communication strategies and apply insights from the social and behavioral sciences to improve the effectiveness of their communication campaigns.
ENV 743 is limited enrollment. For Application instructions, please see below
To apply, please provide short answers to the following questions and email your responses + your current resume/CV to lisa.fernandez@yale.eduno later than 5:00 pm EST on Friday, January 8th. Please use the subject line “Application for YSE 743b 2021.” Please create one PDF with your answers first and your CV after that. If you submit other formats, or more than one attachment, or use a different subject line, you will not be considered. You will be notified by C.O.B. January 15th.
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Why are you interested in taking this class?
1. What organization and/or project are you planning to develop a communication plan for?
1. Do you have an existing relationship with that organization and/or project? If so, what is it? Have you asked if they would support your project (not necessary, but very helpful)?
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When do you expect to graduate?
: Anthony Leiserowitz : Anthony Leiserowitz
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OnlineLeiserowitz M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Leiserowitz Tentative |
744
Conservation Science and Landscape Planning
744 Conservation Science and Landscape Planning : : : Oswald J. Schmitz
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Schmitz TBA - TBA |
747
Global Communication Skills
747 Global Communication Skills :
This course helps students to sharpen their language and strategy in professional communication. Course topics include accent reduction, language accuracy, writing styles, presentation skills, meeting leadership, barriers to communication, and types of persuasion in multicultural contexts. We first address aspects of intelligibility, exploring how improved word choices and speech clarity affect audience understanding. We then look at the problem of comprehension and discuss strategies for increasing the student’s ability to listen accurately and read efficiently. We also examine common difficulties and cultural differences in the arrangement of information, use of evidence, and academic argumentation. Several sessions are devoted to specific skills, such as negotiating agreements and writing research reports. The course meets for lecture (two hours), and students attend a weekly small group practicum (one hour). The practicum allows students to reinforce new communicative behaviors in oral and written assignments, while receiving feedback from peers and the instructor. As students polish their skills, they improve their ability to express ideas and to interact in both academic and professional contexts.
: William Vance : William Vance
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OnlineVance TBA - TBA |
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Vance Tentative |
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750
Writing the World
750 Writing the World :
This is a practical writing course meant to develop your skills as a writer. But its real subject is perception and the writer’s authority—the relationship between what you notice in the world around you and what, culturally speaking, you’re allowed to notice. What you write during the semester is driven entirely by your own interest and attention. How you write is the question at hand. We’ll be exploring the overlapping habitats of language—present and past—and the natural environment. And, to a lesser extent, we’ll be exploring the character of persuasion in environmental themes. Every member of the class will write every week, and we will all read what everyone writes every week. It makes no difference whether you’re a would-be journalist, scientist, environmental advocate or policy-maker. The goal is to rework your writing and sharpen your perceptions, both sensory and intellectual. : Verlyn Klinkenborg : Verlyn Klinkenborg
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OnlineKlinkenborg M - 3:00-5:50 |
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Klinkenborg Tentative |
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751
Sampling Methodology and Practice
751 Sampling Methodology and Practice :
This course is intended to provide a fundamental understanding of the principles of statistical sampling, alternative estimators of population parameters, and the design basis for inference in survey sampling. Natural, ecological, and environmental resource applications of sampling are used to exemplify numerous sampling strategies. Sample designs to be studied include simple random; systematic; unequal probability, with and without replacement; stratified sampling; sampling with fixed-radius plots; horizontal point sampling; and line intercept. The Horvitz-Thompson, ratio, regression, and other estimators are introduced and used repeatedly throughout the course. Three hours lecture. Weekly and biweekly problem sets and final project. : Timothy G. Gregoire : Timothy G. Gregoire
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OnlineGregoire M,W - 10:00-11:20 |
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Gregoire TBA - TBA |
752
Ecology and Conservation of Tropical Forests
752 Ecology and Conservation of Tropical Forests : : : Liza Comita
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Comita TBA - TBA |
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753
Regression Modeling of Ecological and Environmental Data
753 Regression Modeling of Ecological and Environmental Data :
This course in applied statistics assists scientific researchers in the analysis and interpretation of observational and field data. After considering the notion of a random variable, the statistical properties of linear transformations and linear combinations of random data are established. This serves as a foundation for the major topics of the course, which explore the estimation and fitting of linear and nonlinear regression models to observed data. Three hours lecture. Statistical computing with R, weekly problem exercises.
: Timothy G. Gregoire : Timothy G. Gregoire
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OnlineGregoire M,W - 10:00-11:20 |
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Gregoire TBA - TBA |
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754
Geospatial Software Design
754 Geospatial Software Design :
This course introduces computer programming tools and techniques for the development and customization of geospatial data-processing capabilities. It relies heavily on use of the Python programming language in conjunction with ESRI’s ArcGIS and on JavaScript in conjunction with Google’s Earth Engine geographic information systems (GIS). Prerequisite: previous experience in GIS. Three hours lecture, problem sets. : Charles Dana Tomlin : Charles Dana Tomlin
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OnlineTomlin W - 9:00-11:50 |
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Tomlin TBA - TBA |
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755
Modeling Geographic Space
755 Modeling Geographic Space :
An introduction to the conventions and capabilities of image-based (raster) geographic information systems (GIS) for the analysis and synthesis of spatial patterns and processes. In contrast to ENV 756a, the course is oriented more toward the qualities of geographic space itself (e.g., proximity, density, or interspersion) than the discrete objects that may occupy such space (e.g., water bodies, land parcels, or structures). Three hours lecture, problem sets. No previous experience is required. : Charles Dana Tomlin : Charles Dana Tomlin
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OnlineTomlin W - 9:00-11:50 |
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Tomlin TBA - TBA |
756
Modeling Geographic Objects
756 Modeling Geographic Objects :
This course offers a broad and practical introduction to the nature and use of drawing-based (vector) geographic information systems (GIS) for the preparation, interpretation, and presentation of digital cartographic data. In contrast to ENV 755b, the course is oriented more toward discrete objects in geographical space (e.g., water bodies, land parcels, or structures) than the qualities of that space itself (e.g., proximity, density, or interspersion). Three hours lecture, problem sets. No previous experience is required. : Charles Dana Tomlin : Charles Dana Tomlin
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OnlineTomlin Tu - 10:00-12:50 |
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Tomlin TBA - TBA |
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757
Data Exploration and Analysis
757 Data Exploration and Analysis : Survey of statistical methods: plots, transformations, regression, contingency tables, analysis of variance, logistic regression, and cluster analysis. Data manipulation, web scraping, and data cleaning techniques are discussed. The R computing language is taught, and web data sources are used. : Jonathan Reuning-Scherer : TBD Faculty
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OnlineReuning-Scherer Tu,Th - 9-10:15 |
OnlineReuning-Scherer Tu,Th - 9:00-10:15 |
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Faculty Tentative |
758
Multivariate Data Analysis in the Environmental Sciences
758 Multivariate Data Analysis in the Environmental Sciences :
An introduction to the analysis of multivariate data. Topics include multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), principal components analysis, cluster analysis (hierarchical clustering, k-means), canonical correlation, multidimensional scaling ordination methods, discriminate analysis, factor analysis, and structural equations modeling. Emphasis is placed on practical application of multivariate techniques to a variety of natural and social examples in the environmental sciences. Students are required to select a dataset early in the term for use throughout the term. There are regular assignments and a final project. Extensive use of computers is required—students may use any combination of R, SAS, SPSS, STATA, and MINITAB. Prerequisites: a prior course in introductory statistics and a good understanding of multiple linear regression. Three hours lecture/discussion. : Jonathan Reuning-Scherer : Jonathan Reuning-Scherer
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OnlineReuning-Scherer Tu,Th - 1:00-2:15 |
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Reuning-Scherer TBA - TBA |
759
Power, Knowledge, and the Environment: Social Science
759 Power, Knowledge, and the Environment: Social Science : Introductory course on the scope of social scientific contributions to environmental and natural resource issues, emphasizing equity, politics, and the construction and contesting of knowledge. Section I, overview of the field and course. Section II, framing of environmental problems: placing problems in their wider political context, new approaches to uncertainty and failure, and the importance of how the conceptual boundaries to resource systems are drawn. Section III, methods: the dynamics of working within development projects, and the art of rapid appraisal and short-term consultancies. Section IV, local communities, resources, and (under)development: representing the poor, development discourse, and indigenous peoples and knowledge. This is a core MEM. specialization course in YSE, a core course in the combined YSE/Anthropology doctoral degree program, and a prerequisite for ENV 869/ANTH 572. : Michael R. Dove : Michael R. Dove
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OnlineDove M - 9:00-11:50 |
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Dove TBA - TBA |
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760
Conservation in Practice: An International Perspective
760 Conservation in Practice: An International Perspective :
This seminar focuses on the practice of wildlife and wildlands conservation, examining key topics from the dual perspectives of academic literature and actual field experiences; bringing together interdisciplinary thinking; and drawing on examples from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the United States. The thematic outline of the seminar is organized around three fundamental questions in nature conservation: What are we trying to save—and why? How is this being done—and how has it changed over time? What lessons are we learning—and what overarching issues remain problematic? Specific topics include how different players define and value wildness; selection and prioritization of conservation targets; comparisons of various species and landscape conservation approaches; and governance and decision making in conservation, including ties between conservation and development and community-based conservation. Student participation and leadership are key, as the seminar is discussion-based and approximately half the sessions are student-led. Evaluation is based on participation and a final paper. : Amy Vedder : Amy Vedder : Bill Weber
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OnlineVedder Tu,Th - 4:00-5:20 |
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Vedder TBA - TBA |
761
Negotiating International Agreements: The Case of Climate Change
761 Negotiating International Agreements: The Case of Climate Change : Follows Law School Calendar.
This is a capped course. Interested students must send statement of interest to Prof. Biniaz (susan.biniaz@yale.edu) to be considered for enrollment by Jan 4, 2021.
