Global Change and Civilization

(1-3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

All human populations, from the simplest to the most complex, interact with their natural environment. Humans alter the environment and, in turn, are altered by it through biological or cultural adaptations. Global environmental chanages helped to create and shape our species, and modern industrial societies are capable of altering the environment on scales that have never been seen before.This course explores the ways that humans are altering the global environment and the ways that global environmental changes alter humans in return. Students will complete the course with an understanding of the metrics and physical science associated with each type of change, their ecological implications, and the ways in which environmental changes continually reshape human biology and culture.