ENST 115
Energy Technology, Society, and the Environment
Explores energy production, storage, and usage as they are currently practiced. Certain emerging technologies will also be addressed. Environmental and socio-economic impact will be discussed in the context of limitations imposed by the laws of physics.
Units: 6.
Also listed as Physics 112
ENST 150
Environmental Science
Presents principles of biology, chemistry, geology, and physics that relate to such environmental issues as resource limitation, pollution, and environmental degradation. Designed to foster understanding of scientific measures of environmental quality. One laboratory per week.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Freshman or sophomore standing; consent of instructor required for juniors and seniors
Also listed as Geology 150
ENST 151
Introduction to Environmental Policy
This course applies principles of economics and political science to environmental issues, including pollution, resource limitation, and environmental degradation. It is designed to foster an understanding of the environmental policy-making and regulatory process in the United States and globally.
Units: 6.
Also listed as Government 151, Economics 151
ENST 191
Directed Study in Environmental Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 195
Internship in Environmental Studies
An opportunity for environmental studies students to gain practical experience in the commercial, government, or nonprofit sectors. The internship is supplemented by readings and discussions with a supervising faculty member. At the conclusion of the internship, the student must submit a summative report that considers the internship experience in the context of the student’s other academic work.
The academic component of the internship includes readings related to the substance of the internship, discussions with the faculty supervisor, and a written report appropriate to the discipline. Course grades are based on this academic work.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 202
Geology and Health
A course investigating the links between geology and health, considering topics such as asbestos, natural and anthropogenic water contamination, and cycling of trace elements as both contaminants and necessary nutrients. Designed to illuminate the link between the seemingly disparate fields of geology and the health of life on earth.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: GEOL 110
Also listed as Geology 213
ENST 206
East Asian Classics in Translation
This introductory course explores encounters with nature in East Asian texts through close reading of primary texts in English translation—Taoist philosophy, lyric poetry, personal memoirs, fiction and film—from the traditional periods of China and Japan, ending with a contemporary Japanese novel set in 1980s suburban Tokyo. Particular attention is paid to literary form, voice, aesthetic concerns, and issues relating to humans’ relationship with nature.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing; EAST 140 recommended
Also listed as East Asian Studies 260, Chinese and Japanese 260
ENST 208
Sustainable China: Environment and Economy
This course integrates environmental and economic topics relevant for understanding sustainability in the Chinese context, including economic development, natural resource management, urban growth, and environmental policy. It is a prerequisite for a December study trip to China.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Limited to students selected for the Sustainable China study trip
Also listed as Economics 208, Government 208
ENST 210
Animal Behavior
A lecture and field-study course examining the principles and problems of animal behavior. Subjects include orientation, feeding, locomotion, communication, escape in time and space, biological rhythms, mate choice, and aspects of social behavior, examined from evolutionary, ontogenetic, physiological, ecological, and ethological perspectives. Lecture and laboratory. May be taken separately or as part of the Marine Biology Term.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 140 or BIOL 150
Also listed as Biology 200
ENST 211
Biodiversity
The influence of climate on global habitats is considered. Selected terrestrial life zones, including Mediterrenean, montane, desert, and grasslands, are analyzed and stresses produced by climate and habitat evaluated. Adaptive responses at the morphological and physiological levels are investigated and scientific principles are applied to contemporary ethical issues, including restoration and conservation ecology. Lecture only.
Units: 6.
Also listed as Biology 210
ENST 212
Physiological Ecology
Biological stresses induced by environmental variables are described. Physiological and molecular adaptations associated with flowering, disease resistance, pollination, germination, and nutrient uptake and partitioning are discussed and investigated, using both field and laboratory experience. Lecture and laboratory.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 120 or BIOL 150
Also listed as Biology 231
ENST 213
Evolutionary Biology
A study of biological evolution, including natural selection, adaptation, the evolution of sex, speciation, extinction, and constraints on evolutionary change. Reading primary literature is emphasized. Two lectures and one discussion per week.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 110 or BIOL 130 or ANTH 140
Also listed as Biology 235
ENST 214
The Vegetation of Wisconsin
The principles of plant-environment interrelationships are developed through extensive field study of Wisconsin vegetation. Emphasis is placed on the manner in which physical and biological factors influence competition, adaptation, and structure in major local habitats. Lecture and laboratory.
