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Fall 2024 |
Spring 2025 |
Fall 2025 |
Spring 2026 |
511 1.5 Credits
Ecological Foundations for Environmental Managers (Fall-2 Oct 21-Dec 6)
511 Ecological Foundations for Environmental Managers (Fall-2 Oct 21-Dec 6) : 1.5 Credits :
This course gives students a fundamental mechanistic understanding about the way abiotic (e.g., climate) and biotic (e.g., resources, competitors, predators) factors determine pattern in the distribution and abundance of species. Students learn how individuals within a species cope with changing environmental conditions by altering their behavior, making physiological adjustments, and changing the allocation of resources among survival, growth, and reproduction. Students learn how populations of species coexist within communities and how species interactions within communities can drive ecosystem functioning. Students also learn how ecologists use scientific insight to deal with emerging environmental problems such as protecting biodiversity, understanding the consequences of habitat loss on species diversity, and forecasting the effects of global climate change on species population viability and geographic distribution.
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: Oswald J. Schmitz : Oswald J. Schmitz
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Schmitz Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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Schmitz TBA - TBA |
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512 1.5 Credits
Microeconomic Foundations for Environmental Managers (Fall 1 Aug 28- Oct 11)
512 Microeconomic Foundations for Environmental Managers (Fall 1 Aug 28- Oct 11) : 1.5 Credits : This six-week course which meets Fall-1 provides an introduction to microeconomic analysis and its application to environmental policy. Students study how markets work to allocate scarce resources. This includes consideration of how individuals and firms make decisions, and how policy analysts seek to quantify the benefits and costs of consumption and production. We consider the conditions under which markets are beneficial to society and when they fail. We see that market failure arises frequently in the context of environmental and natural resource management. The last part of the course focuses on the design of environmental and natural resource policies to address such market failures. The course is designed to cover basic knowledge of economics analysis and prepare students for ENV 834 and other more advanced offerings. : Matthew J. Kotchen : Matthew J. Kotchen
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Kotchen Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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Kotchen TBA - TBA |
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521 1.5 Credits
Physical Science Foundations for Environmental Managers
521 Physical Science Foundations for Environmental Managers : 1.5 Credits : This required foundational course provides students with the physical science basics that they need to understand and manage environmental problems. The course draws on climatology, environmental chemistry, geology, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, and soil science. Focus is on understanding both the underlying concepts and how they apply to real-world environmental challenges. Useful both as a freestanding course and as a gateway to a wide spectrum of intermediate and advanced courses. : Shimon C. Anisfeld : Shimon C. Anisfeld
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Anisfeld W - 9:00-10:20 |
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Anisfeld TBA - TBA |
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522 1.5 Credits
Human Science Foundations for Environmental Managers
522 Human Science Foundations for Environmental Managers : 1.5 Credits : The environmental fields of inquiry that focus on human behavior, culture, governance, and history have matured and proliferated in the 21st century. New scholarship has advanced the academic state of knowledge and sharpened our collective ability to understand human-environmental relations. Yet despite better science, we struggle to make material change in the collective rate of human consumption of Earth’s natural resources. Not only is the planet harmed by our failures, but millions of people are also harmed. Embedded in all scientific endeavors is a theory of change. But rarely are theories of change made explicit for environmental stewardship. In this course, we investigate new bodies of scholarship that explore relational values, varying concepts of stewardship, a range of theories of change, and, finally, capabilities or human rights-based measure of the life well lived. We explore the following questions: What does it mean to be an environmental steward in a world filled with social, political, and economic inequalities? How can we weave together multiple knowledge systems or ways of knowing through environmental stewardship? How can we balance the need for social and environmental change in a way that is both place-based and responsive to global concerns? Can theories of change help us act when the scientific data is both clear and uncertain? How can we incorporate non-economic measures of human well-being into our decision making? : Amity Doolittle : Amity Doolittle
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Doolittle Tu - 4:00-5:20 |
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Doolittle TBA - TBA |
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550 3 Credits
Natural Science Research: From Idea to Proposal
550 Natural Science Research: From Idea to Proposal : 3 Credits :
The course guides students through the process of developing an individualized research project in close partnership with their faculty advisor. We focus on writing a research proposal, which prepares students to apply for competitive research funding and is required of all MESc/MFS students. In doing so, we cover critical reading of the literature, narrowing a broad topic of interest to a feasible research project, proposal writing, and a high-level introduction to the philosophy of science. Students engage in peer review throughout the course and present their completed proposals to the class at the end of the semester. : William Lauenroth : William Lauenroth
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Lauenroth Tu,Th - 9:00-10:20 |
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Lauenroth TBA - TBA |
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551 3 Credits
Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design
551 Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design : 3 Credits : Qualitative research and analysis are critical for exploring complex questions of the human condition. As an approach to understanding the human-environmental nexus, qualitative research prioritizes understanding varied “ways of knowing”. The tools we learn, through the exploration of academic literature include 1) oral methods (interviews, life histories, focus groups), (2) text-based methods (archival research and document or textual analysis), and (3) participatory methods, based in observation and knowledge co-production. Students learn how to interpret and analyze qualitative data, as well as evaluate the claims made by qualitative researchers. The course is intended for doctoral students who are in the beginning stages of their dissertation research, as well as for MESc students developing research proposals for their thesis projects. Advanced undergraduate students are welcome. The final project for this course is a research proposal. While we discuss the value of mixed methods, this course does not cover quantitative approaches such as survey research, econometrics, Q methodology, spatial analysis, or social network analysis. : Amity Doolittle : Amity Doolittle
