The troubled relationship between humans and the rest of nature is a problem as urgent as any in our time. But if environmental thinking is timely, it is not new. This course, taught by a biologist and an environmental writer, considers how our thinking about nature has developed and how it shapes our ways of understanding and approaching environmental problems. The readings, which include poetry, fiction, essays, and scientific literature, focus on social and philosophical constructions of nature, on the historical interplay of humans and our environment, and the modes by which we evaluate and attempt to solve environmental problems. Readings and classroom discussions are complemented by trips in the local area, to experience how scientific methods can be used to measure nature and to test ideas from our reading against experience in the field.
Students carry out their own story ideas.
Through reading assignments, they are encouraged to take a critical view of contemporary journalism, both print and electronic. Students are also asked to develop their skills as editors by evaluating papers of their peers in class. Students must submit samples of original writing in mid-March. The nature of writing submissions will be specified beforehand in flyers distributed to students. Not open to first-year students.