Units: 6.
Also listed as Biology 250
ENST 220
General Ecology
An introduction to the interactions between organisms and the environment, exploring the role of physical, chemical, and biotic processes, including human activities, in determining the structure and function of populations, communities, and ecosystems. Topics include resource availability, competition, predation, symbiosis, and natural and anthropogenic disturbances such as disease, biological invasions, pollution, and climate change. Lecture and laboratory.
Units: 6.
Also listed as Biology 230
ENST 222
Atmospheric & Environmental Chemistry
This course focuses on the fundamental chemical processes that control Earth's atmosphere, ocean, soil, and climate. The course emphasizes the mechanisms that regulate the flow of energy in different ecosystems, the environmental role of particulate matter and solar radiation, chemistry-climate relationships, and the anthropogenic impact on the environment.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 116
Also listed as Chemistry 212
ENST 230
History of the Earth and Life
A study of the physical, chemical, and organic evolution of the Earth since its origin 4.5 billion years ago, with emphasis on times of change and crisis. The course also examines the evolution of ideas about Earth’s history, illustrating how science and culture are inherently entangled.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: GEOL 110
Also listed as Geology 210
ENST 235
Weather, Climate, and Climate Change
A study of basic meteorologic principles and climate patterns. These phenomena will be discussed in relation to evidence of past climate change and implications of global warming on future climate.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: GEOL 110 or 150
Also listed as Geology 214
ENST 237
Environmental Remote Sensing and GIS Applications
Fundamentals of electromagnetic radiation and the interaction of radiation with matter are introduced as the basis of remote sensing. Interpretation and manipulation of remotely sensed images are used to demonstrate the wealth of information remote sensing provides. Applications and case studies from geology, environmental science, ecology, agronomy, and urban planning will be explored. High school physics recommended. Lecture and laboratory.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: GEOL 110; high school physics recommended
Also listed as Geology 220
ENST 240
Chemistry of the Earth: Low-Temperature Environments
An introduction to the geochemical processes at the Earth¿s surface. Emphasis is placed on how chemical processes such as thermodynamics, phase equilibria, and oxidation-reduction reactions shape the Earth surface and near-surface environments.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: GEOL 110 and CHEM 115; concurrent enrollment in GEOL 245
Also listed as Geology 240
ENST 245
Conservation Biology
This course explores scientific concepts related to the conservation and restoration of Earth's biological diversity. Topics include patterns of species and ecosystem diversity, the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, causes of extinction, assessing extinction risk, behavioral indicators,
in-situ and
ex-situ management strategies for endangered species, and ecosystem restoration. Lecture only.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 110 or BIOL 150, and sophomore standing
Also listed as Biology 245
ENST 247
The Elements of Life
A seminar that introduces the biological chemistry of some 20 elements, mostly “inorganic,” that living systems incorporate and require, touching upon the topics of uptake, selectivity, compartmentalization, control, energetics, catalysis, structure, and toxicity. Students will draw from the text to elucidate in class the biological roles of individual elements. No laboratory.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 116 or 119 or consent of instructor
Also listed as Chemistry 247
ENST 250
Analytical Chemistry
A course in the quantitative and qualitative description of chemical equilibria in solution (acid-base, complexation, redox, solubility) using classical, separation, electrochemical, and spectrochemical methods of analysis. This course covers methods of quantification, statistics, and data analysis as applied in modern chemistry. Opportunities for individually designed projects. Three lectures and one laboratory per week.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 116, placement exam, or consent of instructor
Also listed as Chemistry 210
ENST 260
Research Methods in Archaeology
Presents the research process in archaeology and offers an overview of essential data-collection and analysis techniques, including site survey and excavation, settlement pattern analysis, lithic analysis, and ceramic analysis. Students will take part in field research.
Units: 6.