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Doolittle Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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Doolittle TBA - TBA |
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552 0 Credits
Master's Student Research Colloquium
552 Master's Student Research Colloquium : 0 Credits :
One of the most important aspects of scientific research involves the communication of research findings to the wider scientific community. Therefore, second-year M.E.Sc. and M.F.S. students are required to present the results of their faculty-supervised research as participants in the Master’s Student Research Conference, a daylong event held near the end of the spring term. Student contributors participate by delivering a fifteen-minute oral presentation to the YSE faculty and student body or by presenting a research poster in a session open to the YSE community. Students receive a score of satisfactory completion for this effort. : Peter A. Raymond : Peter A. Raymond
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Raymond TBA - TBA |
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Raymond TBA - TBA |
553 3 Credits
Perspectives: Environmental Leadership
553 Perspectives: Environmental Leadership : 3 Credits :
The course is intended to offer a common experience and exposure to the variety of perspectives represented by YSE faculty and guest experts on the challenges and opportunities of environmental management. This year’s theme is Environmental Leadership and over the semester we will create and foster a leadership toolkit and systems-thinking appreciation that enables 1st-year MEM students to map out and maximize an impactful path through Yale, their careers and their lives
Discussion Sections to be added after first class
: Peter Boyd : Peter Boyd
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Boyd Tu - 9:00-10:20 & TBD Discussion section |
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Boyd TBA - TBA |
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555 1 Credit
Introduction to the MESc and MFS Degrees
555 Introduction to the MESc and MFS Degrees : 1 Credit : The goal of this class is to set expectations and discuss general strategies for a successful MESc/MFS experience. This course is mandatory and a requirement for all incoming MESc/MFS students in their first Fall semester (it’s optional for students the MESc-5 & MFS-5 programs). This course will meet the first 6 weeks of the Fall semester and students will be pre-registered. This course will be graded credit/fail. : Peter A. Raymond :
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Raymond M - 12:00-12:50 |
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561 1.5 Credits
Energy Justice Seminar
561 Energy Justice Seminar : 1.5 Credits : : : Gerald Torres : TBD Faculty
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Torres Tentative |
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568 1.5 Credits
Geoengineering in the Context of Climate Overshoot (Fall-1 Aug 28-Oct 11)
568 Geoengineering in the Context of Climate Overshoot (Fall-1 Aug 28-Oct 11) : 1.5 Credits : Despite dire warnings from the IPCC and earnest pledges of various governments and other institutions including Yale, our planet is likely to surpass the 1.5°C temperature anomaly threshold in this decade, placing us in the dangerous realm of temperature “overshoot”. The course will start by examining our likely climate trajectory before critically examining the level of optimism that surrounds many proposed mitigation solutions. We will then delve into the toolkit of climate responses that would become relevant in an overshoot scenario – not merely further mitigation and adaptation, but also negative emissions technologies and strategies to reflect incoming sunlight. We will examine not only the technological, economic, and political feasibility of these potential interventions, but also their governance requirements and ethical implications. As I have found little literature illustrating what life in an overshoot world might entail, we will create some. Our final project will be to host a “cli-fi” short-story contest wherein students will be asked to envision what they might see with their own eyes should the Earth transit 2°C in mid-century. : Wake Smith : Wake Smith
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Smith W - 4:00-6:50 |
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Smith Tentative |
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573 3 Credits
Urban Ecology for Local and Regional Decision Making
573 Urban Ecology for Local and Regional Decision Making : 3 Credits : Urban ecology is the interdisciplinary study of urban and urbanizing systems from local to global scales. While urban ecology shares many features with the biological science of ecology, it emphasizes linkages with social, economic, and physical sciences and the humanities. Geographically, the subject includes central and edge cities, suburbs of various ages and densities, and exurban settlements in which urban lifestyles and economic commitments are dominant. In application, urban ecology can be useful as a social-ecological science for making cities more sustainable, resilient, and equitable. Emerging “grand challenges” in urban ecology include the development of robust approaches and understanding of (1) integrated social-ecological systems in urban and urbanizing environments; (2) the assembly and function of novel ecological communities and ecosystems under novel environmental conditions; (3) drivers of human well-being in diverse urban areas; (4) pathways for developing healthy, sustainable, and disaster-resilient cities; and (5) co-production of actionable science for policy, planning, design, and management. : Morgan Grove : Morgan Grove
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Grove W - 1:00-3:50 |
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Grove Tentative |
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582 1.5 Credits
Natural Climate Solutions in Agricultural Landscapes: Topics in Enhanced Rock Weathering
582 Natural Climate Solutions in Agricultural Landscapes: Topics in Enhanced Rock Weathering : 1.5 Credits : by Application due January 8
Please an email to MayaAlmaraz ( maya.almaraz@yale.edu), with Subject: ENV 582 Application
Submit by January 8 @ 5pm, 2-5 sentences expressing why they are interested in the course
Include your name, email, school/department, program, and year
Preference will be given to Graduating YSE students
Students will be notified by January 10
Those not selected are welcome to join the public online seminars each week.