This seminar is a practical introduction to the negotiation of international agreements, with a focus on climate change. Students learn about the cross-cutting features of international environmental agreements and, through the climate change lens, explore the process of negotiating agreements, the development of national positions, the advocacy of positions internationally, and the many ways in which differences among negotiating countries are resolved. The course also examines the history and substance of the climate change regime, including, inter alia, the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, and the 2015 Paris Agreement. Climate change issues in other international fora are also discussed, e.g., the International Civil Aviation Organization’s market-based mechanism to address CO2 emissions from international aviation. Grades are based on a series of short nonresearch papers, as well as class participation and a mock negotiation. Enrollment limited to eighteen to twenty. : Susan Biniaz : Susan Biniaz
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OnlineBiniaz M - 2:10-4:00 |
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Biniaz Tentative |
762
Applied Math for Environmental Studies (AMES):Foundations for Measuring and Modeling Environmental and Socio-environmental Systems
762 Applied Math for Environmental Studies (AMES):Foundations for Measuring and Modeling Environmental and Socio-environmental Systems :
The language of mathematics is an important leg in the stool of interdisciplinary research and analysis, and many graduate courses at YSE involve mathematical content. However, many graduate students have not taken a math course in years, and their math skills are rusty. Furthermore, many graduate-level mathematical concepts may be entirely new. Experience suggests that many students either opt out of taking courses they are truly interested in or muddle through, struggle with the math, and miss important concepts. AMES is meant to help students refresh or acquire new math skills and succeed in content and “toolbox” graduate-level courses. AMES provides a structured opportunity to learn a range of mathematical concepts used in environmental studies. The course assumes that, at a minimum, students took college algebra and perhaps a semester of calculus (but might not really remember it). Concepts are presented heuristically in a “how to” and “why” approach with examples from environmental studies. The goal is for students to be conversant and have intuition about (i.e., to demystify) why logs, exponents, derivatives, integrals, linear algebra, probability, optimization, stability analysis, and differential equations show up throughout environmental studies. Students learn (review) how to use these techniques. Also covered is a bit of history of math and an introduction to computer programming. : Eli Fenichel : Eli Fenichel
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HybridFenichel M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Fenichel TBA - TBA |
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763
Political Economy of Climate Change
763 Political Economy of Climate Change : This graduate seminar engages with the comparative and global political economy of climate change. It thus focuses on the political battle between those who stand to win and those who stand to lose as a result of climate change, in particular players in the global energy system. The course rests on concepts and theories from international political economy and comparative political economy, both sub-disciplines within political science. Yet, it also draws heavily on literature from international relations, policy sciences, political geography and economics. This reading seminar introduces students to both a range of social science theories and to the specific problem structures of climate politics and policy. The readings reflect this in that they include theoretical works and case studies. Analytical themes covered include (1) political strategies toward climate change and the politics of policy instruments, (2) actors, their interests and strategies, (3) institutions and collective action, and (4) markets and technological change. Case studies relate to national energy strategies, carbon pricing, policy-induced innovation in environmental technologies, green industrial policy and global trade, distributed generation and grid politics, to name a few key themes. : Jonas Meckling :
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OnlineMeckling Tu - 3:00-5:50 |
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764
Nature, Rationality, and Moral Politics
764 Nature, Rationality, and Moral Politics : : : Justin Farrell
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Farrell TBA - TBA |
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767
Building a Conservation Toolkit: From Project Design to Evaluation
767 Building a Conservation Toolkit: From Project Design to Evaluation : As wildlife and wildland conservation programs have multiplied and grown in size, conservation organizations have sought methods to improve strategic project planning, assessment of progress, cross-project comparison, learning of lessons, and transparency for donors. To address these challenges, major nonprofit organizations have collaboratively designed a set of decision-support tools for planning field projects and programs and for monitoring their progress, summarized in the “Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation” (http://cmp-openstandards.org). Use of these tools has allowed organizations to more clearly articulate strategies, define priority actions, critically assess success, manage adaptively, and derive lessons—all of which help to improve effectiveness and respond to donor interests. Students in this course explore a mutually reinforcing suite of these project tools: their underlying principles are introduced, students practice the techniques, and current case studies from field conservation are examined to explore tool utility. Students synthesize use of these design tools in a final project or program proposal focused on a single case study of their choice. The suite of decision-support tools covered includes conceptual models for project design, situational and stakeholder assessments, threats and opportunities analysis, conservation target identification (particularly landscape species selection), and monitoring frameworks. Students gain experience in design of projects and their monitoring, as well as familiarity with budgeting. Enrollment limited to twelve. : Amy Vedder : Amy Vedder : Bill Weber
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OnlineVedder M,W - 4:00-5:20 |
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Vedder TBA - TBA |
769
Seminar on Public Lands and Policy in the American West
769 Seminar on Public Lands and Policy in the American West : : : Justin Farrell
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Farrell TBA - TBA |
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771
Fundamentals of Green Engineering and Green Chemistry
771 Fundamentals of Green Engineering and Green Chemistry :
There is a broad desire to ensure that consumer products, manufacturing processes, and material and energy systems are compatible with public health, environmental sustainability, and this course provides the fundamental knowledge on the frameworks, methods, tools, and techniques of how to design for sustainability. Through an understanding of the conceptual contracts and the application to real-world case studies, students will understand the impacts of design on health (including toxic and eco-toxic effects) and the ways to ensure that new products, processes, and systems can be constructed through the principles of green engineering and green chemistry. This is a course of fundamentals that set the foundation for more advanced investigations in sustainable design and therefore there are no pre-requisites. : Paul Anastas : : Julie Zimmerman
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OnlineAnastas M,W - 10:00-11:20 |
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773
Air Pollution Control (APC)
773 Air Pollution Control (APC) :
An overview of air quality problems worldwide with a focus on emissions, chemistry, transport, and other processes that govern dynamic behavior in the atmosphere. Quantitative assessment of the determining factors of air pollution (e.g., transportation and other combustion–related sources, chemical transformations), climate change, photochemical “smog,” pollutant measurement techniques, and air quality management strategies. : Drew Gentner : Drew Gentner
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OnlineGentner M,W - 2:30-3:45 |
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Gentner Tentative |
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774
Agriculture: Origins, Evolution, Crises
774 Agriculture: Origins, Evolution, Crises : : : Harvey Weiss
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Weiss Tentative |
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775
Federal Indian Law
775 Federal Indian Law : This course will cover the basics of federal Indian law. It will not address the substantive content of tribal law. Tribal law is a specialized study arising from the exercise of the legal authority that the tribes retain. This course is designed to lay the ground work for a deep understanding of what kinds of sovereignty Indian nations may exercise within the framework of our legal system. Normally, courses of this type begin with an historical exploration of the foundations of the relations between Indian and non-Indian peoples. Instead, we will begin with questions that are current and sketch out, roughly, where we are now. Typically, we start with cases pending before or recently decided by the Supreme Court. We use the Marshall Trilogy to build from the present back to the origins to see how the doctrines reflect the positive aspects of the legal expression of contact between Europe and the native nations of the Western hemisphere as well as the more malign aspects. We will not neglect the history; it will prove critical for understanding the ways in which federal Indian law is sui generis in domestic jurisprudence, but we will see how that history is always haunted by the specter of colonialism, extra-legality, and finally international legal norms. Self-scheduled examination or paper option. Students are required to attend the first day of class.
Follows Law School Calendar : Gerald Torres :
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OnlineTorres T/W 4:10-5:35 |
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777
Water Quality Control
777 Water Quality Control :
Study of the preparation of water for domestic and other uses and treatment of wastewater for recycling or discharge to the environment. Topics include processes for removal of organics and inorganics, regulation of dissolved oxygen, and techniques such as ion exchange, electrodialysis, reverse osmosis, activated carbon adsorption, and biological methods. : Jaehong Kim : Jaehong Kim
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OnlineKim Tu,Th - 2:30-3:45 |
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Kim Tentative |
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781
Applied Spatial Statistics
781 Applied Spatial Statistics :
An introduction to spatial statistical techniques with computer applications. Topics include modeling spatially correlated data, quantifying spatial association and autocorrelation, interpolation methods, variograms, kriging, and spatial point patterns. Examples are drawn from ecology, sociology, public health, and subjects proposed by students. Four to five lab/homework assignments and a final project. The class makes extensive use of the R programming language.
Prerequisite: introductory course in statistics is mandatory. An intermediate-level course in statistical modeling and handling spatial data is strongly preferred, but not required. : Timothy G. Gregoire : Timothy G. Gregoire : Jonathan Reuning-Scherer
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OnlineGregoire Tu,Th - 10:00-11:20 |
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Gregoire TBA - TBA |
782
Globalization Space
782 Globalization Space : Infrastructure space as a primary medium of change in global polity. Networks of trade, energy, communication, transportation, spatial products, finance, management, and labor, as well as new strains of political opportunity that reside within their spatial disposition. Case studies include free zones and automated ports around the world, satellite urbanism in South Asia, high-speed rail in Japan and the Middle East, agripoles in southern Spain, fiber optic submarine cable in East Africa, spatial products of tourism in North Korea, and management platforms of the International Organization for Standardization. : Keller Easterling : Keller Easterling
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Easterling M,W - 10:30-11:50 |
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Easterling Tentative |
783
Field Course in Environmental Sociology
783 Field Course in Environmental Sociology : : : Justin Farrell
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Farrell Tentative |
785
Asian Religions and Ecology
785 Asian Religions and Ecology : The first half of the course will explore the South Asian religious traditions of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. The second half of this course will explore the East Asian religious traditions of Confucianism, Daoism, and East Asian Buddhism. These traditions are studied in the context of the emerging field of religion and ecology. This course identifies developments in religious traditions that highlight their ecological implications into the contemporary period. In particular, it relates religious concepts, textual analysis, ritual activities, and institutional formations to engaged, on-the-ground environmental projects. It investigates the symbolic and lived expressions in religious ethics and practices that can be defined as religious ecologies.