Also listed as Anthropology 220
ENST 270
Global Environmental Politics
This course provides an examination of the environment as an issue in world politics. Emphasis will be placed on the role of both state and non-state actors (
i.e., the UN, NGOs) in global environmental regimes that are designed to deal with global warming, ozone depletion, and other environmental issues. Particular attention will be paid to the positions taken by both developed and developing countries. As part of the course, students will participate in a simulation of an international negotiation on an environmental issue.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or ENST 150 or GOVT 110
Also listed as Government 270
ENST 280
Environmental Economics
The course shows how economists analyze environmental problems and the types of solutions they propose (if any). Topic coverage includes property rights and externalities, cost-benefit analysis, regulatory policy instruments, the interplay between policy and innovation, and basic models of political economy.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 or ENST 151
Also listed as Economics 280
ENST 285
Natural Resource Economics
This course explores the economics of both exhaustible and renewable natural resource extraction. Topics include oil and mineral extraction, fisheries, forest and water management, and biodiversity. The course includes extensive study of current issues associated with the use of natural resources through a group project.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: ECON 100; sophomore standing recommended
Also listed as Economics 285
ENST 300
Symposium on Environmental Topics
The heart of this course is an annual symposium organized around a well-defined topic with both scientific and policy components —
e.g., nuclear waste disposal, global warming. Each year, two or three nationally recognized experts on the selected topic are brought to campus. In the weeks before a visit by one of the major speakers, students, together with environmental studies faculty, read and discuss papers suggested by the speaker. The speakers meet with students in the seminar following their public lecture, providing students with an opportunity to interact directly with scientists and policy makers at the forefront of environmental issues.
Topic for Winter 2014: Climate Change Adaptation and Geo-EngineeringThis course will examine a spectrum of engineering strategies for coping with climate change and its consequences. Proposed approaches range from low-tech and low-risk (
e.g., restoring oyster beds to protect coastal communities from storm surges in the face of rising sea level) to high-tech and potentially dangerous (injecting sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere to reflect solar energy back to space). Students will consider the scientific, economic, and political dimensions of these strategies through interactions with experts invited to campus for the annual Spoerl lecture series.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: ENST 150, sophomore standing
ENST 310
Aquatic Ecology
The principles of the ecology of fresh waters, developed through discussions, laboratory, and field investigations of the functional relationships and productivity of biotic communities as they are affected by the dynamics of physical, chemical, and biotic parameters. Lecture and laboratory.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 140 or BIOL 170 (or concurrent enrollment) or BIOL 230
Also listed as Biology 330
ENST 311
Field Experience-Sierra Leone
Students engaged in this course will have the opportunity to do field research in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Each student will develop and implement a project that concerns economic, political, and/or environmental issues important in Sierra Leone. Students will also have the opportunity to learn from national and local leaders, and upon completion of the field experience, present their research to the wider Lawrence community. Students must register for this course in both the fall and the winter terms. During the extended winter break, class members will travel to Sierra Leone for an 18 day study tour.
Units: 3.
Prerequisite: Completed or concurrent enrollment in ENST 300, ECON 205, or GOVT 500 (Research Methods in Comparative Politics and International Relations)
Also listed as Government 401, Economics 206
ENST 320
Seminar in Selected Topic in Environmental Studies
A course designed to offer students an opportunity to study important issues in environmental studies not covered in other regularly offered courses. Activities may include the reading and analysis of material from primary literature, consideration of interdisciplinary connection, and field and laboratory activites.
Topic for Fall 2013: Making Change Happen--The Politics of Environmental Decision-Making
This course reviews the broad spectrum of strategies and institutions through which public and environmental policy are changed, from legislation and litigation, to science and education, to grass-roots organizing and public messaging -- each with its own role and limitations. The class will use as a case study the important timely regional topic of the Fox River Restoration.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: ENST 150 or consent of instructor.
