ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY TOOLS

CIVENGR 495

Concepts of sustainability in Civil Engineering with an emphasis on construction materials. Introduction to life-cycle assessment approach to evaluating the impact of infrastructure development. Current sustainable practices in construction projects. Connecting values to clients, stakeholders, and societal needs. Sustainability rating programs, such as LEED, Envision, and INVEST.

ENVIRST 326

Explores fundamentals of systems thinking and how to apply a systems-based approach to understanding and addressing sustainability issues ranging from climate change to environmental racism. Systems content is complemented with foundational skills in life cycle assessment (LCA), an inherently systems-based application of sustainability science that considers the full measure of resources used and waste created throughout the cradle-to-grave supply chain of a product or process. Life cycle and systems-based approaches are used to characterize both human and natural systems in local and global contexts. These approaches also will be integrated with sustainability concepts including the triple bottom line, industrial ecology, and the circular economy. Concepts include: life cycle stages, supply chains, stocks, flows, feedback loops, and unintended consequences.

CIVENGR/GLE 421

Uses the three paradigms of sustainability (environmental, social, and economic) for strategic environmental initiatives in an engineering setting. Proactive environmental management opportunities, including practices of pollution prevention, industrial ecology, and design for the environment. A systems approach to manufacturing, examining the life cycle of products, incorporating total cost accounting, extended producer responsibility, and design for end-of-life.

CIVENGR 121

Interdisciplinary contexts of sustainability, including environment, economy, and society. History of sustainability in engineering, sustainability engineering tools, and contemporary applications of sustainability in a wide range of fields.

ENVIRST/SOILSCI 575

Overview of methods for collecting and analyzing information about environmental impacts on agricultural and natural resources, including monitoring the physical environment and relating impacts to people and society.