At present the rapid modernization in South and East Asia is causing extreme environmental problems. This course will investigate Asian religions in relation to this ecological crisis. Both the problems and promise of religions are acknowledged. Religions are now widely seen as significant social, intellectual, and spiritual forces that both shape and are shaped by cultural worldviews. Moreover, religions are containers of symbolic language that often evoke nature's processes and reflect nature's rhythms. The multiform roles of religions, then, provide historical sources for reflection upon human behavior guided by values embedded in individual and social bodies, projected onto ecosystems, and molded into cosmological narratives. : John Grim : John Grim : Mary Evelyn Tucker
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OnlineGrim Tu - 4:00-6:00 |
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Grim TBA - TBA |
788
Urban Landscapes and Geographies of Justice
788 Urban Landscapes and Geographies of Justice :
What explains the socioeconomic and ecological patterns in a city? This course will introduce students to ideas in the history and theory of urban planning; the production of urban environments; and concepts in environmental justice to understand contemporary cities. Using New Haven as a case study, the class will explore the ways in which structural inequalities are inscribed and reproduced in urban landscape. The course builds up a sequence of historical geographic layers and conceptual frameworks with the goal of unpacking the legacies of planning and urban development decision-making on contemporary social and environmental conditions. We are in a moment of crisis and there is a need for engaged public scholarship. We require theory informed practices to address the real challenges we face in our cities. Therefore, an integral part of this course will be student projects that serve the twin purposes of creating academic scholarship and making this knowledge available for the public and communities. : Amity Doolittle : : Karen C. Seto : TBD Faculty
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OnlineDoolittle T-2:00-3:50; F (workshop) 10:00-11:50 |
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789
Energy and Development
789 Energy and Development : : : Narasimha Rao
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Rao TBA - TBA |
793
Climate Change, Societal Collapse, and Resilience
793 Climate Change, Societal Collapse, and Resilience :
The coincidence of societal collapses throughout history with decadal and century-scale abrupt climate change events. Challenges to anthropological and historical paradigms of cultural adaptation and resilience. Examination of archaeological and historical records and high-resolution sets of paleoclimate proxies. : Harvey Weiss : Harvey Weiss
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Weiss Th - 3:30-5:20 |
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Weiss Tentative |
795
Nature as Capital: Merging Ecological and Economic Models
795 Nature as Capital: Merging Ecological and Economic Models :
Students learnconcepts and develop skills in natural resource economicsincluding thinking about natural resources as capital assets with a specific link to quantitative measures that may be useful in assessing sustainability. Students gain a working knowledge of concepts necessary to apply capital theory to ecosystems and develop a skill set sufficient to build dynamic bioeconomic models that can help them approximate the value of changes in ecosystems. Students also learn computational toolsin Excel and Rin dynamic optimization, which are useful for forward-looking decision-making. Application focus on natural resources and conservation questions. : Eli Fenichel :
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HybridFenichel Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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796
Bio-Politics of Human-Animal Relations
796 Bio-Politics of Human-Animal Relations : : : Michael R. Dove
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Dove TBA - |
799
Sustainable Development Goals and Implementation
799 Sustainable Development Goals and Implementation : This course has students (working alone or in a small group) design a specific implementation plan for a specific country for a specific item that is part of the Sustainable Development Goals to be adopted by the U.N. in September 2015. Students study the new post-2015 sustainable development goals and their implementation in the real world. The course focuses primarily on understanding and developing the ability to effectively apply a variety of tools and means of implementation, relying primarily on guest lecturers. The aim is for each student or group of students to combine a geographic area/region (for example, a country of key interest), a sustainable development goal, and a tool for implementation to design an effective implementation strategy to present to those at the ministerial and decision-making level. : Gordon T. Geballe : Gordon T. Geballe
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OnlineGeballe Tu,Th - 11:35-12:50 |
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Geballe TBA - TBA |
800
Energy Economics and Policy Analysis
800 Energy Economics and Policy Analysis :
This course examines energy policy issues that pertain to the environment, with a focus on providing tools for analyzing these issues. A primary objective is to apply economics to particular issues of energy markets, environmental impacts, investment in renewables, and other energy issues such as transportation and energy efficiency. We cover the economic and technical considerations behind a particular energy policy issue and then discuss a related article or case study. : Kenneth Gillingham : Kenneth Gillingham
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In PersonGillingham Tu,Th - 10:00-11:20 |
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Gillingham TBA - TBA |
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804
Economics of Environmental & Natural Resource Management
804 Economics of Environmental & Natural Resource Management :
Linking of abstract economic concepts to concrete policy and management decisions. Application of theoretical tools of economics toglobal warming, pollution control, fisheries, water management, forestry, recreation, and mining. : Robert O. Mendelsohn : Robert O. Mendelsohn
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OnlineMendelsohn M,W - 10:30-11:20 |
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Mendelsohn TBA - TBA |
805
Seminar on Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
805 Seminar on Environmental and Natural Resource Economics :
This seminar is based on outside speakers and internal student/faculty presentations oriented toward original research in the field of environmental and natural resource economics and policy. Presentations are aimed at the doctoral level, but interested master’s students may enroll with permission of the instructors. : Eli Fenichel : Kenneth Gillingham : Matthew J. Kotchen
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OnlineFenichel W - 4:00-5:20 |
OnlineFenichel W - 3:00-4:30 |
Gillingham TBA - TBA |
Gillingham TBA - TBA |
807
Corporate Sustainability Strategy and Management
807 Corporate Sustainability Strategy and Management :
This survey course focuses on the policy and business logic for making environmental issues and sustainability a core focus of corporate strategy and management. Students will be asked to analyze when and how sustainability leadership can translate into competitive advantage by helping to cut costs, reduce risk, drive growth, and promote brand identity and intangible value. The course combines lectures, case studies, and class discussions on management theory and tools, the legal and regulatory frameworks that shape the business-environment interface, and the evolving role of business in society, including how to deal with a world of diverse stakeholders, increasing transparency, and rising expectations related to corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Self-scheduled examination. |
Enrollment limited to forty, from all Yale schools; eight seats are reserved for Law students. : Daniel C. Esty : TBD Faculty
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In PersonEsty M,W - 8:15-9:30 |
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Faculty Tentative |
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811
Metrics, Tools and Indicators in Corporate Responsibility
811 Metrics, Tools and Indicators in Corporate Responsibility : This is an applied course on the standards, guidelines and tools for designing, implementing, auditing and communicating a corporate environmental and social responsibility (CR) program. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the knowledge and tools needed to enter a career in CR and sustainability. The course is designed for students who currently hold/will hold positions in organizations where they are/will be responsible for creating, implementing, measuring and/or managing internal CR and sustainability programs, or be responsible for assisting a corporations in this area. : Todd Cort : Todd Cort
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OnlineCort Tu,Th - 10:20-11:40 |
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Cort Tentative |
814
Energy Systems Analysis
814 Energy Systems Analysis :
This lecture course offers a systems analysis approach to describe and explain the basics of energy systems, including all forms of energy (fossil and renewable), all sectors/activities of energy production/conversion, and all energy end uses, irrespective of the form of market transaction (commercial or noncommercial) or form of technology (traditional as well as novel advanced concepts) deployed. Students gain a comprehensive theoretical and empirical knowledge base from which to analyze energy-environmental issues as well as to participate effectively in policy debates. Special attention is given to introducing students to formal methods used to analyze energy systems or individual energy projects and also to discuss traditionally less-researched elements of energy systems (energy use in developing countries; energy densities and urban energy use; income, gender, and lifestyle differences in energy end-use patterns) in addition to currently dominant energy issues such as climate change. Active student participation is required, including completion of problem sets. Participation in extra-credit skill development exercises (presentations, fact-finding missions, etc.) is encouraged. Invited outside speakers complement topics covered in class. : Narasimha Rao : Narasimha Rao
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OnlineRao M,W - 8:00-9:20 |
Rao TBA - TBA |
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816
Electric Utilities: an Industry in Transition
816 Electric Utilities: an Industry in Transition : The U.S. electric utility industry is a $400 billion business with capital expenditures on the order of $100 billion per year to replace aging infrastructure, implement new technologies, and meet new regulatory requirements. A reliable electricity infrastructure is essential for the U.S. economy and the health and safety of its citizens. The electric industry also has a significant impact on the environment. In the United States, electric power generation is responsible for about 40 percent of human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas. Electric utilities in the United States are at a crossroads. Technological innovations, improving economics, and regulatory incentives provide a transformational opportunity to implement demand-side resources and distributed energy technologies that will both lower emissions and improve service to customers. Such significant changes could, however, disrupt existing utility business models and therefore may not be fully supported by incumbent utilities. This course focuses on the issues, challenges, risks, and trade-offs associated with moving the U.S. utility industry toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. We explore how utilities are regulated and how economic factors and regulatory policies influence outcomes and opportunities to align customer, environmental, and utility shareholder interests to craft win-win-win solutions. : Lawrence Reilly : Lawrence Reilly
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OnlineReilly Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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Reilly Tentative |
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817
Urban, Suburban, and Regional Planning Practice
817 Urban, Suburban, and Regional Planning Practice :
Our cities, towns, and regions represent the cumulative impact of planning policies implemented at multiple scales over the past century. This course explores the dynamic trends facing the United States and its communities and the evolution in planning practice that is occurring at the local and regional scale to address them. It looks at both suburban and urban approaches. The recent deep recession, climate change, and a lack of social cohesion call for a new triple bottom-line approach to decision-making for our future. Existing policies and governance structures are not always well suited for the new challenges and opportunities that we face. Local, state, and the national government are, to varying degrees, crafting new solutions to the challenges of urban and suburban America. : David Kooris : David Kooris
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In PersonKooris W - 5:00-7:50 |
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Kooris TBA - TBA |
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819
Strategies for Land Conservation
819 Strategies for Land Conservation :
This is a professional seminar on private land conservation strategies and techniques, with particular emphasis on the legal, financial, and management tools used in the United States. The seminar is built around presentations by guest speakers from land conservation organizations. Speakers are assigned topics across the land conservation spectrum, from identification of target sites, through the acquisition process, to ongoing stewardship of the land after the deal is done. The tools used to protect land are discussed, including the basics of real estate law, conservation finance, and project/organization management. Students are required to undertake a clinical project with a local land conservation organization. Enrollment limited to twenty-five; preference to second-year students if limit reached. : Bradford S. Gentry : Bradford S. Gentry
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OnlineGentry Tu - 2:30-5:20 |
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Gentry TBA - TBA |
820
Land Use Law and Environmental Planning
820 Land Use Law and Environmental Planning :
This course explores the regulation by local governments of land uses in urban, rural, and suburban areas and the effect of development on the natural environment. The course helps students understand how the environment can be protected through effective regulation at the local level. It provides an introduction to federal, state, regional, and local laws and programs that promote watershed protection and to the laws that delegate to local governments primary responsibility for decision-making in the land use field. Theories of federalism, regionalism, states’ rights, and localism are studied, as are the cases that provide a foundation in regulatory takings and the legitimate scope of land use regulation. The history of the delegation of planning and land use authority to local governments is traced, leading to an examination of local land use practices that relate to human settlement patterns, water resources, low impact development, watershed protection, alternatives to Euclidean zoning, brownfields redevelopment, resiliency and adaptation in response to sea-level rise and climate change. Students engage in empirical research to identify, catalogue, and evaluate innovative local laws that successfully protect environmental functions and natural resources, and the manner in which towns incorporate climate change into their planning and regulations. Nearby watersheds are used as a context for the students’ understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of local planning and regulation. Attention is paid, in detail, to how the development of the land adversely affects natural resources and how these impacts can be mitigated through local planning and subsequent adoption of environmental and other regulations designed to promote sustainable development in a climate-changing world. : Marjorie Shansky : Marjorie Shansky
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OnlineShansky M,W - 4:00-5:20 |
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Shansky Tentative |
822
Strategic Communication: Delivering Effective Presentations(see description for section times and dates)
822 Strategic Communication: Delivering Effective Presentations(see description for section times and dates) : : : Taly Reich
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Reich Tentative |
