Instructor(s)

Carl Zipper
Associate Professor, Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences
Phone: (540) 231-9782
E-mail: czip@vt.edu

Description

Physical, chemical, and biological principles and processes that are central to human-environment interactions. Emphasizes air and water resources and the role of energy in human and natural systems. Major U.S. environmental legislation and regulations.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

Two semesters each of college chemistry and biology and one semester of economics. This course will be taught with the expectation that students understand basic chemical, biological, and economic concepts. Such concepts must be brought to the course to permit consideration of their environmental- or ecosystem-level applications.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Describe modern society's environmental problems, and technologies used to protect the environment, using principles and terms from the physical, chemical, and biological sciences.
2. Discuss current U.S. environmental public policy issues of public concern from a scientific perspective.
3. Describe basic intent, key provisions, and regulatory implementation of major U.S. environmental legislation.
4. Interpret scientific research articles from academic journals.