Seminar Series: Climate change has already dramatically altered the world and without appropriate mitigation eForts, these catastrophic disruptions will continue to grow, wreaking havoc on people and the planet. It is now clear that to combat climate change we will need to both reduce emissions and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. One such carbon dioxide removal technology that has gained traction in recent years is called enhanced rock weathering. Silicate rock weathering is a natural process that controls the earth’s climate on geologic timescales. Enhanced rock weathering involves pulverizing silicate rocks into dust and spreading dust on soils with the aim of accelerating the rate of weathering and subsequent carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. The most promising context for deployment of enhanced rock weathering is in already highly managed and disturbed agricultural soils where it has the potential to benefit soil and crops in a diversity of ways. Despite the promise of enhanced rock weathering, there are still a myriad of unknowns when it comes to this practice and there are challenges related balancing the speed of deployment and the speed of the science. : Maya Almaraz : : TBD Faculty
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Almaraz M - 12:00-12:50 Webinar: 1:00-1:50 Discussion |
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586 3 Credits
Fisheries & Aquaculture
586 Fisheries & Aquaculture : 3 Credits : We will consider current issues affecting fisheries and aquaculture. Humans have been harvesting food from aquatic ecosystems for millennia, but increasing human population size, changing climate, and ongoing habitat alteration are among myriad factors negatively impacting aquatic species and their habitats. We will analyze, through the lens of Western science as well as through global perspectives spanning local, regional, and indigenous knowledge, how extractive activities in the form of fisheries and aquaculture has impacted aquatic systems and their biota. We will also consider what a sustainable future can look like for these critical resources and the ecosystems they inhabit. : Kealoha Freidenburg : Kealoha Freidenburg
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Freidenburg Tu,Th - 1:00-2:15 |
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Freidenburg TBA - TBA |
588 3 Credits
Climate Tech Innovation and Commercialization
588 Climate Tech Innovation and Commercialization : 3 Credits : Follows SOM Calendar
Accelerating the deployment of innovative technologies will improve our ability to decarbonize and address climate change rapidly. This course explores the intersection of science, policy, and business in the rapidly growing field of climate technology. The course is taught by Steph Speirs, a climate tech entrepreneur and national leader on climate tech, clean energy, and climate solutions. Steph most recently co-founded and led Solstice, an enterprise dedicated to radically expanding the number of American households that can take advantage of clean energy using community-shared solar farms. In the course, students will be introduced to key scientific, economic, and policy frameworks for analyzing climate technologies, explore and assess trends in specific sectors, and engage in-depth class discussions and case studies on the necessary innovations in technology, policy, finance, and business models. Select sessions in the course will feature domain-specific lectures from faculty experts and industry leaders, where students will gain insights into the scientific innovations, market opportunities, and commercialization challenges driving specific verticals in the climate tech sector. Each session is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of both the scientific underpinnings and the practical applications of various climate tech domains. : TBD Faculty :
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Faculty Tu - 2:40-5:40 |
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592 3 Credits
Documentary Film Workshop
592 Documentary Film Workshop : 3 Credits :
This workshop in audiovisual scholarship explores ways to present research through the moving image. Students work within a Public Humanities framework to make a documentary that draws on their disciplinary fields of study. Designed to fulfill requirements for the M.A. with a concentration in Public Humanities. : Charles Musser : Charles Musser
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Musser T-7:00pm-10:00pm & W 3:30-5:20 |
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Musser Tentative |
Musser Tentative |
594 3 Credits
Global Carbon Cycle
594 Global Carbon Cycle : 3 Credits : Carbon is one of the most abundant elements in the universe, the building block for all of biochemistry, and the energy exchange material for the Earth’s metabolism. Over the past 200 years, people have mined fossil carbon to power the global economy, leading to profound transformations in the cycling of carbon among land, oceans, and atmosphere and disrupting Earth’s climate. This course explores in detail the cycling of labile carbon among the major biogeochemical reservoirs. We’ll spend roughly four weeks each on land and oceans and spend the final four weeks exploring carbon-climate. : A. Scott Denning :
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Denning M,W - 9:00-10:20 |
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603 3 Credits
Environmental Data Visualization for Communication
603 Environmental Data Visualization for Communication : 3 Credits : This is a combination lecture and hands-on course designed to explore principles of visual communication and apply them to the design and construction of effective graphics. Students will build skills in working with data, programming in R, and data visualization using a variety of tools and methods (DataWrapper, Tableau, Google Sheets, etc). No prior experience with R is required.
There is a strong emphasis on active participation through learning new skills, helping others acquire skills and troubleshoot problems, and critiquing other’s work. Effective graphics are informed by design principles and more complex displays are improved through an iterative process that requires dialog, feedback, and testing.
Enrollment in the class is limited. We will meet twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00 to 10:20am. There will be weekly assignments and a final project that will be developed throughout the course, and there will be ample support offered through regular office hours.
To apply for this course, please provide short answers to the following questions. This will allow us to tailor the course more closely to your needs. Please email your responses to simon.queenborough@yale.eduand sophie.roberts@yale.eduno later than 5:00 pm EST on Monday, August 28th. Thank you!
You will be notified by Monday, September 2.
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Degree and expected graduation year
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Why are you interested in taking this class?
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What is your area of interest/research?
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Have you recently taken any classes that required you to explore or analyze data, such as statistics, GIS courses, etc.? If so, please list them.
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Do you have an existing project or dataset in mind that you would like to explore and visualize? If so, please describe it and state whether you already have access to the data, or not yet. (This is not required – you will have the opportunity to explore existing datasets.)
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What previous experience do you have, if any, with communication and/or design?
