ENVS 652 - God,Gold & Green:Themes and Classics in American Environmental Thought

Institution:

University of Pennsylvania

Subject:

Description:

Blaine. Offered through CGS - See current Timetable. Through an exploration of enduring themes and classics, this course traces environmental thought in America from the first European settlements to the present. We begin by considering the preconceptions that Europeans brought to the New World and the realities they found when they arrived. We look at the issues raised by the unprecedented industrial and urban expansion of the 19th century and the accompanying westward migration that filled the continent. We examine how the conflict between economic growth and environmental limits created competing models of prosperity, equality and justice. And finally, we look at ways to transcend those divides and build a sustainable and equitable future. The primary vehicles for understanding the evolution of environmental thinking across several centuries are some of the classic texts of environmental thought - from The Book of Genesis to Henry Thoreau's Walden to Rachel Carson's Silent Spring to Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. The course seeks to provide a theoretical and historical framework that will help students understand current issues and address real problems.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.upenn.edu

Phone Number:

(215) 898-5000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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