ENVS627 - The Delaware River: An Environmental Case Study

The Delaware River and Estuary offer an opportunity to examine efforts to protect the environment in a multi-state, economically and ecologically complex area. This case studey will review environmental protection efforts in and around the River, the stressors on the environment, and attempts to balance environmental protection with economic, employment, and other needs. Itwill address scientific issues, relationships between air and water quality transportation and sprawl issues, the balancing of water quality and water quantity. Students will learn about the institutions responsible for managing this complex system, and what goals and indicators of progress are used by these organizations. Students will be asked to research, in detail, one or more aspects of the environmental management systems. They will identify the key drivers in determining environmental quality, recommend inprovements to the system, and propose a vision for the future.