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Harvard Extension School 2006–07

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Environmental Studies

Also see the Master of Liberal Arts in Environmental Management and the Certificate in Environmental Management.

Courselist

ENVR E-101 Environmental Management I (11925)
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John D. Spengler, PhD, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation, Harvard School of Public Health. George D. Buckley, MS, Assistant Director of the Environmental Management Program, Harvard Extension School.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Wednesday, Sept. 20, 7:35-9:35 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 104. Required sections for graduate-credit students to be arranged. Fall term
Online and on-campus options. See the Distance Education website. Lecture 1 video.

This course examines environmental problems from a local, national, and international perspective. Federal legislation on air pollution, water pollution, drinking water quality, toxic substances, and coastal zones are reviewed. The fundamentals of pollution sources, pathways of transport, measurement methods, mechanisms of toxicity, health effects, and effects on the ecosystem, including acid rain, ozone depletion, and climate change are presented. Control technologies for treating air and water pollutants are studied. A one-day field trip to Cape Cod is scheduled on a weekend in the fall. Additional optional site visits are scheduled during the semester. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-102 Environmental Management II (21783)
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David L. MacIntosh, ScD, Principal Scientist, Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc. Petros Koutrakis, PhD, Professor of Environmental Sciences and Director of the Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program, Harvard School of Public Health. Zachary D. Zevitas, BS, Environment Editor, Science Network.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 213. Required sections for graduate-credit students to be arranged. Spring term
Online and on-campus options. See the Distance Education website. Lecture 1 video.

This course complements ENVR E-101 and covers regional and global environmental problems, including urban pollution, transportation, solid and hazardous waste, and indoor air pollution. The course emphasizes energy fundamentals, conventional and renewable energy, and energy conservation. The course introduces emerging environmental problems such as bioterrorism, persistent organic pollutants, pollution prevention, industrial ecology, GIS for environmental assessment, and pesticides. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-105 Strategies for Environmental Management (21808)
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Robert B. Pojasek, PhD, Adjunct Lecturer on Environmental Science, Harvard School of Public Health.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Monday, Jan. 29, 5:30-7:30 pm, 53 Church Street, Room L01. Spring term
Online and on-campus options. See the Distance Education website. Lecture 1 video.

Students explore the path to sustainable development at the local level. A live case format features a community: its businesses, organizations, and individuals. Topics include using a prevention-based approach, managing the "triple bottom line," sustainability accounting, sustainability performance measurement, and making the case for sustainable development. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-110 Ocean Environments (21784)
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George D. Buckley, MS, Assistant Director of the Environmental Management Program, Harvard Extension School.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Monday, Jan. 29, 7:35-9:35 pm, Emerson Hall, Room 108. Required sections for graduate-credit students to be arranged. Spring term
Online and on-campus options. See the Distance Education website. Lecture 1 video.

This course provides students with a "window to the underwater world" while taking them on a virtual tour of the world's oceans and their environments. Topics include coral reef ecology, marshes and bays, the open ocean, the deep sea, aquaculture, ocean research at sea, marine fouling organisms, ocean pollution, sustainability and management of oceanic resources, and a special presentation on seashells of the world. Students have the opportunity to participate in local ocean conferences and field trips to the New England Aquarium and the Cape Cod National Seashore. Distance students can participate virtually or conduct independent local field trips. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-115 Introduction to Sustainable Development (12421)
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Peter P. Rogers, PhD, Gordon McKay Professor of Environmental Engineering and Professor of City and Regional Planning, Harvard University. Molly Kile, ScD, Research Fellow in Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health. Kazi F. Jalal, PhD.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Thursday, Sept. 21, 5:30-7:30 pm, Maxwell Dworkin, Room G115. Fall term
Online and on-campus options. See the Distance Education website. Lecture 1 video.

This course introduces the concept and practice of sustainable development (SD) as a process that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It examines the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of SD by focusing on changing patterns of consumption, production, and distribution of resources. The impact of globalization and the role of the private sector, multinational corporations, and NGOs are examined. Case materials include projects such as the restoration of the Florida Everglades; protection of coastal wetlands; development of community-based water supply and sanitation systems; and sustainable energy, forest, and industrial development. Emphasis is placed on natural resources accounting, environmental and social impact assessment, environmental indicators, and economic evaluation of environmental impacts of large-scale projects. Prerequisites: introductory courses in environmental science, economics, and social science recommended. Graduate-credit students must demonstrate knowledge of economics at the level of ECON E-10a. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-117 Sustainability: The Challenge of Changing Our Institutions (22225)
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John D. Spengler, PhD, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation, Harvard School of Public Health. Leith Sharp, MEd, Director of the Harvard Green Campus Initiative, Harvard University.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Monday, Jan. 29, 7:35-9:35 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 202. Required sections to be arranged. Spring term
Online and on-campus options. See the Distance Education website. Lecture 1 video.

