Environmental Studies 2, Introduction to Environmental Science
Winter 2013 Syllabus
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
We strongly believe, as did William Ellery Channing, that the role of Education is not to stamp a professor's
mind irresistibly on the students, but to stir up their own thoughts and questions; not to make them see with
the professor's eyes, but to look inquiringly and steady with their own; not to impart the student with
inflexible dogma or set amount of knowledge, but to inspire a love for truth; and not to form an outward
regularity but to tap inward springs that result in increased understanding, desire, and the ability to pursue
creative research and assist others through their own teaching (modified after William Ellery Channing,
1837). We also believe as stated by Albert Einstein -- “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
This results from the understanding that knowledge is finite while imagination has no bounds!
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
 Study the Earth as an interconnected living system.
 Develop a modest acquaintance with the complex interactions of human use of the environment that
society is struggling with today.
 Focus on how to think critically about human population growth, sustainability, biogeochemical
cycles, ecosystem processes, ecosystem management, global warming, urban air pollution, water
pollution, stratospheric ozone depletion, c
LECTURES:
2pm M, W & F in CHEM 1179
INSTRUCTORS: Ed Keller, Contact: keller@geol.ucsb.edu; 893-4207
Office hours: in Webb Hall 2012 - M, 3 pm or by appointment or any time I am in and you
catch me (even walking across campus), Informal W after lecture (3pm) at coffee location
outside Broida Hall
TEACHING ASSISTANTS: See Section Syllabus below
TEXT BOOK: Environmental Science 8h ed 2011. D. B. Botkin & E. A. Keller. John Wiley &Sons
GRADING: Examinations 45%, Section 55%. IMPORTANT:
This course has a final exam and three midterm examinations. Each midterm covers
one-third of the course material. The final exam is comprehensive. Your highest three scores of the
four examinations will be used to determine your course grade (15% each). You may elect to take
or not to take all four examinations. Three will determine your grade.
HONORS SECTION: Mondays @ 4:pm (first section, Monday January 11) Room Bren Hall 4316
HONOR STUDENTS ONLY, LIMIT IS 20 STUDENTS.
LECTURE SCHEDULE
M, Jan 7
(L1) Introduction
W, Jan 9
(L2) Environmental Change. Video: Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes
F, Jan 11
(L3) Fundamental Principles 1 (B & K ch1)
M, Jan 14
(L4) Fundamental Principles 2 (B & K ch 2)
W, Jan 16
(L5) F, Jan 18
Fundamental Principles 3 (B & K ch 3) Video: Gaia Hypothesis
M, Jan 21
HOLIDAY
W, Jan. 23
MIDTERM EXAM (covers chapters 1-3)
F, Jan 25
( L6) Ecologic Restoration (B & K ch 9; SER Primer on Ecological Restoration)
S, Jan 26
Field Trip, Coal Oil Point Reserve , place to meet and time TBA
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M, Jan 28
(L7) Environmental Economics (B & K ch 7).
W, Jan 30
(L8) Human Population (B&K ch 4)
F, Feb 1
(L9) Ecology 1(B & K chs 5,8, parts of 11-13))
M, Feb 4
(L10) Biogeochemical Cycles (B & K ch 6)
W, Feb 6
(L11) Ecology 2 (B & K chs 5,8, parts of 11-13 )
F, Feb 8
(L12) Environmental Health, Pollution, and Toxicology (B & K ch 10 )
M, Feb 11
(L13) Energy 1 (B & K chs 14-17)
W, Feb 13
(L14) Energy 2 (B & K chs 14-17)
F, Feb 15
MIDTERM EXAM (covers chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13)
M Feb 18
HOLIDAY
W, Feb 20
(L15) Energy 2 cont (B & K chs 14-17)
F, Feb 22
(L16) Water 1 (B & K chs 18-19)
M, Feb 25
(L17) Water 2 (B & K chs 18-19)
W, Feb 27
(L18) Global Change 1 (B & K ch 20 )
F, Mar 1
(L19) Global Change 2 (B & K ch 20 )
M, Mar 4
(L20) Global Change 3 (B & K ch 20 ) video about Antarctica
W, Mar 6
(L21) Materials Management (B & K ch 23
F, Mar 8
(L22) Natural Hazards
M, Mar 11
(L23) Capstone (B & K ch 24)
W, Mar 13
(L24) Review
F, Mar 15
MIDTERM EXAM (covers chapters 10, 14-17, 18-19, 20, 23, 24, )
**** IMPORTANT: Monday , March 19: FINAL, 4:00 PM to 7 PM (comprehensive)
SECTION SCHEDULE
Week #1: Jan 7-11 Introduction: Assign teams to bring in current environmental issues from news media.