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824
Environmental Law and Policy
824 Environmental Law and Policy :
Introduction to the legal requirements and policy underpinnings of the basic U.S. laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and various statutes governing waste, food safety, and toxic substances. This course will examine and evaluate current approaches to pollution control and resource management as well as the "next generation" of regulatory strategies, including economic incentives, voluntary emissions reductions, and information disclosure requirements. Mechanisms for addressing environmental issues at the local, regional, and global levels will also be considered. Scheduled examination : Robert Klee : Robert Klee
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In PersonKlee Tu,Th - 10:00-11:20 |
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Klee Tentative |
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826
Foundations of Natural Resource Policy and Management
826 Foundations of Natural Resource Policy and Management :
This course offers an explicit interdisciplinary (integrative) framework that is genuinely effective in practical problem solving. This unique skill set overcomes the routine ways of thinking and solving conservation problems common to many NGOs and government organizations by explicitly developing more rigorous and effective critical-thinking, observation, and management skills. By simultaneously addressing rational, political, and practical aspects of real-world problem solving, the course helps students gain skills, understand, and offer solutions to the policy problems of managing natural resources. The approach we use requires several things of students (or any problem solvers): that they be contextual in terms of social and decision-making processes; that they use multiple methods and epistemologies from any field that helps in understanding problems; that they strive to be both procedurally and substantively rational in their work; and, finally, that they be clear about their own standpoint relative to the problems at hand. The approach used in this course draws on the oldest and most comprehensive part of the modern policy analytic movement—the policy sciences (interdisciplinary method)—which is growing in its applications worldwide today. The course includes a mix of critical thinking, philosophical issues, history, as well as issues that students bring in. Among the topics covered are human rights, scientific management, decision making, community-based approaches, governance, common interest, sustainability, professionalism, and allied thought and literature. In their course work students apply the basic concepts and tools to a problem of their choice, circulating drafts of their papers to other seminar participants and lecturing on and leading discussions of their topics in class sessions. Papers of sufficient quality may be collected in a volume for publication. Active participation, reading, discussion, lectures, guests, and projects make up the course. The seminar supports and complements other courses in the School and at the University : Susan G. Clark : Susan G. Clark
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OnlineClark M - 1:00-3:50 |
Clark TBA - TBA |
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831
Society and Natural Resources Seminar: A “Reflexive Conversation"
831 Society and Natural Resources Seminar: A “Reflexive Conversation" :
This research seminar explores the relationship between society and natural resources in a genuinely interdisciplinary manner. This session focuses on the foundations (philosophic, methodological, and pragmatic) of social and integrative/interdisciplinary sciences/approaches to understanding and policy. We demonstrate a major case application. Although the specific topic of the seminar varies from year to year, the consistent underlying theme is an examination of how societies organize themselves, use natural resources, and affect their environment. In past years, the seminar focused on energy and the environment, interdisciplinary problem solving, and environmental psychology and sociology. We focus on leadership (the lead and leader’s relationships), too. Guests and students make presentations and participate in discussions each week. Readings, active participation, and student papers are required. The seminar overall looks at people seeking values using natural resources through institutions. This relationship (people, values, natural resources, and institutions) has been extensively written about and discussed in diverse fields. A few years ago, the seminar examined the relationship of human dignity as a universal value goal, professionalism and practice, and sustainability as an applied notion. Other versions of the seminar have looked at conceptual (theoretical) models about society and natural resources from policy sciences, social ecology, political ecology, and other knowledge areas. Still other seminars focused on “Bridging Local and Professional Knowledge in Environmental Sustainability” and “War and the Environment.” Topic for this year’s seminar to be determined. : Susan G. Clark : Susan G. Clark
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HybridClark W - 1:00-3:50 |
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Clark Tentative |
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834
Environmental Economics and Policy
834 Environmental Economics and Policy : This is a course in environmental and natural resource economics and policy. It covers both general methodological principles and specific applications. Rather than serving as a standard course in environmental and natural resource economics, the material is tailored specifically to master’s students pursuing professional degrees in environmental management. The course therefore has a focus on environmental problem solving in the real world. Topics covered include, but are not limited to: evaluation of environmental policies (e.g., standards, taxes, cap-and-trade); cost-benefit analysis and its critiques; nonmarket valuation (ecosystem services, revealed and stated preferences); discounting and macroeconomic perspectives on climate change; management of nonrenewable resources (oil, minerals, etc.); management of renewable resources (forests, fisheries, etc.); land and biodiversity conservation; the relationship between development, trade, and the environment; strategic incentives for international environmental agreements; and environmental behavioral economics. : Matthew J. Kotchen : Matthew J. Kotchen
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OnlineKotchen Tu,Th - 10:00-11:20 |
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Kotchen TBA - TBA |
835
Seminar on Land Use Planning
835 Seminar on Land Use Planning :
Land use control exercised by state and local governments determines where development occurs on the American landscape, the preservation of natural resources, the emission of greenhouse gases, the conservation of energy, and the shape and livability of cities and towns. The exercise of legal authority to plan and regulate the development and conservation of privately owned land plays a key role in meeting the needs of the nation’s growing population for housing and nonresidential development and in ensuring that critical environmental functions are protected from the adverse impacts of land development. This course explores the multifaceted discipline of land use and urban planning and their associated ecological implications. Numerous land use strategies are discussed, such as consensus building, resiliency planning, and proper renewable energy siting, that provide practical tools for professionals to use to create sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. The focus of this seminar is to expose students to the basics of land use and urban planning in the United States and to serve as an introduction for the ENV curricular concentration in land use. Guest speakers are professionals involved in sustainable development, land conservation, smart growth, renewable energy, and climate change management. |
: Jessica Bacher : Jessica Bacher
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HybridBacher W - 10:00-11:20 |
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Bacher TBA - TBA |
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835E
Seminar on Land Use Planning (Online)
835E Seminar on Land Use Planning (Online) :
Land use control exercised by state and local governments determines where development occurs on the American landscape, the preservation of natural resources, the emission of greenhouse gases, the conservation of energy, and the shape and livability of cities and towns. The exercise of legal authority to plan and regulate the development and conservation of privately owned land plays a key role in meeting the needs of the nation’s growing population for housing and nonresidential development and in ensuring that critical environmental functions are protected from the adverse impacts of land development. This course explores the multifaceted discipline of land use and urban planning and their associated ecological implications. Numerous land use strategies are discussed, such as consensus building, resiliency planning, and proper renewable energy siting, that provide practical tools for professionals to use to create sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. The focus of this seminar is to expose students to the basics of land use and urban planning in the United States and to serve as an introduction for the ENV curricular concentration in land use. Guest speakers are professionals involved in sustainable development, land conservation, smart growth, renewable energy, and climate change management. |
: Jessica Bacher : Jessica Bacher
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OnlineBacher Onlie |
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Bacher TBA - TBA |
836
Agrarian Societies: Culture, Society, History, and Development
836 Agrarian Societies: Culture, Society, History, and Development :
An interdisciplinary examination of agrarian societies, contemporary and historical, Western and non-Western. Major analytical perspectives from anthropology, economics, history, political science, and environmental studies are used to develop a meaning-centered and historically grounded account of the transformation of rural society. Four hours lecture plus discussion sections. : TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty : Kalyanakrishnan Sivaramakrishnan
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Faculty W - 1:30-3:20 |
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Faculty Tentative |
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838
Life-Cycle Assessment
838 Life-Cycle Assessment :
The increasing concerns about environmental pollutions and resource challenges drive the development of sustainable solutions that can meet societal needs without compromising the environment or depleting the resources for future generations. Given many technological, behavioral, and policy options, it is challenging to determine which option best serves humanity and the environment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) offers a systems approach to support these decisions. This course is an overview of life cycle thinking, the fundamental theory of LCA framework, and practical applications in supporting real-world decision-making. Students will learn state-of-the-art LCA tools, industrial case studies, and advanced LCA methodologies. The course will have an emphasis on systems thinking. The course is appropriate for all MEM specializations.
For those interested in enrolling, please access this application to be considered: https://forms.gle/2X96WRERX4xaJhFXA
: Yuan Yao : TBD Faculty
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OnlineYao Tu,Th - 10:00-11:20 |
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Faculty Tentative |
839
Social Science of Conservation and Development
839 Social Science of Conservation and Development : This course is designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the social aspects involved in implementing conservation and sustainable development projects. Social science makes two contributions to the practice of conservation and development. First, it provides ways of thinking about, researching, and working with social groupings—including rural households and communities, but also development and conservation institutions, states, and NGOs. This aspect includes relations between groups at all these levels, and especially the role of politics and power in these relations. Second, social science tackles the analysis of the knowledge systems that implicitly shape conservation and development policy and impinge on practice. The emphasis throughout is on how these things shape the practice of sustainable development and conservation. Case studies used in the course have been balanced as much as possible between Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, and Latin America; most are rural and Third World. The course includes readings from all noneconomic social sciences. The goal is to stimulate students to apply informed and critical thinking (which means not criticizing others, but questioning our own underlying assumptions) to whatever roles they may come to play in conservation and sustainable development, in order to move toward more environmentally and socially sustainable projects and policies. The course is also designed to help students shape future research by learning to ask questions that build on, but are unanswered by, the social science theory of conservation and development. : Carol Carpenter : Carol Carpenter
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In PersonCarpenter Th - 10:00-12:50 |
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Carpenter TBA - TBA |
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840
Climate Change Policy and Perspectives
840 Climate Change Policy and Perspectives : This course examines the scientific, economic, legal, political, institutional, and historic underpinnings of climate change and the related policy challenge of developing the energy system needed to support a prosperous and sustainable modern society. Particular attention is given to analyzing the existing framework of treaties, law, regulations, and policy—and the incentives they have created—which have done little over the past several decades to change the world’s trajectory with regard to the build-up of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. What would a twenty-first-century policy framework that is designed to deliver a sustainable energy future and a successful response to climate change look like? How would such a framework address issues of equity? How might incentives be structured to engage the business community and deliver the innovation needed in many domains? While designed as a lecture course, class sessions are highly interactive. Self-scheduled examination or paper option. : Daniel C. Esty : Daniel C. Esty
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In PersonEsty M,W - 10:00-11:20 |
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Esty Tentative |
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850
International Organizations and Conferences
850 International Organizations and Conferences :
IOC will focus on the historic, present, and future roles of international environmental conferences. Through guest speakers, assigned readings, and discussions, students will explore conferences including IUCN’s World Conservation Congress, the UN’s Convention of Biological Diversity, UNFCCC’s climate change conference, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). Students, along with visiting alumni and guest speakers, will discuss the roles and impacts of the various conferences in international environmental decision making and the future of international conferences in a post-COVID world. The course will also assess the potential for improved equity, justice, and inclusion in international conferences, organizations, and their secretariats. Student groups will examine the mission statements and impacts of conferences and develop work plans for new or existing conferences that they envision filling existing gaps while also considering the challenges and opportunities of the future. : Gordon T. Geballe : Gordon T. Geballe
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OnlineGeballe Tu - 3:00-5:50 |
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Geballe Tentative |
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852
Food Systems and Environmental Law
852 Food Systems and Environmental Law : Follows Yale Law calendar.
Limited enrollment: Course is currently closed
We eat food every day. The food system, from agricultural production to processing and distribution to consumption and waste, shapes our lives. Less well known, but of equal or greater impact, the food system profoundly affects our environment, climate, and public health. This course takes the food one eats in a day and uses those to demonstrate the environmental impact of modern agriculture and the U.S. laws that attempt to reduce those harms.
