SUSTAINABILITY TOOLS: SYSTEMS THINKING & LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

ENVIRST 215

An introduction to the dynamic and emerging transdisciplinary field of sustainability. A broad survey of the global sustainability science challenges and their potential solutions using an integrated social-environmental systems approach. Applies a sustainability and systems thinking lens to various topics, such as complexity, resilience, ecological literacy, global climate change, economics, food systems, energy, sustainable development, and social equity. Facilitates the exploration of complex interrelationships among contemporary environmental, social, and economic problems and the solutions to support more sustainable systems. Focuses on the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to implement sustainable practices and to enact sustainable development through sustainability science and education.

CIVENGR 729

Environmental impact must be quantified systematically and rigorously in order to inform decision making, process improvement, and policy. Life cycle assessment will be utilized in a project-based framework to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and process across multiple environmental impact categories.

EPD 669

Provides the opportunity to demonstrate ability to think globally, sustainably, and creatively. Gain real-world experience by applying theory, tools, and research to conceptualize, analyze, and design a solution to a real-world problem within a social and environmental context. Showcase the knowledge and analytical skills acquired, and integrate tools, science, and communication to address a community or industry need. Work with an industry mentor and customer throughout your project.

ENVIRST 417

Analyze the concept of sustainability through current trends, including energy, air and water resources, agriculture, environmental measurement and analysis, modeling, remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems, the built environment, transportation, ecology, conservation and global climate change.

ENVIRST 365

Focuses on the concepts and practices used to define systems while providing opportunities to build competencies with systems thinking to describe, assess, understand, and manage complexity from local to global scales. Considers a range of topics, including systems science, complexity, behavior of adaptive systems, networks, emergence, and patterns of organization. Develops skills to analyze how the design and implementation of integrated systems can contribute to solutions for pressing societal challenges. Examines social, physical, and natural systems, the rise of complexity, and achieving resilience in social-ecological systems. Examines the components of systems and analyzes how different ecological and social contexts influence system behavior. Explores and analyzes how decisions ramify to influence processes and outcomes at different levels of complexity.