: Simon Queenborough : Simon Queenborough
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Queenborough M,W - 9:00-10:20 |
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Queenborough TBA - TBA |
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608 3 Credits
Our Air, Our Health
608 Our Air, Our Health : 3 Credits : : : TBD Faculty
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Tentative (No Semester)
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610 3 Credits
Managing Ecosystems for Climate Change Solutions
610 Managing Ecosystems for Climate Change Solutions : 3 Credits :
This course will explore how natural climate solutions (i.e., actions to protect, better manage and restore ecosystems) can mitigate climate change. It will also assess the challenges and barriers that must be overcome in order to make natural climate solutions more sustainable. During the course, students will be exposed to concepts about how the conservation and management of natural and anthropogenic terrestrial ecosystems (e.g., conservation of natural ecosystems, forest and agriculture management, and restoration of degraded areas) have influenced the carbon and water cycles, two important climate services provided by terrestrial ecosystems. Students will also address some of the potential socio-ecological consequences of nature-based solutions, with a focus in the tropics. Finally, the course will cover some of the main challenges and opportunities for scaling up carbon natural climate solutions. The flipped classroom approach and active learning activities : Paulo Brando : Paulo Brando
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Brando Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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Brando TBA - TBA |
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613 3 Credits
Writing for a Changing Environment
613 Writing for a Changing Environment : 3 Credits :
Writing For a Changing Environment is an advanced nonfiction writing workshop with a focus in journalistic storytelling, designed to help environmental scholars and practitioners write for a broad, lay audience. In other words, this is not just a class for writers – although those with an interest in journalism will find it useful. This is a course for students who recognize the importance of reaching broad audiences in a time of rapidly transforming climate, technology, science, and culture. We will learn and practice the tools of journalism – the ability to listen, communicate, research, capture hearts, spread ideas, and explain complexity – and study writings that exemplify these attributes. Our focus topic in this class is climate and other environmental changes, with an intentional look to the global south as well as the US and global north. Students will write multiple pieces of their own, from short research “explainers” to reported profiles to first person reportage. By the end of the course, students will have refined at least one of their pieces to a quality to submit for publication. : Stephanie Hanes : Stephanie Hanes
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Hanes Th - 1:00-3:50 |
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Hanes Tentative |
614 1.5 Credits
GHG Accounting: Practical Methods
614 GHG Accounting: Practical Methods : 1.5 Credits : There are increasing climate action roles and responsibilities being assigned to professionals working in both the private and public sectors. Rigorous and effective climate change mitigation actions – from those that occur as a result of business management or public policy making – are all predicated on informed GHG management. The goal of this course is to provide students with a practical and applied understanding of corporate and national-level GHG accounting. This course moves beyond environmental, social, or political climate change theory; and teaches the entry level skills and employment proficiencies needed to secure and execute climate change employment. : Molly White :
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White Tu - 2:30-3:50 |
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617 3 Credits
Real World Environmental Data Science
617 Real World Environmental Data Science : 3 Credits : Application is required: Link TBD
The goal of this course is to provide students with a foundational understanding of what it takes to perform environmental data work in a practical, professional setting. To make sound policy decisions, we need data, and the reality is that data is often messy, difficult to find, and incomplete. In order to effectively leverage the data, students need to be able to troubleshoot when there is a problem. We focus on understanding the mechanics and nuances of working with messy data in the professional setting, not teaching statistics. We will provide a high-level explanation of methods, what they will tell us and how they are useful, and then focus on implementation. : Elena Grewal : Elena Grewal
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Grewal M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Grewal Tentative |
618 3 Credits
Anthropology of Smallholder Agriculture in Developing Countries
618 Anthropology of Smallholder Agriculture in Developing Countries : 3 Credits :
The premise of this course is that small-scale agriculture, its distinctive economic character, and its ecology shape each other in important ways. This course will explore smallholder farming in the developing world through ethnographies.
It is often said that small-scale agriculture provides half of the contemporary global food supply (see for example Graeub et al 2016); in fact there are no good global statistics on small farm production, especially in the developing world (in which many nations just don’t have statistics on food production and farm size, Ricciardi et al 2018). I argue simply that small-scale agricultural food production is important to both livelihoods and food security. If this is so, then the inter-linkages between farms, economies, and ecologies are important. These inter-linkages are also complex. : Carol Carpenter : Carol Carpenter
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Carpenter Tu - 1:00-3:50 |
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Carpenter TBA - TBA |
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620 3 Credits
History of Environmental Thought and Activism
620 History of Environmental Thought and Activism : 3 Credits :
This course uses a race, class, and gender approach to examine the history of American environmental ideology and activism from the 1600s to the present. The course is divided into three units. The first unit examines environmental conditions in the city (health, sanitation, housing, overcrowding, occupational safety, and open space), the rise of urban American environmental consciousness, and activism related to urban issues. Unit II examines the rise of the conservation and preservation movements. It analyzes the relationship between hunting, wildlife extinction, and the rise of conservation ethics. This unit also examines the role of the countryside, frontier, and wilderness in environmental thought and activism. It examines conquest, conservation, primitivism, Transcendentalism, and Romanticism and the emergence of the preservation/conservation movement. Unit III focuses on contemporary environmental thought; it examines the birth of the modern environmental movement and the emergence of reform environmentalism. The course also examines the way in which a person’s social class, race, gender, environmental, and labor market experiences influence their environmental perceptions and the kinds of environmental ideologies they develop. The course examines the rise of major environmental paradigms and the factors that make them influential. : Dorceta Taylor : Dorceta Taylor
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Taylor Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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Taylor Tentative |
621 3 Credits
The Ministry for the Future: Exploring The Science and Politics of Climate Solutions through Fiction
621 The Ministry for the Future: Exploring The Science and Politics of Climate Solutions through Fiction : 3 Credits : This course focuses on the potential for global cooperation and implementation of climate solutions in this century. We will use the novel The Ministry for the Future to guide our discussion of potential climate solutions, and the potential for their implementation. Each week we will combine reading a section of the novel with related research on technical climate solutions and on international cooperation. The novel will help us envision one possible future while our other readings will let us decide how plausible that future might be, and examine what other potential futures we might experience.