Today’s industrial food system bears little relation to the bucolic family farms we imagine – and that were in Congress’s mind when it passed most modern environmental laws. Since the 1970’s when most environmental laws were enacted, U.S. agriculture has grown increasingly concentrated and industrial. In terms of output of cheap food, the system is a success: we now produce about 60% more food than we need, food is about one-third less expensive today than in 1980; and less than 2% of U.S. employment is in agriculture. In addition, agriculture now also produces about 10% of the nation’s vehicle fuel (mostly corn-based ethanol).
On the other hand, the increased industrialization, without the environmental safeguards applicable to other industries, has led to agriculture being a major source of environmental and health harm. Agriculture occupies approximately 60% of the country’s contiguous land and thus is the main driver of loss of native habitats. Almost 800 million acres of U.S. land are used for pasture or range for livestock—activities that often destroy habitat, imperil native species, and pollute waters. Most row crops are monocultures dependent on high doses of fertilizers and pesticides that pollute waters and endanger workers, surrounding communities, and downstream consumers. The vast majority of our meat is produced in industrial-scale “concentrated animal feeding operations” that house thousands or even millions of animals producing more waste than many cities, yet without sewage treatment systems, and thus cause significant water and air pollution. Agriculture is responsible for about 10% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and the food system as a whole contributes a quarter to a third of total greenhouse gas emissions.
Beyond agriculture itself, the manufacture of farm inputs is energy-intensive and highly polluting; animal slaughtering is highly polluting; and food processing, distribution, and preparation is energy-intensive. At the end of the system, approximately 35% of food is wasted and most of that ends up in landfills where it releases methane.
US environmental law directly and indirectly seeks to reduce these harms, although often in partial, ineffective, or unenforceable ways. While there are alternative production systems that have been demonstrated to produce sufficient food with much less environmental impact, the law rarely encourages, and often discourages such approaches. This course studies existing US environmental law and its strengths and weaknesses, and explores alternative approaches to environmental and public health protections. We start and end with climate change – its impact on agriculture and agriculture’s impact on climate – and address other impacts and statutes between. Paper required : TBD Faculty :
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OnlineFaculty W - 4:10-6:00 |
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857
Environmental History and Values
857 Environmental History and Values :
This course provides an overview of major figures, ideas, and institutions in American environmentalism. The course explores the development of environmental awareness in America as distinct historical strands with diverse ethical concerns. It begins with an examination of Native American perspectives on land and biodiversity and then focuses on writings by Thoreau and Emerson to explore early American voices in the discourse on “nature.” Readings from Pinchot, Muir, and Leopold have been selected to investigate the emergence of conservation and forest management. The beginnings of urban and park planning are considered in relation to these positions on the management of nature. Students survey the environmental movements from the 1960s onward in readings from the social sciences and humanities. The course explores the major debates in environmental ethics and the broader reach for global ethics. Writings celebrating biodiversity are examined along with the emergence of conservation biology as an example of engaged environmental scholarship. New efforts to widen the interdisciplinary approaches toward environmental issues are introduced in investigating world religions and ecology as well as cosmology and ecology. : John Grim : John Grim : Mary Evelyn Tucker
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OnlineGrim W - 4:00-6:00 |
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Grim TBA - TBA |
860
Understanding Environmental Campaigns and Policymaking: Strategies and Tactics
860 Understanding Environmental Campaigns and Policymaking: Strategies and Tactics : This course is about the strategies and tactics used by successful environmental campaigns, taught from a practitioner's perspective. It is also a course about environmental policymaking. Policy doesn’t just happen the way it’s described in grade school civics textbooks. And it isn’t just policymakers who make it. Corporate and civic interests play an influential role at all levels of policymaking. As future participants in the policy process, whether you come at it from a perch in government, business, as an advocate, or as a private citizen, you can jumpstart your ability to participate and respond by understanding how policy campaign advocacy impacts policymaking. Though this topic is neither well documented nor regularly taught, there is a toolkit that can be learned. Most environmental campaigners and policymakers learn about policy campaigning on the job. This course attempts to advance understanding of the policy making process by exposing YSE students to case examples from the environmental policy making world of the past decade. The course examines selected case examples of successful policy campaigns, and seeks to tease out lessons and best practice. No single environmental campaign is the same, and strategies and tactics are always evolving, but there are key lessons about campaign practices that can be learned.Some of the Case studiesexamined in this course in the past have includedcampaigns enacting anti-toxic legislation in Washington State; stopping the Keystone XL Pipeline; shuttingcoal fired power plantsacross the U.S., protecting the Great Bear Rainforest and the Boreal Forest in Canada; stopping water privatization in Bolivia; banning the use of high Sulphur fuels in the Arctic; securing an international ban on Arctic ocean fishing; catalyzing the decarbonization of supply chain emissions at Levis; and encouraging banks and insurers to commit to Paris aligned lending and financing. Campaigners who have played leadership roles in thecampaigns we examinewill join us for class. We will examine each case, seek a practical understanding of strategies and tactics used by each campaign, and attempt to synthesize lessons and best practice. : Michael Northrop :
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OnlineNorthrop Tu - 2:30-5:20 |
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873
Global Environmental History
873 Global Environmental History : : : Harvey Weiss
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Weiss Tentative |
877
Anthropology of the Global Economy for Conservation and Development
877 Anthropology of the Global Economy for Conservation and Development :
This seminar explores topics in the anthropology of the global economy that are relevant to development and conservation policy and practice. Anthropologists are often assumed to focus on micro- or local-level research, and thus to have limited usefulness in the contemporary, global world of conservation and development policy. In fact, however, they have been examining global topics since at least the 1980s, and little current anthropological research is limited to the village level. More importantly, the anthropological perspective on the global economy is unique and important. This course examines the topics that make up this perspective, including using a single commodity to study the global economy, world system, and other 1970s theories of the world economy; the moral relation between economy and society, models for thinking about power in the global economy, articulations between rural households and the global economy, rural-urban relations in the global economy; the process of becoming a commodity, the commons debate, credit and debt, contracting and flexible accumulation; and the metrics and mobiles of globalization. Readings for the course come from the subfields of environmental anthropology, economic anthropology, the anthropology of development, and the anthropology of conservation. This class is a prerequisite for ENV 693b. Though designed for master’s and doctoral students, it is open to advanced undergraduates. Three hours lecture/seminar. : Carol Carpenter : Carol Carpenter
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In PersonCarpenter M - 3:00-5:50 |
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Carpenter TBA - TBA |
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878
Climate and Society: Past to Present
878 Climate and Society: Past to Present :
Seminar on the major traditions of thought and debate regarding climate, climate change, and society, drawing largely on the social sciences and humanities. Section I, overview of the field and course. Section II, disaster: the social origins of disastrous events; and the attribution of societal ‘collapse’ to extreme climatic events. Section III, causality: the ‘revelatory’ character of climatic perturbation; politics and the history of efforts to control weather/climate; and 19th-20th century theories of environmental determinism. Section IV, history and culture: the ancient tradition of explaining differences among people in terms of differences in climate; and differences between western and non-western views of climate. Section V, knowledge: the ethnographic study of folk knowledge of climate; and local views of climatic perturbation and change. Section VI, politics: the role of climatic change and perturbation in national politics; and the construction and contesting of global views of climate change. The goal of the course is to clarify the embedded historical, cultural, and political drivers of current climate change debates and discourses. : Michael R. Dove : Michael R. Dove
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OnlineDove Th - 1:30-3:20 |
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Dove TBA - TBA |
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884
Industrial Ecology
884 Industrial Ecology :
Industrial ecology studies (1) the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities, (2) the effects of these flows on the environment, and (3) the influences of economic, political, regulatory, and social factors on the flow, use, and transformation of resources. The goals of the course are to define and describe industrial ecology; to demonstrate the relationships among production, consumption, sustainability, and industrial ecology in diverse settings, from firms to cities to international trade flows; to show how industrial ecology serves as a framework for the consideration of environmental and sustainability-related aspects of science, technology, and policy; and to define and describe tools, applications, and implications of industrial ecology. : Marian Chertow : TBD Faculty : Stijn van Ewijk
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In PersonChertow M,W - 10:00-11:20 |
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Faculty TBA - TBA |
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891
Biology of Insect Disease Vectors
891 Biology of Insect Disease Vectors : : : Brian Weiss
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Tentative (No Semester)
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892
Introduction to Planning and Development
892 Introduction to Planning and Development :
This course demonstrates the ways in which financial and political feasibility determine the design of buildings and the character of the built environment. Students propose projects and then adjust them to the conflicting interests of the financial institutions, real estate developers, civic organizations, community groups, public officials, and the widest variety of participants in the planning process. Subjects covered include housing, commercial development, zoning, historic preservation, parks and public open space, suburban subdivisions, planned communities, and comprehensive plans. : Alexander Garvin : Alexander Garvin
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Garvin Tu - 11:00-12:50 |
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Garvin Tentative |
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893
Principles of Risk Assessment
893 Principles of Risk Assessment :
This course introduces students to the nomenclature, concepts, and basic skills of quantitative risk assessment (QRA). The goal is to provide an understanding necessary to read and critically evaluate QRA. Emphasis is on the intellectual and conceptual basis of risk assessment, particularly its dependence on toxicology and epidemiology, rather than its mathematical constructs and statistical models. Specific cases consider the use of risk assessment for setting occupational exposure limits, establishing community exposure limits, and quantifying the hazards of environmental exposures to chemicals in air and drinking water. : TBD Faculty : Vasilis Vasiliou
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OnlineFaculty F - 3:00-4:50 |
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Vasiliou Tentative |
894
Green Building: Issues and Perspectives
894 Green Building: Issues and Perspectives :