ENST 330
Advanced Geochemistry
A more detailed investigation of geochemical principles and processes through the investigation of important geochemical issues. Readings come heavily from the primary literature.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: GEOL 240 and CHEM 115, or consent of instructor; CHEM 116 recommended
Also listed as Geology 340
ENST 335
Physics of the Earth: Surface Environments
This course studies the movement of water, solute, and sediment through the landscape and the resulting properties and distribution of surficial earth materials and landforms. Topics include weathering; soil development; runoff; mass movement; river, glacial, and coastal processes; and deposition in sedimentary environments. One lab per week.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: GEOL 110 and 240 or consent of instructor; PHYS 141 or 151 recommended
Also listed as Geology 360
ENST 340
Plant Ecology
This course emphasizes core concepts in ecology and evolution from the unique perspective of plants. Students will explore the interactions between plants and their environment over a range of scales; from individuals to populations and communities, to landscapes and global patterns. Lecture and laboratory.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 170, BIOL 140, or BIOL 120
Also listed as Biology 335
ENST 345
Terrestrial Field Ecology
A hands-on course intended to demonstrate basic ecological principles using local terrestrial ecosystems. Field research projects will introduce students to methods in hypothesis development, experimental design, data collection, statistical analysis, and scientific writing and presentation. Research topics will include estimating population size, community structure, plant-animal interactions, and foraging behavior. Lecture and laboratory.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 120 or BIOL 140 or BIOL 170, and sophomore standing
Also listed as Biology 345
ENST 355
History of the American Environment
North Americans have transformed the environment while being shaped by nature in turn. This course surveys the changing relationships between Americans and their physical environment in historical context from the 17th century to the present. Topics include the “Columbian exchange,” agriculture, urbanization, conservation, and the emergence of contemporary environmentalism.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
Also listed as History 355
ENST 360
Environmental Ethics
An examination of some ethical assumptions that might figure in discussions of environmental policy by economists, legal experts, philosophers, and policy scientists.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One course in economics or environmental studies or government or philosophy; or junior standing
Also listed as Philosophy 360
ENST 365
Ecological Anthropology
A study of relationships between human communities and their natural environments (
i.e., humans studied as members of ecosystems). Topics include the interactions between environment, human biology, and social organization and anthropological perspectives on global environmental problems.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One anthropology course or consent of instructor
Also listed as Anthropology 310
ENST 378
East Asian Environmental History
This course will explore traditional East Asian ideas about the relationship between humans and their natural environments, as well the premodern and modern history of that interaction. We will also consider the relationship between these philosophies and practice, both for the societies we study and for our own.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Some background in East Asian Studies or Environmental Studies is recommended.
Also listed as East Asian Studies 378
ENST 390
Tutorial in Environmental Studies
Advanced study and analysis of a particular topic or case related to environmental issues, viewed from the perspective of more than one academic discipline.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 391
Directed Study in Environmental Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 395
Internship in Environmental Studies
An opportunity for environmental studies students to gain practical experience in the commercial, government, or nonprofit sectors. The internship is supplemented by readings and discussions with a supervising faculty member. At the conclusion of the internship, the student must submit a summative report that considers the internship experience in the context of the student’s other academic work.
The academic component of the internship includes readings related to the substance of the internship, discussions with the faculty supervisor, and a written report appropriate to the discipline. Course grades are based on this academic work.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 399
Independent Study in Environmental Studies
Advanced independent research, under the guidance of a faculty mentor or mentors, on a particular topic related to the environment. The student is required to produce a formal paper or equivalent (
e.g., poster session, Web page, presentation at a professional meeting) as a tangible record of the work carried out.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 410
Ecological Energetics
Field and laboratory experimental investigations of the transfer and transformation of energy or energy-containing materials between and within organisms and populations of aquatic ecosystems. Part of the Marine Biology Term. Lecture and laboratory.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 330, concurrent enrollment in BIOL 505 and 226 and consent of instructor
Also listed as Biology 434
ENST 427
Paleolimnology
Students will learn about the study of lake systems through time. This includes lake formation, changes in watershed vegetation, water chemistry, hydrology, and disturbance regimes. The course will consist of a mixture of lectures, field trips, and labs. Students should be prepared to go on field trips to local lakes where we will recover sediment cores for analysis during the term. One lab per week.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: GEOL 110 or ENST 150 or consent of instructor
Also listed as Geology 427
ENST 430
Watershed Hydrology