This course will be a reading-intensive course, with students expected to read 100-150 pages of material each week and be ready to discuss the material in seminar. The course will feature a final paper about the possible effectiveness of a climate solution, including whether it is likely to be politically feasible : Luke Sanford :
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Sanford W - 1:00-3:50 |
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622 3 Credits
Carcerality and the Environment
622 Carcerality and the Environment : 3 Credits : Mass incarceration is one of the most pressing social problems of the 21st century and it has become well understood that prisons perpetuate injustices for those that are detained within them and for those who live in the communities that surround them. What is less understood are how the principles of carcerality are manifested in spaces outside of prisons and jails. As it currently stands caging, detention, punishment, surveillance, labor/resource extraction, and restriction of movement are a few of the fundamental aspects of incarceration, but what this course will explore is how these themes appear in non-traditional contexts such as agriculture, animal agriculture, and the environmental movement. Carceral logics have a disproportionate impact on working-class people, poor people, communities of color and the more-than human world. This course aims to define carcerality, explore why carceral logics exist, address how carceral logics are manifested in non-traditional spaces and imagines a world without the carceral system. Throughout the course, we will expand our understanding of the carceral system through an intersectional lens that addresses anti-violence movements, animal rights, prison abolition, environmental justice, disability rights and grassroots organizing. This course aims to reimagine what is meant by “mass incarceration” and through this reimagining we are able to address what a deeply radical and intersectional decarceration movement might look like. : Faith Taylor :
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Taylor M,W - 4:00-5:15 |
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623 3 Credits
The Role of Methane in Global Climate Disruption: The Search for Solutions
623 The Role of Methane in Global Climate Disruption: The Search for Solutions : 3 Credits : : : Sparkle Malone
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Malone TBA - TBA |
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626 3 Credits
Writing for Publication in the Natural Sciences
626 Writing for Publication in the Natural Sciences : 3 Credits :
This course will give students insights into the process of writing manuscripts for publication in the natural sciences. The seminar will guide students through the stages of writing a paper and end the semester with a submitted manuscript. We will also consider various strategies for writing, accountability, time management, and productivity. The course is aimed at students in the natural sciences with cleaned and analyzed data that they want to write up for publication. : Simon Queenborough : Simon Queenborough
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Queenborough Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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Queenborough TBA - TBA |
630 3 Credits
The Physical Science of Climate Change
630 The Physical Science of Climate Change : 3 Credits : This course covers the science behind Earth’s climate system. The first part of the course entails understanding the components of Earth’sclimate, including the chemical and physical atmosphere and the role of land, ice, and the oceans in regulating global climate. The second half takes a closer look at how Earth’s climate system impacts global sustainable boundaries, including its impact on ecosystems, waterresources, the built environment, human health, and the global food system. During the first half of the course students are expected to complete weekly homework assignments that reinforce class concepts and perform a guided analysis using a climate model. The second half of the course involves project work on the impact of climate on a system (e.g., ecosystem, water resource, community, health, etc). : Peter A. Raymond : Peter A. Raymond : Xuhui Lee
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Raymond Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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Raymond TBA - TBA |
632 3 Credits
Intro to Social Entrepreneurship
632 Intro to Social Entrepreneurship : 3 Credits : : : Teresa Chahine
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Chahine Tentative |
633 3 Credits
Critical Race Theory
633 Critical Race Theory : 3 Credits : This class will study Critical Race Theory from its origins to its current expression.Understanding the deep interconnections between race and law, and how race and law are co-constitutive is the project of Critical Race Theory. One of the central claims of Critical Race Theory is that racial subordination is not a deviation from the liberal legal ideal but is, unfortunately, part of its expression. We will focus on the origins of the critique that is central to the development of the theory and contrast its analysis with conventional analytic frameworks on race and American law and society.Because it is a positive theory but also driven by a normative vision, we will explore the possibility of transforming the relationship between law and racial power. The law is not the only site of Critical Race Theory; it has had a significant impact on other disciplines in the social sciences. We will examine those impacts as well. : Gerald Torres : Gerald Torres
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Torres Tu,Th - 2:30-3:50 |
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Torres Tentative |
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634 3 Credits
Ecology of Global Drylands
634 Ecology of Global Drylands : 3 Credits : This course explores the controls on the geographic distribution, community and ecosystem structure, and functioning of drylands globally. Lectures, writing, and student-led discussions. : William Lauenroth :
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Lauenroth Tu,Th - 9:00-10:20 |
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635 3 Credits
Renewable Energy Project Finance
635 Renewable Energy Project Finance : 3 Credits : Application Required: https://forms.gle/rW4C98FUBzFcMwAn7
Deadline December 6
The course is intended to be a practicum, exposing students to real-world tools of the trade as well as the theory underlying them. In place of a textbook, students are provided with approximately 400 pages of actual project documents used for a U.S. wind energy project. Through weekly homework assignments, students develop the skills necessary to construct a detailed financial model, largely comparable to what would be used by an investment firm, project developer, or independent power producer. Modeling skills include sizing debt capacity, sensitivity analysis, stochastic forecasting, taxes, and the creation of financial statements. Lectures also provide an introduction to risk management, energy market dynamics, alternative contractual structures, financial structuring, and the core engineering and risks inherent in the most common renewable energy technologies. This course is primarily online but may include 4-6 in person sessions, pending the instructor’s availability to travel. While cross-listed at the School of Management, it follow the YSE academic calendar. Admission requires an application. : Daniel Gross : Daniel Gross
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Gross Tu,Th - 9:00-10:20 |
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Gross Tentative |
636 3 Credits
Carbon Dioxide Removal
636 Carbon Dioxide Removal : 3 Credits : Course Enrollment: There are no prerequisites for this course, although familiarity with basic data analysis, climate science, policy, carbon markets, and GHG emissions inventories will be helpful. The course is limited to 20 students, so candidates for the class will be required to complete a short application form at this link: https://forms.office.com/r/8iRHYPfXfM (use Yale email to login). Applications are accepted until 5:00pm on Saturday, Aug. 24th. Candidates will be notified on a rolling basis but no later than 5:00pm Monday, Aug. 26 th
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies are expected to play a significant role in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, which require net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. A wide range of CDR technologies are currently in development, yet this nascent field must overcome many technical,
logistical, ethical, and financial challenges before contributing to the stabilization of the climate at scale. In the first half of this course, we will examine the need, scale, and timelines for CDR, study the landscape of strategies in development, and workshop a framework for evaluating carbon removal approaches. In the latter half of the course, we will discuss specific pathways in detail, including (but not limited to): Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC), Enhanced Mineral Weathering, Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement, and Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS). Course instructors and invited entrepreneurs will lecture on the mechanics, risks, and potentials of each pathway and engage student questions and discussion. Active participation in discussion is a requirement. Students will gain a deeper understanding of CDR drivers, approaches, co-benefits, and challenges. After examining the key challenges, trade-offs, and opportunities, students should be better able to make informed decisions about how CDR can best complement other decarbonization strategies and environmental justice priorities. We look forward to engaging in spirited discussion with you on this topic! Limited to Twenty students. : Anastasia O’Rourke : Anastasia O’Rourke : Sinead Crotty
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O’Rourke M - 2:30-5:20 |
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Tentative (No Semester)
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639 3 Credits
Food Systems and Climate Services
639 Food Systems and Climate Services : 3 Credits : Amidst climate change, there is an urgent need to address the sustainability challenges of agrifood systems. This course builds on mixed methods, integrating applied economics, management and information, policy, and system analysis tools to understand (and potentially solve) the complex interactions of food systems. This interdisciplinary course welcomes students with different backgrounds interested in sustainability, food systems, climate management, and policy at global and community-based scales, with particular emphasis on the Global South. It involves a weekly lecture and practical hour session for a small-medium-sized group.