Our built environment shapes the planet, our communities, and each of us. Green buildings seek to minimize environmental impacts, strengthen the fabric of our cities and towns, and make our work and our homes more productive and fulfilling. This course is an applied course, exploring both the technical and the social-business-political aspects of buildings. Topics range from building science (hygrothermal performance of building enclosures) to indoor environmental quality; from product certifications to resilience (robust buildings and communities in the face of disasters and extended service outages). The purpose of the course is to build a solid background in the processes and issues related to green buildings, equipping students with practical knowledge about the built environment. Extensive use is made of resources from BuildingGreen, Inc., one of the leading information companies supporting green building and green building professionals. The course takes a “joint-discovery” approach with substantial emphasis on research and group project work, some fieldwork, and online individual testing. There are too many topics within green building to cover in one term, so the course is broken down into two sections. The first six weeks focus on the following topics, led by the instructor and/or an expert guest lecturer: building science, materials, indoor environmental quality, rating programs and systems, resilience, systems integration. The second half of the course focuses on selected topics driven by students and their particular interest/academic focus. The class meets once a week, with the instructor available to students that same day. Enrollment limited to twenty-four. : Peter Yost : Peter Yost
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HybridYost F - 8:00-10:50 |
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Yost TBA - TBA |
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896
Public Health Toxicology
896 Public Health Toxicology :
This course is designed to serve as a foundation for understanding environmental toxicology. It includes basic principles of toxicology, mechanisms of toxicity and cellular defense, and the fundamental interactions between chemicals and biological systems. Human exposure to foreign chemicals and their adverse effects are considered, as is the importance of federal and state agencies in protecting public health. Through the use of case studies, the course provides insights into prevention of mortality and morbidity resulting from environmental exposure to toxic substances, the fundamentals of risk assessment and regulatory toxicology, and the causes underlying the variability in susceptibility of people to chemicals. : Vasilis Vasiliou : Vasilis Vasiliou
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OnlineVasiliou Th-1:00-2:50; F-1:00-1:50 |
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Vasiliou Tentative |
897
Environmental and Occupational Exposure Science
897 Environmental and Occupational Exposure Science :
This course examines the fundamental and practical aspects of assessing exposures to environmental agents, broadly defined, in the residential, ambient, and workplace environments. The course provides the knowledge and skills to design and conduct exposure assessments, and has a particular focus on applications to environmental epidemiology and risk assessment. Indirect and direct methods of assessing exposures, such as questionnaires, environmental sampling, biological monitoring, and spatial modeling, are reviewed; and case studies and hands-on projects are presented : Nicole Deziel : TBD Faculty
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OnlineDeziel W-3:00-4:50; F-2:00-2:50 |
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Faculty Tentative |
898
Environment and Human Health
898 Environment and Human Health :
This course provides an overview of the critical relationships between the environment and human health. The class explores the interaction between health and different parts of the environmental system including weather, air pollution, greenspace, environmental justice, and occupational health. Other topics include environmental ethics, exposure assessment, case studies of environmental health disasters, links between climate change and health, and integration of scientific evidence on environmental health. Students learn about current key topics in environmental health and how to critique and understand scientific studies on the environment and human health. The course incorporates lectures and discussion. : Michelle L. Bell :
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OnlineBell Tu - 1:00-3:50 |
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900
Doctoral Student Seminar and Responsible Conduct of Research
900 Doctoral Student Seminar and Responsible Conduct of Research :
This course provides the foundation for doctoral study at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. As a major part of the course, students will learn what it means to do scholarly research as well as become adept with philosophy of science and research methodology and proposal writing, as a basis for exploring diverse approaches to formulating and addressing research questions. Students will work with their advisers to put these concepts and principles into practice to develop the basis for their dissertation research (including building bibliography, identifying and crafting research questions, formulating research hypotheses and drafting a research proposal). Students will further learn about funding opportunities and procedures for submitting grants. The course will also cover professional ethics and responsible conduct of research, including ethical approaches to inquiry and measurement, data acquisition and management, authorship and publication, peer review, conflicts of interest, mentoring, collaborative research, and animal and human subjects research. Finally, the course will explore ethical ways to advocate for the application of scholarly knowledge in the interest of environmental problem solving. Weekly assigned readings will support concepts and issues addressed in class. Students will present their embryonic research ideas in class and use feedback from the group to further develop their ideas : Oswald J. Schmitz : Oswald J. Schmitz
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HybridSchmitz Tu - 1:00-4:00 |
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Schmitz Tentative |
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902
Environmental Anthropology Research Lab
902 Environmental Anthropology Research Lab :
1 credit/credit/fail. A bi-weekly seminar for Dove doctoral advisees and students in the combined YSE/Anthropology program. It consists of the presentation and discussion of dissertation prospectuses and proposals, dissertation chapters, and related publications; collaborative writing and publishing projects on subjects of common interest; and discussion of such topics as grantsmanship, data analysis, writing and publishing, and the job search. Two-hour seminar : Michael R. Dove : Michael R. Dove
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OnlineDove F - 1:00-3:50 |
OnlineDove F - 1:00-4:00 |
Dove TBA - TBA |
Dove TBA - TBA |
905
Doctoral Seminar in Environmental and Energy Economics
905 Doctoral Seminar in Environmental and Energy Economics : : : Kenneth Gillingham
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Gillingham TBA - TBA |
910
Survival Skills for Doctoral Students
910 Survival Skills for Doctoral Students : credit/fail. This course is aimed at preparing advanced doctoral students for successful and rewarding careers in ecology and environmental science. Students learn about academic and non-academic careers from readings of and presentations by scientists in those positions. Students identify important steps toward planning and launching their career paths, and skills for being effective in these positions; and they develop their own career plan, curriculum vitae, teaching and research plans, and critiques of professional web pages. Finally, the course exposes students to resources and opportunities for continuing to apply and polish their skills. : William Lauenroth : William Lauenroth : Ingrid C. Burke
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OnlineLauenroth Th - 9:00-11:50 |
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Lauenroth TBA - TBA |
952
Political Ecology of Conservation and Restoration of Tropical Forest Landscapes
952 Political Ecology of Conservation and Restoration of Tropical Forest Landscapes : : : Amity Doolittle
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Doolittle TBA - TBA |
953
Sustainable Business Capstone Consulting Clinic
953 Sustainable Business Capstone Consulting Clinic : The intended outcome of this course is to provide you with a ‘capstone’ experience; consulting to established organizations confronting real-life challenges at the intersection of business and environmental sustainability. The course is designed for you to apply tools and insights gained in this and other courses to a defined project, creating deliverables that will be useful to the partner organizations.
This course is designed to help prepare anyone who wishes to become a consultant after graduation; though it is also intended to be useful for those that intend engaging with consultants in their career post-Yale. In short, there is hopefully something in it for many of you!
The brief from the client will be topical and relevant to challenges and opportunities faced by their organization and intersect business and environmental opportunity. It is also likely to surface potential trade-offs and require addressing cross-cutting critical issues of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion; all complicated by living through, and emerging from, the pandemic. Consulting teams will be consistently applying tools learnt in this and other courses, and the clients will be on hand to provide insight and guidance at points throughout the term.
Through a combination of individual & group work and lively discussion, you will establish an understanding of the client’s wider Purpose and Priorities; then help co-define and connect the Potential success of the project with the organization’s broader goals. You will work together in small consulting teams, holding each other accountable to Perform, creating defined deliverables for the client. In this way the course builds off some of the core elements of the Perspectives Course (ENV 553 - Fall 2020). : Peter Boyd : Peter Boyd
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HybridBoyd Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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Boyd Tentative |
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954
Management Plans for Protected Areas (includes Friday and Saturday Field trips)
954 Management Plans for Protected Areas (includes Friday and Saturday Field trips) :
A seminar that comprises the documentation of land use history and zoning, mapping and interpretation, and the collection and analysis of socioeconomic, biological, and physical information for the construction of management plans. Plans are constructed for private small-holders within the Quiet Corner Initiative partnership managed by the Yale School Forests. In the past plans have been completed for the Nature Conservancy; Massachusetts Trustees of Reservations; town land trusts; city parks and woodlands of New Haven, New York, and Boston; and the Appalachian Mountain Club. Prerequisite: ENV 659b or 660a, or permission of the instructor. Ten days fieldwork.
Must also register for ENVa, Field Skills in Land Stewardship : Mark S. Ashton : TBD Faculty
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In PersonAshton M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Faculty TBA - TBA |
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955
Seminar in Research Analysis, Writing and Communication in Forest Ecology
955 Seminar in Research Analysis, Writing and Communication in Forest Ecology :
Students work through the peer-review publication process on data sets and projects in applied forest ecology. Discussions involve rationale and hypothesis testing for a project, data analysis techniques, reporting and interpretation of results. It is expected that manuscripts developed in the course are worthy of publication and that oral presentations are of a caliber for subject area conferences and meetings.
1 credit option available for incoming students only. Must be taken for 3 credits to count as a capstone course.
: Mark S. Ashton : Mark S. Ashton
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HybridAshton W - 5:00-6:20 |
HybridAshton W - 6:30-7:50 |
Ashton Tentative |
Ashton Tentative |
957
Field Skills in Land Stewardship
957 Field Skills in Land Stewardship : See ENV 954 for description.
Must register for both ENV 954 & 957 at the same time. : Mark S. Ashton : Mark S. Ashton
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In PersonAshton M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Ashton TBA - TBA |
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958
Sustainable Business Capstone Consulting Clinic- Entrepreneurs
958 Sustainable Business Capstone Consulting Clinic- Entrepreneurs : The intended outcome of this course is to provide you with a ‘capstone’ experience; consulting to an organization in its early formative years, confronting real-life challenges at the intersections of starting-up, business strategy, and environmental sustainability; all with regular contact with a Founding entrepreneurial team that could be contemporaries or just graduated a few years ahead of you.
The course is designed for you to apply tools and insights gained in this and other courses to a defined project, creating deliverables that will be useful to the entrepreneurs leading their organization. It is designed to help prepare anyone who wishes to become a consultant after graduation; though it is also intended to be useful for those that intend to engage with consultants in their careers post-Yale and may be considering becoming an entrepreneur themselves. In short, there is hopefully something in it for many of you!
The brief from the client will be topical and relevant to challenges and opportunities at their organization’s life-stage. It is highly likely to surface potential trade-offs whereby the organization has ambitious plans but lacking the necessary resources to carry them all out. It may also address cross-cutting critical issues of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion; all complicated by living through, and hopefully emerging from, the pandemic. As the clients will be smaller and younger than those in the Fall term of SBCCC, the Founders will be on hand with their team to provide guidance throughout the term. From the Yale side, the Lecturer and Teaching Fellows bring consulting experience and time to help the teams throughout the project.
