EnvS 428 - Pollution
Prevention
Sustainability in Society, in Business,
on Campus, and at Home
Syllabus
Dr. Maxine Dakins
Office: TAB311, Idaho Falls, ID
Phone: 208-282-7957
Office Hours: Drop by or by appointment
Email: medakins@if.uidaho.edu
Course Description:
This course will cover the basic concepts of pollution
prevention in the context of an overall theme of sustainability.
We will start with an introduction to the definitions of
sustainability and pollution prevention. We will then move to pollution prevention in the areas of solid and hazardous
waste, water, air, energy, odor, noise and light.
The second section of the course will explore the idea of sustainability from the highest
societal level, through the lenses of business and education, and finally at
the most basic personal level. We will explore what
sustainability and pollution prevention mean at the broader societal level using
examples from the United States and from countries worldwide. Sustainability in business will be our next topic. We will then discuss sustainability and pollution prevention strategies for
higher education since that is the context in which the course lives.
Finally, we will discuss pollution prevention and sustainability in our
lives and homes.
The final third of the course will look at some newer
ideas in the area of sustainability and then focus on your research
projects/case studies involving pollution prevention and sustainability in society,
business, education or at home.
The course will involve two midterm examinations and a
final. Students will also complete a major research project or case study culminating in a
paper and Powerpoint presentation.
Expectations:
Students in the course will be expected to:
- Watch and listen to the learning modules associated
with each week's topic.
- Actively participate in the threaded discussion each
week.
- Complete all assignments on time and submit by the
due dates.
- Carry out an independent
research project on a topic related to sustainability and/or pollution prevention
and prepare a paper and a presentation.
Course Goals:
By the end of the course, the students should
- Have an understanding of the basic principles of
sustainability and how they are applied in a variety of settings
- Have an understanding of the basics of pollution
prevention and how they are applied in a variety of settings
- Have been exposed to many different examples of
sustainability and pollution prevention in
practice
In addition, student's skills should have been further
developed in
- How to actively participate in a web based learning
environment
- How to carry out research at a distance
- How to write a research paper
- How to give a professional presentation
Books:
Edwards, Andres R. 2005. The Sustainability Revolution:
Portrait of a Paradigm Shift. New Society Publishers, BC, Canada.
and ONE of the following three books:
Hawken, Paul. 1993. The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration
of Sustainability. Harper Collins.
Orr, David W. 2004. Earth in Mind: On Education,
Environment, and the Human Prospect. Island Press, 10th Anniversary
Edition.
Pollan, Michael. 2007.
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.
Penguin Publishers.
I would suggest Hawken if private business is primarily of
interest to you, Orr if the process and product of education are more of interest to you,
and Pollan if sustainable food systems are of interest. All of these are
available from online book sites such as Amazon.com and are often available,
very economically, as used editions.
Other readings may be assigned during the semester.
Research Paper/Case Study:
Each student will do an independent research project
related to sustainability and/or pollution prevention, write a research paper, and
prepare a presentation. The topic for the paper will be how a government, private
business, educational institution, or private individual carried out a
project involving sustainability and/or pollution prevention. Presentations should
be prepared using Powerpoint so that they can be easily posted to the course
website. The oral portion of the presentation can be included using
Powerpoint's Notes feature or can be recorded for playback over the Internet
(similar to the course lectures).
A standard research paper format should be used.
This includes sections with descriptive headings, proper referencing of
material, a literature cited section, and a discussion and/or conclusions
section giving your analysis of what was learned from the project. The
research projects will be graded on Research, Analysis, and Style.
Research involves how much information was obtained on the topic and how it
was used. Research materials will almost certainly include web pages
but should also include books, journal articles, magazine articles, and so
forth as appropriate. Material consulted should
include the company being examined but also industry groups, competitors,
technology providers, etc. Analysis involves how well you were able to synthesize the
information you obtained and communicate it to your target audience,
subsequent EnvS 428 classes. Style involves how well the
case study is written and includes organization, grammar, spelling,
punctuation, and so forth.
University of Idaho Classroom Learning Civility Clause
In any environment in which people gather to learn, it
is essential that all members feel as free and safe as possible in their
participation. To this end, it is expected that everyone in this course will
be treated with mutual respect and civility, with an understanding that all
of us (students, instructors, professors, guests, and teaching assistants)
will be respectful and civil to one another in discussion, in action, in
teaching, and in learning.
Should you feel our classroom interactions do not
reflect an environment of civility and respect, you are encouraged to
contact your instructor to discuss your concern. Additional resources
for expression of concern or requesting support include the Dean of Students
office and staff (5-6757), the UI Counseling & Testing Center’s confidential
services (5-6716), or the UI Office of Human Rights, Access, & Inclusion
(5-4285).
Evaluation:
