UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA
ENV 2000: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE I
COURSE SYLLABUS
CREDIT: 3UNITS
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The Earth's physical resources (air, water, soil, and minerals) and human beings' impact on them;
pollution, depletion of resources; solid waste; methods of preventing, reducing, or eliminating
problems.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
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To examine the distribution and physical characteristics of air, water, soil and mineral
resources.
To discuss the approaches used in protection against pollution and degradation
To understand proper resource management in reducing waste and ensuring sustainability
To discuss the negative impacts of human activities on the quality and distribution of physical
resources.
To review the management strategies being advocated or implemented to reduce/prevent
degradation of physical resources.
COURSE CONTENT
Week 1 & 2
Physical Environment
-The atmosphere: Structure, composition and characteristics
-The lithosphere; structure and charactristics
-Hydrosphere: Distribution, stratification and characteristics
-Use instruments to measure some parameters in the environment: Weather pH metres (soil and
water), solid/water relationship.
Week 3 & 4
Ecology and Ecosystems
Definitions: Ecology and ecosystem
Functions of the ecosystems: Biotic and abiotic components
The interaction of the biotic and abiotic compounds
Structure and functioning of the terrestial and aquatic ecosystems
-Trophic levels, laws of thermodynamics (1st and 2nd) and productivity concepts:
Primary producer, and consumer, secondary consumer and tertiary consumer
-Feeding relationships: Food chain and food levels
-Ecological pyramids: pyramids of numbers, pyramid of biomass, and pyramidy energy
Week 5 & 6
Biogeochemical Cycles
Carbon and water
Phosphorus and nitrogen cycles
Population dynamics and carrying capacity: Biological potential and environmental resistance
Ecological succession: Primary and secondary
Week 7
The Earth’s Physical Resources
Definition of natural resource, examples and categorization
Kenya’s most valuable resources and their management
-Air: Importance, current state and corrective measures being taken
-Soil: Value, current state, and conservation efforts including land act cap 303, and
Agricultural Act Cap. 318.
-Water: Water apportionment board, water act Cap. 372
-Mineral: Value, current state and conservation efforts
MID QUARTER EXAMINATION
Week 8
Solid wastes and Pollutions
Definitions
Sources and generation of the type of waste
Impact on physical resources
Strategies for management of each of the waste
Pollution: types, causes, effects, and reduction methods
Week 9
Environmental Health
Concepts of good health: Physical, mental, and social well being
Causes of poor health and their effects
-Poor sanitation and poor nutrition
-Common environmental diseases: Waterborne (e.g. Cholera and typhoid); water-related
vector
-Communicable diseases, STD(s), AIDS etc.
Environmental hazards
- Natural hazards
-Chemical health hazards: Heavy metal poisoning e.g. Cadmium, Lead, Mercury etc.
-Agro-chemicals
-Drug misuse and abuse, Drug Act Cap. 245.
-Radiations electromagnetic solar
-Natural disasters: Climate, Geological and Biotic (e.g. desert)
Ways of promoting good health through locust invasion environment
-Promotion of adequate and clean water, sanitation facilities
-Destruction of habitats of disease pathogens, and vectors
-Maintaining cleanliness and beauty of the environment
-Reducing effects of environmental hazards
Week 10
Strategies for Conservation of Resources
World conservation strategy 1980:
-Maintaining essential ecological processes and life supporting systems
-Preserving genetic diversity
-Sustainable use of species and ecosystems and reduction of waste
Caring for earth
-Conserving earth’s vitality and diversity
-Minimizing the depletion of non-renewable resources and their degradation
-Keeping within the earth’s carrying capacity
-Protection against pollution
International conventions:
-Vienna convention (1985) on protection of ozone layer
-Montreal protocol, (1987) on reduction of ozone depleting substances
Week 11
Food and Nutrition
Food in Kenya: Sources, methods of production (farming) and consumption patterns
Nutritional value of food:
-Balanced diet and deficiency diseases
-Supplement/alternative sources of food nutrients
Week 12
Energy and Technology
Sources of energy, forms and transformation:
-Non-renewable sources of energy: Coal, oil and natural gas (fossil tyros)
-Related technologies of exploiting non-renewable sources of energy and impact on
environment
Renewable sources of energy and their technologies: Solar panels, geothermal and nuclear
reactors
Strategies for the conservation of energy:
-Use of energy conserving devices
-Efficient use of energy
-Use of diverse sources of energy
Food and storage and preservation: Traditional and modern methods
Problems associated with food storage and preservation
-Food loss
-Food contamination
-Possible solutions to his
Kenya national food policy
Week 13
Desertification
Definition, process and trends of Desertification
Causes and consequences of desertification:
-Natural and Man-made causes;
-Consequences include: Loss of genetic resources reduced agricultural productivity and
siltation of dams
Efforts to combat desertification
-Afforestation
-Re-afforestation
-Agroforestry
-Soil and water conservation methods
-Appropriate agricultural practices
-Levels of operation to combat desertification: Individual, local, national, regional and
international
Week 14
FINAL EXAMINATION
TEACHING METHODOLOGY
Lectures and demonstrations
Classroom discussions
Take-home assignment
Term-paper, mid-term tests, final examination
COURSE TEXT
G. Tyler Miller, Living in the Environment (2000) 11th Edition (Belmont: Wadsworth Pub. Co.)
READINGS
Boughey, S.A, Man and Environment: An Introduction to Human Ecology and Evolution (New
York: Mcmilan Publishing , 1975)
Otiende, J. E. et. al , An Introduction to Environmental Education(Nairobi: Nairobi University Press,
1991)
Dasman, R. F., Environmental conservation (New York: John Willey & Sons, 1984)
Elson, D., Atmospheric Pollution: Causes, Effects and Control Policies (Oxford: Blackwell, 1987)
United Nations, Environmental Issues, Population, Pollution and Economics (New York: Norton &
Company, 1972)
Moran, J.M et al, Introduction to Environmental Science (San Francisco: Freeman, 1980)
Dix, H.M, Environmental PolLution: Atmosphere, Land, Water and Noise (London: John Willey,
1981)
Kupchella, Charles E. (1993), “Environmental Science: Living within the system of nature”,
Prentice Hall/Eagle Wood Cliff, New Jersey.
COURSE EVALUATION
Class attendance and participation
Term paper
Quiz and class assignments
Mid-quarter Exam
Final
10%
15%
10%
20%
45%
GRADING
90 - 100 A
87 - 89 A84 - 86 B+
80 - 83 B
77 - 79 B74 - 76 C+
70 - 73 C
67 - 69 C-
64 - 66 D+
62 - 63 D
60-61 D0 - 59 F