Context
As noted in the literature studied and referenced in this course, the production of crops, livestock, and aquatic organisms covers more than a third of land and oceans. Simultaneously, two-thirds of hungry people live in rural areas, and of some 570 million farms in the world, more than 475 million are smaller than 2 hectares. There are clear interconnections between agriculture, climate, conservation, poverty, and inequality. However, our capacity to assess and robustly respond to climate impacts on food systems (or vice versa) is severely challenged by complex interactions between climate risk, demographic shifts, political processes, economic insecurity, and land-use practices.
The urgency of transforming agri-food systems is undeniable. However, the lack of usable and spatially disaggregated statistics prevents the implementation of effective food system interventions. Economic assessments of climate change are usually expressed in terms of aggregate output or economic sector impacts, without clearly indicating the potential risks and consequences to farm-level production systems, communities, and livelihoods. An overwhelming majority of existing agricultural research publications are unable to provide solutions, particularly to the challenges faced by smallholder farmers, and most studies only involve researchers without any participation from farmers. Climate models also estimate global scenarios that do not offer real advice and information for adaptation at the local level. Current aggregated food production and climate data frameworks need to be made more comprehensive to establish and quantify links between specific farming practices, business models, and climate risk, ultimately illuminating the socio-economic consequences and impacts on smallholder communities, specific production systems, and ecosystems. An innovative generation of researchers, partitioners, and leaders is called to provide alternative and creative solutions, policies, and tools for sustainable food systems and climate services.
: J. Nicolas Hernandez-Aguilera :
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Hernandez-Aguilera Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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640 3 Credits
Ethical Consumption: Promoting Workers’ Rights, Fair Prices, and Sustainability
640 Ethical Consumption: Promoting Workers’ Rights, Fair Prices, and Sustainability : 3 Credits : : : Edward Ian Robinson
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Robinson TBA - TBA |
641 3 Credits
Market-Based Mechanisms for Water Management
641 Market-Based Mechanisms for Water Management : 3 Credits : Online Course
This course provides students with both the theory and application of environmental water transactions (EWTs) to water management challenges, such as river restoration, drought-mitigation, and agricultural allocation. The geographic focus is primarily the western United States, as this region, out of necessity, has been very active in implementing EWTs in recent years. Other market-based mechanisms for water management also are explored, such as groundwater mitigation banks, urban stormwater markets, and water quality markets. The course also covers considerations such as environmental justice, tribal access to and use of water, and diversity/equity/inclusion in water management. A final project will give students the opportunity to develop a simple hydrological and water rights model for a fictional watershed to use as the basis for designing a suite of water transactions and market-based water management solutions. This is an online course taught by experienced professionals who value a hands-on approach to learning. In addition, the course will feature discussion of current events in water, case studies, and guest lectures from practitioners actively using market-based mechanisms for water management. : David Pilz : Sarah Kruse
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OnlinePilz M - 1:00-3:50 |
OnlineKruse Tentative |
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642 3 Credits
Environmental Justice/Climate Justice
642 Environmental Justice/Climate Justice : 3 Credits : This course focuses on the evolution and development of the environmental justice movement and environmental justice law in the United States. We will begin with a legal and social-historical survey and trace that history to the current moment. We explore traditional environmental law's shortcomings and the legal and policy developments that have followed the environmental justice critique. Concepts of environmental and climate justice have driven the environmental legal movement since its inception, but only recently has environmental justice law been recognized as a legal field. This course will introduce students to contemporary legal regimes, debates, and social movements in the U.S. territories, Indian Country, and Hawai’i to explore how many environmental justice communities have responded to (or resisted) mainstream modalities of environmental law.
This course will explore law as one of many levers in enacting environmental justice, and students will consider how grassroots organizing, public awareness and education, and litigation fit together in environmental and climate justice movements. Our discussion of environmental litigation will consider traditional environmental statutes, complex tort (i.e., toxic/climate tort) actions, and constitutional case law. The class will consider how environmental conditions and climate change implicate peoples’ rights, including climate migration, drinking water access, Tribal sovereignty, food access, industrial agriculture, and human health and well-being.
For the final, each student chooses a particular movement or lawsuit (or one expression of it) and writes a paper bringing to bear all the questions we raise this semester. (For example, how did opposition from environmental justice advocates lead to a reformed climate change initiative in California? Or what lessons can we learn from Rise St. James’ legal challenge against disproportionate pollution in “Cancer Alley”?) The paper need not focus on a domestic response because the environmental/climate justice critique is now global.