Through a combination of individual work, group work and lively discussion (with clients and classmates), you will establish an understanding of the client’s wider Purpose and Priorities; then help co-define and connect the Potential success of the project with the organization’s broader goals. You will work together in small consulting teams, holding each other accountable to Perform, creating defined deliverables for the client. In this way the course builds off some of the core elements of the Perspectives Course (ENV553 - Fall 2020) and the more structured classes of the course mirror Sustainable Business Capstone Consulting Clinic (ENV953 – Fall 2020)
For those students that want a full and immersive picture of the consulting experience, this course is designed to be a complement to:
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Sustainable Business Capstone Consulting Clinic: (Fall), this course matches student consulting teams with sustainability teams and other senior executives of large established organizations (Syllabus here: https://bit.ly/BoydSBCCC)
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Climate Solutions Capstone: Nature-Based Solutions Clinic (Fall) and Climate Solutions Capstone: Sub-National Actors Clinic (Spring): These capstone experiences will focus on projects with clients drawn from local municipalities, local and state NGOs and clients within the Yale community.
: Peter Boyd :
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OnlineBoyd Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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959
Clinic in Climate Justice, Climate Policy, the Law, and Public Health
959 Clinic in Climate Justice, Climate Policy, the Law, and Public Health : This course, an innovative collaboration between Yale School of Public Health, Yale School of the Environment, and Vermont Law School, includes students from both Yale and Vermont Law School. In the course, interdisciplinary student teams carry out applied projects that incorporate elements of climate justice, climate policy, and/or law with public health. Each team works with a partner organization (e.g., state agency, community organization, other nongovernmental organization) or on an ongoing project of the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health and/or the Vermont Law School Environmental Justice Clinic. A given team may include students from one institution or from both institutions, in which case team members work together remotely. The course meets weekly at Yale School of Public Health and Vermont Law School, respectively, connected by Zoom. The course affords the opportunity to have a real-world impact by applying concepts and competencies learned in the classroom. This course should be of interest to graduate and professional students across the University and is open to Yale College juniors and seniors. In addition, this course is one of the options available to students to fulfill the practice requirement for the M.P.H. degree at YSPH and the capstone requirement for the M.E.M. degree at the Yale School of the Environment. Enrollment is by application only; check the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health website or the course’s Canvas site for more information : Marianne Engelman-Lado : Marianne Engelman-Lado
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OnlineEngelman-Lado Th - 3:00-4:50 |
OnlineEngelman-Lado M - 10:00-11:50 |
Engelman-Lado Tentative |
Engelman-Lado Tentative |
960
Climate Solutions Capstone: Nature Based Solutions Clinic
960 Climate Solutions Capstone: Nature Based Solutions Clinic : Course Overview
As the climate crisis worsens, there is greater recognition that – in addition to energy-focused solutions – nature-based solutions also need to be part of climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. This capstone course offers students a hands-on opportunity to work with local organizations to help them design and implement a variety of nature-based solutions.
The course will pair teams of students with state and local governments and non-profit organizations to help advance the nature-based solutions/investments they are pursuing. The focus of the course is on how policy and financing efforts might help advance nature-based solutions from either a mitigation perspective (e.g. storing carbon) or in adaptation and resilience efforts (e.g. managing flooding, reducing temperatures, improving health). Our hope is to attract students from different specializations and backgrounds to form multi-disciplinary teams.
Projects being offered through the course include the following:
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The City of New Haven – heat management ordinances: New Haven has an ordinance that requires developers of large, new impervious surfaces either to provide shade or use reflective materials. As the City thinks about how to reduce the “urban heat island” effect, students will be asked to review what other cities are doing and offer suggestions for updating the ordinance.
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The Trust for Public Land (TPL) – linking urban heat island and park equity mapping: TPL’s work to provide “parks for people” involves mapping both access to parks, as well as vulnerability to the urban heat island effect. Students will help TPL’s CT office apply these tools to cities in CT as part of their efforts to help cities manage urban heat in an equitable manner.
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SustainableCT – crowd-funding of community-led nature-based solutions: SustainableCT has helped over 50 community groups across CT implement projects from tree-planting, to community gardens, through a crowd-funding program. Students will prepare case studies of some of the more successful projects, distilling lessons learned for future efforts in CT and other states.
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AudubonCT – funding and legal issues for salt marsh expansion: AudubonCT and its partners are working to understand and help manage the expansion of a salt marsh in Guilford, CT as sea levels rise and efforts to use “green infrastructure’ as part of resilience plans increase. Students will help the team explore possible funding sources for and legal issues facing the implementation of such salt marsh restoration/expansion efforts.
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TimberCity/Gray Organschi – monetizing the carbon stored in mid-rise “mass timber” buildings: Alan Organschi is an architect and professor at the Yale School of Architecture who is designing a mid-rise, affordable housing project in New Haven that uses “mass timber” rather than steel or concrete for its structural elements as part of efforts to store more carbon in cities. Students will work with him to explore ways to monetize these carbon storage benefits – from zoning codes, to green procurement, tax incentives, carbon offsets and other means.
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Probable: US Climate Alliance – supporting the natural and working lands group: Most of the 25 states that have pledged to address climate change as part of the US Climate Alliance are developing action plans around “Natural and Working Lands.” Students are expected to be asked to help with one of the Alliance’s priority work areas, such as supply chain/tree nursery capacity for increased reforestation efforts or reconciling the energy related portions of state plans with the nature-based portions.
The course sessions will start with an overview of climate and nature based solutions, followed by practice-based sessions on developing teamwork and consulting skills. The focus on nature-based solutions will cover many aspects of the implementation needs of such approaches, such as policy analysis, financing structures, targeted research and beyond. Once teams are formed and project scopes refined, most class sessions will be more focused on allowing students to work on their projects, as well as providing opportunities for feedback and guidance. At the end of the semester, the students will present their findings and recommendations to their project sponsors and each other.
This course is being coordinated with the spring climate solutions capstone on sub-national actors (taught by Rob Klee, with more of an energy focus) so that active and on-going relationships can be maintained with clients over time. : Bradford S. Gentry :
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HybridGentry Tu,Th - 3:00-4:20 |
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961
Environmental Law and Politics: Research and Advanced Topics Seminar
961 Environmental Law and Politics: Research and Advanced Topics Seminar :
This research seminar will explore the structure and effectiveness of a diverse suite of environmental laws and policies that influence global patterns of food production and consumption. We will focus on environmental and human health effects. Types of law to be considered include: water quality, air quality, energy efficiency, CO2E emissions, fisheries, land use change, chemical and microbial contamination, genetic technologies, additive restrictions, waste management, health protection, worker safety standards. Where possible comparisons will be made between US and EU laws and policies.
Other laws that affect global food production include those that protect rights of secrecy, physical and intellectual property, speech, confidential business information, international trade, worker protection, equal opportunity, and freedom from discrimination. Still other laws govern food subsidies, taxation, tariffs, fraud, freedom of speech, liability, defamation, preemption, administrative procedures, and compensation. The central tensions in this legal web is defined by the desire to simultaneously protect private trading rights, promote economic growth, and to prevent damages to the environment, health, and climate stability
Application required, enrollment capped at 16 : John P. Wargo : John P. Wargo
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OnlineWargo W - 1:00-3:50 |
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Wargo TBA - TBA |
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964
Large-Scale Conservation: Integrating Science, Management, and Policy
964 Large-Scale Conservation: Integrating Science, Management, and Policy :
Environmental sustainability and human dignity are important societal goals, but figuring out how to achieve them on large scales—geographic, temporal, and in terms of complexity—has proven to be extremely challenging. Abundant trend data show that many species, ecosystems, and other environmental and human systems are being overused, stressed, or degraded, thus undercutting the likelihood that we can reach sustainability and human rights for all. In addition, our institutions for science, management, and policy are not designed to address sustainability challenges on these scales. Over the last few decades numerous management and policy initiatives have been put forward to address large-scale resource use, including single and multiple use, parks and protected areas, ecosystem management, bioregional planning, integrated conservation and development, transboundary approaches, and adaptive governance. This course (a mixed seminar and practicum) explicitly uses an integrative (i.e., via interdisciplinary) framework to examine the conceptual and contextual basis for these efforts; compares and contrasts their scientific, management, and policy components; explores themes of leadership, problem solving, decision making, governance, change, and learning; and surveys cases from three arenas (terrestrial, aquatic, and marine). The course takes a problem-oriented, contextual, and multi-method approach that offers students conceptual, practical, and professional benefits. It includes readings, lectures, discussions, workshops, exercises, oral presentations, guest speakers, individual and small-group assignments, and possibly a field trip and group project. In past years the course took a field trip to the Connecticut River system to evaluate region-wide conservation efforts, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the Grand Canyon Ecosystem. It also organized an international workshop focused on the Yellowstone to Yukon initiative, and assisted a major U.S. NGO plan for transboundary projects along the U.S.-Canadian border. Extensive student participation is required throughout. Enrollment limited to eighteen. : Susan G. Clark : Susan G. Clark
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OnlineClark W - 1:00-3:50 |
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Clark TBA - TBA |
970
Environmental Protection Clinic Policy and Advocacy (Follows Law School Calendar -)
970 Environmental Protection Clinic Policy and Advocacy (Follows Law School Calendar -) :
Follows Law School Calendar
The clinic’s mission is to train students in environmental advocacy through skills-based seminars, interdisciplinary project work, and collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council and other significant environmental organizations. Students are assigned to teams of two-to-four members drawn from both the Law School and the School of the Environment. Teams work on a project developed in collaboration with client organizations, with most projects having both legal and policy components. In addition to covering substantive areas of environmental law, clinic seminars help students master the tools of effective environmental advocacy, including the abilities to research law and science, write and cite persuasively, navigate environmental organizations, and manage projects cooperatively. Enrollment limited. For all questions, please e-mail Alison Gocke at alison.gocke@yale.edu.
Note: Attendance at the first-class meeting is mandatory for admitted students and for those on the waiting list who wish to remain in consideration for admission if a place becomes available. Admitted students must confirm their participation in advance of the first class by a date designated by the instructors. A no-drop policy applies.
Course Bidding: Students in the School of the Environment (and students from any other school besides Yale Law School) looking to enroll in the Clinic for Spring 2021 must complete the Clinic’s Bidding Form by 4:30 p.m. on November 2nd. The Bidding Form is available here.