This course aims to address the real life challenges of environmental sustainability by building change agent capacities of students who operate within myriad institutional and other contexts. The course begins by exploring the wide range of institutionally related environmental impacts and the associated roles of individuals within these settings. Harvard University is used as a primary case study to illustrate institutional practices, including procurement, utility supply and consumption, building design and operations, transportation, and waste production and recycling. Case study materials are used to explore conceptual models for understanding sustainability and institutional behavior; strategies for revealing hidden impacts of institutions; approaches for achieving behavioral change; systems thinking and integrated design approaches; organizational leadership and facilitation; broad strategies for achieving innovation; building organizational learning capacities; and standards, tools, and other resources that have proven useful for achieving effective institutional change. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-119 Sustainable Buildings: Design, Construction, and Operations (22552)
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John D. Spengler, PhD, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation, Harvard School of Public Health. Nathan Thomas Gauthier, BS, New Construction Program Manager, Harvard Green Campus Initiative, Harvard University. Leith Sharp, MEd, Director of the Harvard Green Campus Initiative, Harvard University. Rafal Schurma, MArch, Principal Architect, VvS.
Course tuition: noncredit $350, undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575. Limited enrollment.
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 5:30-7:30 pm, Sever Hall, Room 103. Spring term

Our built environment has a substantial impact on energy and material resources as well as being a critical determinant of health, comfort, and productivity for occupants. In response, there are numerous local, national, and international entities adopting green, sustainable criteria for new construction and renovations. This course approaches sustainable development for buildings by examining the physiology required for human functions (comfort, ergonomics, and respiratory requirements, as well as sensory perception) and then by considering how building components and systems affect human performance and well being. Sustainable development starts with site planning and evaluation, and proceeds through construction, commissioning, and occupancy phases. The course includes many case studies of historic and contemporary structures exemplifying various sustainability features. Field trips are arranged to tour buildings and green roofs in the Boston area. Prerequisite: ENVR E-105, E-115, E-117, or E-150. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-120 Environmental Ethics and Land Management (11926)
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Timothy C. Weiskel, DPhil, Research Fellow, W. E. B. Du Bois Institute, Harvard University.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Thursday, Sept. 21, 7:35-9:35 pm, Maxwell Dworkin, Room G115. Optional sections to be arranged. Fall term
Online and on-campus options. See the Distance Education website.

This course examines the ethical dilemmas faced by human cultures throughout history in their use of land and natural resources. Topics include the environmental ethics of game and wildlife management, natural resource use, water management, biological diversity, fisheries, ocean protection, and agricultural production. Emphasis is given to the different perceptions of the environment and the different strategies that cultures have employed to resolve ethical disputes over land management and resource use. The tensions between urban, suburban, agricultural, ranching, and mining communities over the management of federal land, water projects, national wildlife areas, national forests, and national parks receive particular emphasis. Special attention is devoted to the problem of suburban sprawl. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-130 Global Climate Change: The Science, Social Impact, and Diplomacy of a World Environmental Crisis (22039)
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Timothy C. Weiskel, DPhil, Research Fellow, W. E. B. Du Bois Institute, Harvard University. William R. Moomaw, PhD, Professor of International Environmental Policy, Tufts University.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Thursday, Feb. 1, 7:35-9:35 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 202. Optional sections to be arranged. Spring term
Online and on-campus options. See the Distance Education website. Lecture 1 video.

This course introduces students to the science of climate change, drawing attention to the latest research and evolving pattern of scientific data on climate that has emerged in recent years. In addition, emphasis is given to analyzing the social changes and adaptations that human communities have already made and those they will most likely have to make as the Earth's climate continues to change in the coming years. Special attention is given to the diplomatic efforts that have been launched since the creation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) in 1992. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-132e Principles of Occupational Health (22122)
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Louis DiBerardinis, MS, Director, Environment, Health, and Safety, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Martin Horowitz, MS, Instructor, Harvard School of Public Health.
Course tuition: noncredit $350, undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Tuesday, Jan. 30, 5:30-7:30 pm, Sever Hall, Room 307. Spring term

This course is an introduction to the modern workplace and its attendant health hazards. It covers the medical consequence of overexposure to chemical and physical agents and physical conditions, methods to evaluate the workplace, the control technology that has evolved to protect the worker, and regulatory activities in occupational health. Topics also include noise, radiation, indoor air quality, ergonomics, air sampling methods, health standards, personal protective equipment, and management systems. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-140/W Fundamentals of Ecology (12779)
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Mark Leighton, PhD, Associate in Anthropology, Harvard University.
Writing-intensive course. Course tuition: noncredit $350, undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Tuesday, Sept. 19, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 214. Fall term

