ESRM 367 - Environmental Disasters

Units: 3
Three hours lecture per week
Prerequisite(s): ESRM 100
Nature is a powerful force - humans have had to face the danger of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunami, landslides, subsidence, flooding, severe weather, and meteorite impacts for our entire existence as a species. But humans are a powerful force as well, and in recent years it has become more clear how we have put the natural world in danger with anthropogenic pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. This course examines a variety of environmental disasters that occur around the world - both those that are natural processes, and those that are human-induced. We will examine the processes that create environmental disasters, discuss strategies to mitigate their damage, and think critically about the role of humans and human impacts in the future of the planet.
Graded: Letter Grade