Note:This class will follow the Yale School of the Environment calendar. : Gerald Torres : Gerald Torres
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Torres M,W - 10:30-11:50 |
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Torres Tentative |
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644 3 Credits
Coastal Environments in a Changing World
644 Coastal Environments in a Changing World : 3 Credits : The effects of human action and natural phenomena on coastal marine ecosystems. Methods used by coastal scientists to address environmental issues; challenges associated with managing and conserving coastal environments. : Mary Beth Decker : Mary Beth Decker
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Decker Tu - 12:00-4:00 |
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Decker Tentative |
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645 3 Credits
Urbanization, Global Change and Sustainability
645 Urbanization, Global Change and Sustainability : 3 Credits : Urbanization and associated changes in human activities on the land (land use) and in the physical attributes of Earth’s surface (land cover) have profound environmental consequences. Aggregated globally, these effects constitute some of the most significant human impacts on the functioning of Earth as a system. This class examines the interactions and relationships between urbanization and global change at local, regional, and global scales with an emphasis on the biophysical aspects of urbanization. Topics include urbanization in the context of global land use change, habitat and biodiversity loss, modification of surface energy balance and the urban heat island, climate change and impacts on urban areas, urban biogeochemistry, and urbanization as a component of sustainability. Emphasis is on management of urban areas worldwide or at national scales for planetary sustainability. : Karen C. Seto : Karen C. Seto
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Seto Tu - 1:00-3:50 |
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Seto TBA - TBA |
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646 3 Credits
Regenerative Agriculture Systems
646 Regenerative Agriculture Systems : 3 Credits : Agriculture systems both depend and have a profound impact on the natural and human environment. There is widespread recognition of the need for agriculture systems to be more regenerative: regenerative food producing systems are ones that contribute to the improvement of the environment and to human wellbeing, not just avoid damages. The aim of this course is to explore what makes food producing systems regenerative. While there is a lot of momentum around the framing of “regenerative agriculture” there is not a lot of detail about what actually makes a system regenerative. The goals of the course are to: provide technical understanding of the science of agricultural systems; develop practical experience applying this science to real world scenarios of strategy development in agriculture; and, increase exposure to practitioners at the interface of agriculture and the environment. : Stephen Wood : Stephen Wood
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Wood Tu - 2:30-5:20 |
Wood Tentative |
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648 3 Credits
Organizing: People, Power, and Change
648 Organizing: People, Power, and Change : 3 Credits : : : Edward Ian Robinson
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Robinson TBA - TBA |
650 3 Credits
Seminar in Wildland Fire of North America with a Focus on the West
650 Seminar in Wildland Fire of North America with a Focus on the West : 3 Credits : The goal of this seminar is to offer an introduction to the ecology and management, and the policy drivers, of wildland fire in western North America. We seek to build a base of knowledge and understanding regarding fire and its applications/management in modern forestry. We start by learning the basic history and ecology of forest fire, then look at landscape-level fire behavior, prescribed fire applications, and the drivers of catastrophic fire. The course concludes with an applied field-learning experience managing fire at Yale-Myers Forest. We meet once a week, with a guest Zoom lecturer from the field of fire ecology and management joining most weeks. Each week, there is a presentation followed by a discussion of the lecture content and reading material assigned by the guest lecturer. Students are expected to have read the papers and to come with questions and thoughts ready to discuss. There are several field trips, and if logistically feasible, a prescribed burn that students are expected to participate in. : Mark S. Ashton : TBD Faculty
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Ashton W - 4:00-6:50 |
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Faculty Tentative |
652 3 Credits
Wood: Structure and Function
652 Wood: Structure and Function : 3 Credits : This course focuses on the extraordinary diversity of wood anatomy at the cellular level, and on the practice of dendrochronology that allows students to take advantage of predictable, inter-annual variability in tree growth to reconstruct environmental history. The primary focus of the course is on common northeastern trees and other commercially important timber species. A primary goal is to participate in the development of a master tree-ring chronology for the School forests. Basic statistics and a background in tree physiology and anatomy are strongly recommended. : Craig Brodersen : Craig Brodersen
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Brodersen Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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Brodersen Tentative |
653 1.5 Credits
Maple: From Tree to Table
653 Maple: From Tree to Table : 1.5 Credits : This course covers the cultural, industrial, and sustainable practices of non-timber forest products through the lens of maple sap and syrup. Maple sugar is a forest product unique to northeastern North America, and it has seen a resurgence in interest as global consumers seek nutritious, natural, and sustainably produced foods. This course covers the booming industry and culture around maple syrup, from backyard operations through modern 100,000-tap investment operations. Maple producers are on the front lines of climate change and forest health threats. The course provides students with the knowledge of how challenges related to forest health and climate change are directly impacting maple producers and how these producers are learning to adapt in ways that are environmentally friendly, ecologically sound, and financially competitive in a global market. : Joseph Orefice : Joseph Orefice
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Orefice M - 5:30-6:50 |
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Orefice TBA - TBA |
659 4 Credits
The Practice of Silviculture: Principles in Applied Forest Ecology (Friday field trips)
659 The Practice of Silviculture: Principles in Applied Forest Ecology (Friday field trips) : 4 Credits :
The scientific principles and techniques of controlling, protecting, and restoring the regeneration, composition, and growth of natural forest vegetation and its plantation and agroforestry analogs worldwide. Analysis of biological and socioeconomic problems affecting specific forest stands and design of silvicultural systems to solve these problems. Applications are discussed for the management of wildlife habitat, bioenergy and carbon sequestration, water resources, urban environments, timber and nontimber products, and landscape design. Four to six hours lecture. One-hour tutorial. Seven days of fieldwork. Recommended: some knowledge of soils, ecology, plant physiology, human behavior, and resource economics. : Mark S. Ashton : Mark S. Ashton
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Ashton M,W - 8:30-10:20 |
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Ashton TBA - TBA |
660 3 Credits
Forest Dynamics
660 Forest Dynamics : 3 Credits : All YSE students are guaranteed a space in this class. To assure a small class size and quality learning environment enrollment by non-YSE students will be by permission only. Please email the instructor to apply for this class if you are not a YSE student.