This course introduces the basic concepts in the ecology of individual organisms, their populations, and the biological communities in which they live. Emphasis is on terrestrial plant and animal ecology. The historical, evolutionary, and ecological processes determining the distribution of ecosystems, habitats, and species are introduced. Evolutionary processes responsible for the adaptations of individuals are examined to understand the diversity of species and their features. Theories of competition, predation, disease, and mutualism help explain the functioning of biological communities. These fundamentals establish a basis for examining the challenges imposed by humans on the functioning of natural ecosystems. The sustainable harvesting and use of natural resources, the implications of human population growth and size, and the transformation of natural communities through human activities and policies are examined in this ecological context. The course features a weekend field trip and other activities. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-145 Introduction to Environmental Justice (22548)
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James S. Hoyte, JD, Lecturer on Environmental Science and Public Policy, Harvard University. Timothy C. Weiskel, DPhil, Research Fellow, W. E. B. Du Bois Institute, Harvard University.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Tuesday, Jan. 30, 7:35-9:35 pm, Maxwell Dworkin, Room G125. Optional sections to be arranged. Spring term
Online and on-campus options. See the Distance Education website. Lecture 1 video.

This course examines the interplay of race, socio-economic status, and interest group politics and the formulation and implementation of US federal and state environmental policies. Students consider the proposition that low income and minority populations, whether residing in urban or rural communities, bear a disproportionate burden of environmental pollution and its health consequences. Attention is given to the evidence and opinion that there exists within the United States, as well as globally, a pattern of environmental inequity, injustice, and racism. Further, we evaluate the contention that underlying this pattern is a historical failure of the mainstream environmental movement to provide for the needs of traditionally marginalized communities. Recent proposals to address the problems of environmental racism and injustice are discussed and analyzed. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-150 Life Cycle and Risk Assessment (12390)
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A. Wallace Hayes, PhD, Visiting Scientist in Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health. Gregory A. Norris, PhD, Visiting Scientist in Environmental Science and Engineering, Harvard School of Public Health.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Monday, Sept. 18, 7:35-9:35 pm, 53 Church Street, Room L01. Required sections to be arranged. Fall term
Online and on-campus options. See the Distance Education website. Lecture 1 video.

This course provides an in-depth, hands-on, project-based capacity to understand and conduct life cycle assessments. It also provides a practical and hands-on introduction to risk assessment. It demonstrates how these tools work together, and how they are being applied in industry, government, and civil society to advance sustainable development. Prerequisites: general chemistry, biology, and MATH E-3, or the equivalent. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-160 Critical Thinking about Environmental and Public Health Issues (22435)
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David P. Ropeik, MSJ, Director of Risk Communication, Harvard Center for Risk Analysis and Instructor in Risk Communication, Harvard School of Public Health.
Course tuition: noncredit $350, undergraduate credit $650, graduate credit $1,575.
Monday, Jan. 29, 7:35-9:35 pm, William James Hall, Room 105. Spring term

Our ideas about complex environmental and public health issues such as climate change, industrial chemicals, and species extinction are largely formed by simplistic and dramatized media coverage and distorting political spin from all sides. In this course, students learn how to think about these issues more carefully. As a result, their views and perspectives are better informed and their choices are more intelligent and healthier for them and their families. Topics include risk perception—the psychology that explains why we are often more afraid of lesser risks and less afraid of bigger ones, and how that perception gap can be dangerous; media coverage of environmental and public health issues; risk analysis—the controversy over choosing policy options based on economics; the risk sciences of epidemiology and toxicology—what they can and cannot tell us; and hormesis—the discovery by toxicologists that small exposures to toxic substances may be beneficial. Other issues include endocrine disruption, radiation, air pollution (indoor and outdoor), pesticides, major causes of death (heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and accidents), and emerging infectious diseases. (4 credits)
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ENVR E-200 Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in Environmental Management (12422)
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Robert B. Pojasek, PhD, Adjunct Lecturer on Environmental Science, Harvard School of Public Health.
Graduate proseminar. Course tuition: graduate credit $1,650. Limited enrollment.
Monday, Sept. 18, 5:30-7:30 pm, Sever Hall, Room 211. Fall term
Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library.

This proseminar emphasizes the theoretical and practical aspects of a person's involvement in environmental management. Students develop critical thinking and scholarly writing skills and develop a thesis proposal for the Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Environmental Management. Prerequisites: successful completion of four ALM in Environmental Management courses and a satisfactory score on the test of critical reading and writing skills. In addition, at the first class meeting, students complete an assignment that demonstrates strong writing and analytical skills. (4 credits)
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