This course has several objectives. The central focus will be on developing a comprehensive understanding of the principles of sustainable development, an idea that was given prominence in the 1987 Report of the United Nations' World Commission in Environment and Development. This report defined sustainable development as:" . . . development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."


Behind this deceptively simple statement, however, lie a number of complex concepts: What is "development?" What types of "present needs" are we talking about? How will the "needs" of future generations be measured? What threats, practices, or processes will "compromise" these future needs? What changes in the distribution of wealth, access to health care, access to education, and participation in societal governance will be necessary to produce a truly "sustainable" society? The course will introduce students to the various dimensions of sustainable development.

The climate change dialogue in the US has been largely focused on the "mitigation" issues relating to the reduction in emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHG's). While mitigation is critically important, the challenge of climate "adaptation" must also be considered to fully understand the implications of climate change. The scope of adaptation is largely dependent on how aggressively and successfully we address mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and, at present, adaptation best practices are still evolving. This course will approach climate adaptation from a multidisciplinary perspective -- technical, political, financial and regulatory. After introducing the basic concepts of climate adaptation, the course will explore the current state of play at each level of scale -- from the local to the global -- and examine several of the key emerging topics that will affect public and private sector activities.

This course will focus on all key aspects of municipal wastewater treatment, including 1) the environmental chemistry and biology, 2) worldwide and US environmental policies/regulations, and 3) treatment technologies. Emerging concerns and innovative technologies will be emphasized.

This course covers the fundamentals of atmosphere and ocean dynamics, and aims to put these in the context of climate change in the 21st century. large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation, the global energy balance, and the global energy balance, and the global hydrological cycle. We will introduce concepts of fluid dynamics and we will apply these to the vertical and horizontal motions in the atmosphere and ocean. Concepts covered include: hydrostatic law, buoyancy and convection, basic equations of fluid motions, Hadley and Ferrel cells in the atmosphere, thermohaline circulation, Sverdrup ocean flow, modes of climate variability (El-Nino, North Atlantic Oscillation, Southern Annular Mode). The course will incorporate student led discussions based on readings of the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and recent literature on climate change. Aimed at undergraduate or graduate students who have no prior knowledge of meteorology or oceanography or training in fluid mechanics. Previous background in calculus and/or introductory physics is helpful. This is a general course which spans many subdisciplines (fluid mechanics, atmospheric science, oceanography, hydrology).

This course covers the fundamentals of atmosphere and ocean dynamics, and aims to put these in the context of climate change in the 21st century. large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation, the global energy balance, and the global energy balance, and the global hydrological cycle. We will introduce concepts of fluid dynamics and we will apply these to the vertical and horizontal motions in the atmosphere and ocean. Concepts covered include: hydrostatic law, buoyancy and convection, basic equations of fluid motions, Hadley and Ferrel cells in the atmosphere, thermohaline circulation, Sverdrup ocean flow, modes of climate variability (El-Nino, North Atlantic Oscillation, Southern Annular Mode). The course will incorporate student led discussions based on readings of the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and recent literature on climate change. Aimed at undergraduate or graduate students who have no prior knowledge of meteorology or oceanography or training in fluid mechanics. Previous background in calculus and/or introductory physics is helpful. This is a general course which spans many subdisciplines (fluid mechanics, atmospheric science, oceanography, hydrology).

Water- related illnesses are estimated by some to kill up to 5000 people per day worldwide and many of these casualties are children. This course will explore the causes of this global crisis and what is being done to address the issue. It will provide an overview of international agreements, wastewater and water supply issues, technological advances, political/financial/cultural and other barriers to success, and what students can do to become involved in resolving the issues. Guest lecturers and case studies will provide insights to problems in problem areas around the world. Students will be asked to evaluate specific problems and suggest improved approaches to improving access to clean water.

Historical consumption of materials and land resources has resulted in increasing per capita waste and greenhouse gas emissions. This course will explore opportunities to address the challenges of climate change through sustainable closed-loop approaches for materials and land. Alternative views of the drivers of climate changing greenhouse gases and the relative contributions of various sectors of the U.S. economy will be presented. The implications of climate change, economic costs of climate change mitigation and adaptation, rising energy prices, land use, and waste management issues will be discussed. The course will identify policy needs at all levels (international, national, state, and local) as well as practical solutions for greenhouse gas reductions. The course will explore in depth local policies and actions (e.g., recycling efforts and land use planning) that complement national and international efforts (e.g., cap and trade system and carbon tax).