Week #2: January 14-18 Discuss: What is and what is not science ; Exercise #1: Exp Growth, review for
exam.
Week #3: January 21-25 Prepare for field trip.
Field Trip Saturday Jan 26 11, time TBA
Week #4: January 28-February #2: Forecasting Population Change
Week #5: February 4 –8, Exercise #3: Average Residence Time “ART”, Discuss basic chemistry
Week #6: February 11 –15 How to write a paper
Week #7: February 18 - 22 ,Discuss: Hand in rough draft of paper
Week #8: February 25-March 1 , Do water footprint (as homework) , Discuss draft of paper
Week #9: March 4-8 Discuss last minute paper issues
Week #10: March 11-15 Review for midterm and final
Paper, due Friday March 8 at 5pm
Week #10:
March 11-15 Review for final exam
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STATEMENT:
We treat you as adults who are honorable people. You are responsible for your actions including attendance
in lecture, field trips and section. If special problems come up, see your Professors or TA ASAP.
Academic dishonesty is an assault upon the basic integrity and meaning of a University. Cheating,
plagiarism, and collusion in dishonest activities are serious acts which erode the University’s educational
role and cheapen the learning experience not only for perpetrators, but also for the entire community. It is
our expectation that students in ES2, Introduction to Environmental Science, will understand and subscribe
to the ideal of academic integrity and that they will bear individual responsibility for their work. Materials
(written or otherwise) submitted to fulfill academic requirements must represent a student’s own efforts. Any
act of academic dishonesty attempted by any UCSB student is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. This
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does not mean you can’t talk about you paper with other students and brainstorm etc. We encourage
Students, TAs and Faculty to interact as much as possible on academic subjects of mutual interest.
Section Syllabus: Winter Quarter 2013
TA’S: Office Hours:TBA
Heather Frazier
Tim Kershaw
Andy Rich
Jake Sahl
David Wampler
heaterbbb@umail.ucsb.edu
tkershaw@umail.ucsb.edu
arich@umail.ucsb.edu
JakeSahl@gmail.com
dfw@umail.ucsb.eru
Objective:
To give you an opportunity to further explore topics addressed in lectures and readings. Participation is
crucial and proper preparation (complete readings and activities before section) is necessary to get the most
out of the discussion. Sections will also help you prepare for exams and the research paper.
Email:
The following format must be observed for all correspondence with email. In the subject line, please include
either:
A) ES2 “Section Date/Time”, “Last Name”, “Assignment 3”
B) ES2 “Section Date/Time”, “Last Name”, “subject”
Grading:
Section is worth 40% of your final course grade. Here’s the breakdown (multiply your score by the
appropriate percentage point):
Class/Lecture:
3 Exams
Sections:
Research Paper
Current Events
Participation & Other Assignments
45%
30%
10%
15%
*Students who wish to have the paper re-evaluated must wait 24 hours after they receive their graded paper
and must submit in writing a detailed statement explaining why they think they deserve a higher grade.
Please be aware that we also reserve the right to lower as well as raise the grade upon re-evaluation.
Section Policies:
- Attendance wont be recorded BUT you have assignments and presentations that are due each week
and must be in section to turn those in. (You cannot turn in assignments and then leave; when you
arrive you must stay for the entire section, unless you made prior arrangements with your TA).
- You can only attend the section that you registered for on gauchospace. There will be NO switching
of sections; there are room occupancy restrictions that we must abide by. If you have a conflict one
week, email your TA and make proper arrangements.
- Assignments will be due at the beginning of section, these includes online quizzes, readings, and
research papers.
- NO LATE assignments are accepted. If you will be absent to section, email your TA and turn your
assignment in early (this does not apply to presentations).
- Grades will not be discussed in class, meet with your TA at their office hours to discuss grades.
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-
Please allow 48 hours for your TA to respond to emails. Again, include section and name in subject
line.
Academic Dishonesty:
Violations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent in accordance with University policy.
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