People, Land and Food (Summer)

ENVIR ST/GEOG 309
6-week session | May 26–July 3
3 credits

Online course

Instructor

Course Description

In this course we will examine how and why humans have transformed the global landscape and the consequences for biodiversity, climate, biogeochemical cycling and other ecosystem services needed to keep our planet habitable. We will explore these land-use tradeoffs between human necessities such as food production and unintended consequences such as habitat loss, floods, greenhouse gas emissions, and community displacement.

We will study agricultural systems in different regions and tackle topics such as food security, land scarcity, bioenergy and the impacts of agriculture on the environment. We will examine a range of solutions from global policy to everyday decisions to feed and fuel the world without destroying the planet. With opportunities and challenges presented by varying scales of intervention, we will explore recent innovations at the community and regional levels. Each student will undertake a service-learning or research project that aims to make change in their local community.

View syllabus (pdf)