Course Number: HWM 380

Course Title: Environmental Health

Course Description: This course examines the interdisciplinary and global effects of human-environment relationships. Emphasis is placed on the critical nature of the relationship between ecosystem health and human health and well-being. Environmental politics, economics, global disease, and traditional environmental health topics are considered for the purpose of improving the quality of life for all people through the creation of a sustainable society.

Objectives:

  1. Explain the relationship between systems, environmental factors/issues and wellness
  2. Collect reliable environmental information from current sources
  3. Explain the ecological footprint and its role in sustainability
  4. Discuss briefly the interrelationship between poverty, market economies, globalization, the environment, and wellness
  5. Describe crucial environmental health topics required to understand human ecology and environmental health
  6. Discuss the role of the individual in achieving sustainability
  7. Discuss briefly solutions to environmental problems and setting priorities

Instructor: Duquette

Textbooks:

Essential of Environmental Health by Friis 2007

Understanding Environmental Health by Maxwell 2009

Other Materials: Vital Signs The WorldWatch Institute; State of the World The WorldWatch Institute; Strategic Ignorance by Pope and Rauber; Annual Editions; Human Footprint (DVD) National Geographic Society; Food, Inc. (DVD); Six Degree: Could Change the World (DVD) National Geographic Society; An inconvenient truth (DVD)

Assessment: (rubrics and descriptions will be provided)

  1. Midtern and Final Examination

Students will be accountable for all readings, course materials, assignments on examinations. Examinations will include a knowledge and skills assessment and vary in format from short answer, essay, and case study analysis.

  1. Response to Human Footprint/Food, Inc
  2. Individual Footprint Assessment
  3. Reflection – Students will develop a 3-4 page reflection of the course. The reflection should include (at a minimum) (a) a summary of what the student learned from the course, (b) a description of how information learned from the course contributed to personal life (are you doing anything different or made any changes – what are they), and (c) a description of how the information can/will be used in their professional life.