An introduction to the basic components of the hydrologic cycle, focusing on surface water and groundwater systems. Measurement and analysis of hydrologic data are emphasized. Application to contemporary issues such as flooding, watershed development, and groundwater contamination will be discussed.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: GEOL 110; PHYS 141 or 151 recommended
Also listed as Geology 430
ENST 440
Environmental Biology
An investigation of how microbial organisms use and influence their environment. Experiments in the field and laboratory will explore the roles of microbes in ecosystems with a particular focus on the transfer of energy within and between organisms. Part of the Marine Biology Term.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 330, concurrent enrollment in BIOL 505 and BIOL 200, and consent of instructor
Also listed as Biology 435
ENST 460
The Environment, Community, and Education
The course will examine the relationship between community-mindedness and the development of ecological literacy. Cultural assumptions about the natural world and our place in it that are implicit within the K-12 and college curriculum, and the manner in which modern forms of education shape our understanding of what it means to “live well in a place we know well” will be explored. Examples of how schools can contribute to environmental and social sustainability (and justice) via community- and place-based education will be presented.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor
Also listed as Education Studies 400
ENST 470
Environmental Politics
An examination of the politics of environmental policy in the United States, including the organization and demands of the environmental movement and its opponents, the ways in which major actors and institutions in the U.S. system treat environmental issues, and such specific topics as environmental justice and the application of cost-benefit reasoning to environmental policy making.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: GOVT 380 and either ECON 100 or ECON 300 or consent of instructor
Also listed as Government 465
ENST 494
Music and the Environment
In many societies around the world, people use music to connect with nature, specific places, and surrounding environments. This course will explore music performance practices and repertoire that expresses or enacts these connections. Case studies will include songlines and Australian Aboriginal land claims, North American protest songs, and the intimate relationships between music and nature of the BaAka people in central Aftrica and among the Kakuli people in Papua, among others.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor
Also listed as Music History 494
ENST 505
Coral Reef Environments
Examines the ecology of coral reef environments. Lecture, laboratory, and field components. Part of the Marine Biology Term. Lecture and laboratory.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 330 and concurrent enrollment in BIOL 226 and BIOL 434
Also listed as Biology 505
ENST 590
Tutorial in Environmental Studies
Advanced study and analysis of a particular topic or case related to environmental issues, viewed from the perspective of more than one academic discipline.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 591
Directed Study in Environmental Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 595
Internship in Environmental Studies
An opportunity for environmental studies students to gain practical experience in the commercial, government, or nonprofit sectors. The internship is supplemented by readings and discussions with a supervising faculty member. At the conclusion of the internship, the student must submit a summative report that considers the internship experience in the context of the student’s other academic work.
The academic component of the internship includes readings related to the substance of the internship, discussions with the faculty supervisor, and a written report appropriate to the discipline. Course grades are based on this academic work.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 599
Independent Study in Environmental Studies
Advanced independent research, under the guidance of a faculty mentor or mentors, on a particular topic related to the environment. The student is required to produce a formal paper or equivalent (
e.g., poster session, Web page, presentation at a professional meeting) as a tangible record of the work carried out.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 650
Environmental Studies Senior Seminar
A seminar on issues and methods of environmental studies and a focal point of the environmental studies major. Topics include scientific measures of environmental quality, natural resource management, pollution, prices, and public policy and ethical considerations. Students employ data and models to address a chosen environmental problem. Faculty members from contributing disciplines participate.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: ENST 150, ENST 300, and senior standing; or consent of the instructor
ENST 690
Tutorial in Environmental Studies
Advanced study and analysis of a particular topic or case related to environmental issues, viewed from the perspective of more than one academic discipline.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 691
Directed Study in Environmental Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 695
Internship in Environmental Studies
An opportunity for environmental studies students to gain practical experience in the commercial, government, or nonprofit sectors. The internship is supplemented by readings and discussions with a supervising faculty member. At the conclusion of the internship, the student must submit a summative report that considers the internship experience in the context of the student’s other academic work.
The academic component of the internship includes readings related to the substance of the internship, discussions with the faculty supervisor, and a written report appropriate to the discipline. Course grades are based on this academic work.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
ENST 699
Independent Study in Environmental Studies
Advanced independent research, under the guidance of a faculty mentor or mentors, on a particular topic related to the environment. The student is required to produce a formal paper or equivalent (
e.g., poster session, Web page, presentation at a professional meeting) as a tangible record of the work carried out.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