: Douglas Kysar : Douglas Kysar : Elizabeth Suatoni : David Hawkins : TBD Faculty : Conor Dwyer Reynolds
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OnlineKysar Tu - 12:10-2:00 |
OnlineKysar Tu - 12:10-2:00 |
Kysar TBA - TBA |
Kysar TBA - TBA |
971
Land Use Clinic
971 Land Use Clinic :
The Land Use Clinic gives students the opportunity to explore a variety of specific land use topics that are of current concern and relevance to the field, to the curriculum, and to society. Potential topics include renewable energy siting, natural resources, rural-based land uses, watershed management, agriculture, and sustainable urban planning. In our rapidly changing political environment, strategies that focus on the local level are increasingly more important to achieving our global sustainability goals. Students will work with the professor and practitioner-clients in the field to develop papers, research memoranda, and publications on a selected topic. The professor and guest speakers will conduct skill-based workshops focused on the tools and techniques needed to pursue a career in community land use planning. Students may select from a project list or can meet with the professor to design a relevant project and can work individually or on a team.
We recommend taking the Seminar on Land Use Planning before or in conjunction with the Land Use Clinic.
: Jessica Bacher : Jessica Bacher
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HybridBacher W - 10:00-11:20 |
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Bacher Tentative |
972
Advanced Environmental Protection Clinic (Follows Law School Calendar)
972 Advanced Environmental Protection Clinic (Follows Law School Calendar) : Follows Law School Calendar
Open only to students who have successfully completed the Environmental Protection Clinic (ENV 970). No statement of interest required. Attendance at clinic seminar is optional. For all questions, please e-mail alison.gocke@yale.edu : Douglas Kysar : Douglas Kysar : Elizabeth Suatoni : TBD Faculty
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OnlineKysar Tu - 12:10-2:00 |
OnlineKysar Tu - 12:10-2:00 |
Kysar TBA - TBA |
Kysar TBA - TBA |
973
Capstone on Waste in the Urban Environment: Technology, Policy, and Management
973 Capstone on Waste in the Urban Environment: Technology, Policy, and Management : Cities house 50% of world population. Often envisioned as living entities, cities are in constant evolution and, throughout this process, they generate waste—particularly municipal solid waste and construction and demolition waste. Most of this waste ends up in landfills, incineration facilities, or is downcycled for lower-grade applications. This capstone course provides the opportunity to reflect on problems related to the generation and disposition of waste in the urban environment and to exercise critical thinking to indicate potential pathways to address these problems.
This capstone course invites the students—either singularly or in teams of two—to conduct independent research on the fate of end-of-life material resources, with a particular focus on the waste produced in the built environment (construction and demolition and municipal waste). The choice of specific research topics is either originated by students or suggested from a list provided by the instructor. The course contains a mix of content-based sessions (e.g., waste generation, circularity, recycling) and practical sessions (e.g., critical reading, data visualization, scenario analysis) aimed at enhancing the skills necessary to produce rigorous reports. By the end of the semester, students will have compiled what they learned into an oral presentation and written final report sharing findings and recommendations. In addition, presentations will be followed by a Q&A session and feedback from the instructor and fellow students. : Alessio Miatto : Alessio Miatto
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HybridMiatto Tu,Th - 2:30-3:50 |
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Miatto Tentative |
975
Environmental Justice Capstone: Interdisciplinary Research and Practice at the Intersection of Civil Rights & the Environment (application process)
975 Environmental Justice Capstone: Interdisciplinary Research and Practice at the Intersection of Civil Rights & the Environment (application process) : : : Marianne Engelman-Lado
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Engelman-Lado Tentative |
979
Climate Solutions Capstone: Sub-National Actors Clinic
979 Climate Solutions Capstone: Sub-National Actors Clinic : The recent IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5° C above preindustrial levels provided a stark warning of the future our planet faces unless we make dramatic and meaningful greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions by 2030—approximately 50% reductions below 2010 levels. In the United States, in the absence of leadership at the federal level, states, cities, and institutions must step into the breach if we have any hope of addressing the climate crisis.
This capstone course provides students the opportunity to work in teams with clients from state government, city government, academic institutions and/or the non-profit sector. Representative clients may include the State of Connecticut, the City of New Haven, the US Climate Alliance, SustainableCT, Yale University, AudubonCT, the Trust for Public Land, Save the Sound, or similar organizations. Students will analyze, model, and/or implement de-carbonization policies and programs in key sectors, including electricity, buildings, transportation, materials management, and/or natural/working lands.
The course will start with introductory sessions on the climate crisis, as well as teamwork and consulting skills. Most class sessions will be split between a seminar-style discussion on innovative sub-national de-carbonization policies, and time for students to work on their projects, with opportunities for feedback and guidance from the instructor and each other. At the end of the semester, the students will present their findings and recommendations to their project clients and each other.
This course is being coordinated with the fall climate solutions capstone on nature based solutions (taught by Brad Gentry), so that active and on-going relationships can be maintained with clients over time. : Robert Klee : Robert Klee
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In PersonKlee W - 2:30-5:20 |
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Klee Tentative |
980
Social Justice in the Global Food System Capstone
980 Social Justice in the Global Food System Capstone : This course explores social justice dimensions of today’s globalized food system, considering justice in terms of sociopolitical and environmental dynamics. We connect theory and practice through work with community-based organizations working at the nexus of food, agriculture, and social justice.
The capstone project work is grounded in food and social justice concepts examined through course materials and seminar discussions: We examine how governmental environmental strategies affect social equity in the food system at multiple scales. We discuss how land grabbing or food insecurity are connected to relative power on the global stage. We consider how phenomena such as structural violence and neoliberalization surface within the food system, and what this means for sustainability and justice – in urban and rural settings. We examine and debate concepts and practices including food sovereignty, agroecology, Black agrarianism, and The Right to Food used to advance positive change.
Through the capstone project, students will have the opportunity to deepen learning and contribute to the work of community groups forging pathways for equity and justice in the food system, particularly among communities historically marginalized from mainstream economies and policy making. Project work will include meetings with organizational leaders to understand context and co-develop appropriate project approaches. Students will work in groups to conduct in-depth research, analysis, and engage in additional professional and educational activities connected to the project. Student groups will prepare a final presentation and report to be shared with the partner organizations.
The course provides opportunities to develop competencies inanalyzing global food systems phenomena through social justice frameworks; and working within diverse settings on food and social justice issues, as practice for management, policymaking, other professional roles.
: Kristin Reynolds : Kristin Reynolds
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HybridReynolds Th - 3:00-5:50 |
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Reynolds Tentative |
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981
Climate, Animals, Food, and Environment Law & Policy Lab (Pre-Registration Deadline: Oct 28)
981 Climate, Animals, Food, and Environment Law & Policy Lab (Pre-Registration Deadline: Oct 28) : Follows Law School Calendar
Please be aware that applications for the Spring 2021 offering of the Climate, Animals, Food & Environment (CAFE) Law & Policy Lab are due on October 28th. Copied below is the call for applications. Information about the course and links to student reports from the initial CAFE Lab semester are available on LEAP’s website here.
We will also be having an informal course information session on Thursday, October 22 from 12:10-1:00 p.m. (Zoom Meeting ID: 997 9676 9713, Password: 437659, url). Both instructors as well as some students from the past offering of the Lab will be available to discuss the course and their experiences.
Warmly,
Doug Kysar
Spring 2021 Climate, Animals, Food & Environment Law & Policy Lab
Pre-Registration Deadline: October 28
The Climate, Animals, Food & Environment (CAFE) Law & Policy Lab is now accepting registration and cross-registration applications from Yale University students interested in enrolling in this new 3 unit experiential learning course. Students in the CAFE Lab will gain firsthand experience working with faculty, outside experts, and non-governmental organizations to develop innovative law and policy initiatives to bring systemic change to the global food industry, which is one of the top contributors to climate change, animal suffering, human exploitation, and environmental degradation worldwide. The Lab’s mission is to devise and propagate novel legal and policy strategies to compel industrial food producers to pay the currently uncounted, externalized costs of industrial agriculture for animals, workers, communities, and the environment. The Lab will provide a creative space for students to develop and launch new ideas and prototypes that will be shared in an open-source format with the purpose of fostering adoption by a wide-ranging cross-section of non-profit, government, and corporate leaders.
In order the ensure consideration, students should submit a resume and a brief statement of interest to douglas.kysar@yale.edu by the close of business October 28. (YLS students should follow the process and bidding deadlines provided on the Law School Course Catalog.) The Spring CAFE Lab course will meet on Mondays from 4:10-6 p.m. and follow the YLS academic schedule. More information on the CAFE Lab is available on the Yale Law, Ethics, and Animals program page and the Yale Law School course catalog.
: Douglas Kysar : Douglas Kysar
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OnlineKysar M - 4:10-6:00 |
Kysar Tentative |
Kysar Tentative |
983
Water Resource Science & Management Capstone
983 Water Resource Science & Management Capstone : : : Gaboury Benoit
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Benoit TBA - TBA |
984
Energy and Climate Change Policy Practicum
984 Energy and Climate Change Policy Practicum : : : Dan Utech
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Utech Tentative |
985
Capstone: Neighborhood Planning Workshop
985 Capstone: Neighborhood Planning Workshop :
This capstone workshop provides an opportunity for students to apply the theory of practice developed in ENV 817 (or comparable study/experience) to a real-world, local urban planning project as part of an interdisciplinary student team. Up to two teams of up to six students each will work together, for a client, to develop a strategy for a neighborhood in New Haven or its environs. The emphasis in each neighborhood will be on identifying and overcoming the tensions and conflicts between economic, social, and environmental objectives to develop a balanced strategy for each neighborhood that meets stakeholders’ goals while acknowledging the context of overarching regional, national, and global challenges and opportunities (e.g., climate change, demographic shifts). Toward that end, students are exposed to the detailed processes of local government as well as techniques used by city planners to collect and assess data and combine those quantitative tools with stakeholder engagement to develop strategies to achieve community vision. With a focus on interdisciplinary problem solving and the collective project management resulting in a client-driven work product, students learn valuable skills for their future careers. : David Kooris : David Kooris
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In PersonKooris Th - 4:00-6:50 |
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Kooris TBA - TBA |
991
Advanced Climate, Animals, Food, and Environment Law and Policy Lab
991 Advanced Climate, Animals, Food, and Environment Law and Policy Lab : Follows the Yale Law School Calendar.
Open only to students who have successfully completed ENV 981, Climate, Animals, Food, and Environment Law and Policy Lab (CAFE Lab).Paper required. Enrollment limited to nine. Permission of the instructors required.
In addition to listing this course among experiential permission selections, interested students should submit a brief statement describing the project they intend to pursue through the Advanced CAFE Lab. Statements should be submitted by 4:30 pm on the last day of the bidding period of the Yale Law school.
Note:The instructors will set a regular meeting time once the students have set their schedules. : Douglas Kysar : Douglas Kysar
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OnlineKysar M - 4:10-6:00 |
OnlineKysar M - 4:10-6:00 |
Kysar Tentative |
Kysar Tentative |