Sustainability and Development

ENVIR ST 402 LEC 003
Tuesday/Thursday, 11 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
3 credits

Instructor

Jonathan Sullivan
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
jonathan.sullivan@wisc.edu

Course Description

How can we pursue economic growth without destroying the planet that supports it? Sustainability and Development explores how ideas about “development” shape the policies that govern land, forests, water, and carbon around the world.

We’ll trace major theories of development, from growth models to alternative visions like “the commons,” and ask whether these approaches actually deliver on their promises. Through case studies on carbon offsets, conservation, and disaster aid, students will learn to question the evidence behind policies, uncover their unintended consequences, and understand how success is measured.

By the end of the course, you’ll gain tools to think critically about how development and the environment are linked — and how policy can both solve and create global challenges.