This course introduces the study of forest stand dynamics — how forest structures and compositions change over time with growth and disturbances. Understanding the dynamic nature of forest stands is important for creating and maintaining a variety of critical ecosystem services sustainably and synergistically, including sustainable supplies of wood products, biodiversity and wildlife habitats, water, fire protection, and others. Through readings, lectures, discussions, and field trips we explore forest development processes and pathways, concentrating on the driving mechanisms and emergent properties including natural and human disturbances. We make use of New England forests as living laboratories while discussing how similar forest patterns and processes are played out throughout the temperate, tropical, and boreal worlds. This class is a core component of the M.F. degree but is explicitly designed to be accessible to anyone interested in an in-depth exploration of forest ecosystems. : Marlyse Duguid : Marlyse Duguid
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Duguid Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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Duguid TBA - TBA |
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668 1 Credit
Field Trips in Forest Resource Management and Silviculture
668 Field Trips in Forest Resource Management and Silviculture : 1 Credit :
Seven- to twelve-day field trips to study the silviculture and forest management of particular forest regions. In previous years, classes have visited Slovenia, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, British Columbia, and, in the United States, the southern Coastal Plain and Piedmont, and the Allegheny, Appalachian, Adirondack, and Green mountains. Enrollment limited to sixteen. : Mark S. Ashton : Mark S. Ashton
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Ashton Tentative |
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Ashton Tentative |
670 1 Credit
Southern Forest and Forestry Field Trip
670 Southern Forest and Forestry Field Trip : 1 Credit :
This course augments our forestry curriculum by providing a forum for viewing and discussing forestry and forest management with practitioners. The trip provides M.F. candidates and other interested students with an opportunity to experience the diversity of southeastern forested ecosystems and ownership objectives ranging from intensively managed pine plantations to restoration and protection of endangered habitats. Students discuss forest management issues—including forest health, fragmentation, policy, law, and business perspectives—with landowners and managers from large industries, nonindustrial private landowners, TIMOs, federal and state land managers, NGOs, and forestry consultants. We also tour sawmills, paper mills, and other kinds of forest products processing facilities, active logging operations, and, weather permitting, participate on prescribed fires. Not least, we experience the unique cultures, food, and hospitality of the southeastern United States. : Joseph Orefice : TBD Faculty
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Orefice Tentative |
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Faculty Tentative |
671 3 Credits
Temperate Woody Plant Taxonomy and Dendrology
671 Temperate Woody Plant Taxonomy and Dendrology : 3 Credits :
To apply for this class please
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Register so I have you in the canvas roster and you will get announcements
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Fill out this google form before the end of registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRVu-sJqnwgle_PQ6Y7DId5257prXfb79R0XbNitGeOiCzlg/viewform
*If you can't see you in my canvas roster OR I don't have an application from you, you will not be considered for a spot in this class. Students are expected to take this concurrently with Forest Dynamics, a waiver can be given if you have taken similar courses in forest ecology.
Dendrology literally translates as “the study of trees” and integrates morphology, phenology, ecology, biogeography, and the natural history of tree species. In this course you will learn how to identify the major temperate woody plant families, with a focus on North American forest species. In addition, you will learn the morphological and ecological traits used for field identification of woody plants. We will use phylogenetic systematics as the structure for understanding the evolutionary history and relationships between species. Class period will consist of practical field and laboratory skills used in plant taxonomy and field lecturing. Weather permitting, we will be in the field for the majority of class periods. We will use an ecosystem focused approach for plant identification. Besides learning how to identify species, we will discuss principles of plant ecology, biogeography, and natural history in each of the ecosystems we visit. : Marlyse Duguid : Marlyse Duguid
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Duguid W - 1:00-5:00 |
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Duguid TBA - TBA |
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674 4 Credits
Forest Ecosystem Health
674 Forest Ecosystem Health : 4 Credits : : : TBD Faculty : Robert Talbot Trotter III
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Tentative (No Semester)
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677 3 Credits
Ecological Restoration
677 Ecological Restoration : 3 Credits : : : Marlyse Duguid
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Duguid TBA - TBA |
679 3 Credits
Plant Ecophysiology
679 Plant Ecophysiology : 3 Credits : This course focuses on the physiological ecology of plants and their interaction with the biotic and abiotic environment, understood through the lens of first principles. We use a quantitative approach to demonstrate the linkages between photosynthesis, growth, and carbon allocation at the tissue and whole plant level, which can then be scaled up to forests and ecosystems. We also focus on specific physiological and anatomical adaptations plants use to survive in the many varied habitats on Earth. Enrollment limited to twenty-four. : Craig Brodersen : Craig Brodersen
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Brodersen Tu - 1:00-3:50 |
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Brodersen Tentative |
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683 3 or 4 Credits
Seminar in Tropical Forest Restoration
683 Seminar in Tropical Forest Restoration : 3 or 4 Credits : : : Mark S. Ashton
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Ashton TBA - TBA |
684 3 Credits
Forest Finance
684 Forest Finance : 3 Credits : Understanding the tools used in financial analysis is an important component of successful forestland investment and forest management decision making. This course will provide students with a basic suite of financial tools used in the acquisition and management of forestland/timber. It will include an overview of traditional financial analysis metrics used in land acquisition, timber management, and risk management, as well as topics related to supply and demand for forest products, international timberland investment and emerging trends in forestland investing. The first eight weeks of the course will be a lecture format, and the remainder of the course will be a case study / project that will give students an opportunity to apply their knowledge in the analysis of an actual “deal”. : Deborah Spalding :
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Spalding M/Th 4:30:550 |
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685 3 Credits
Engaging Landholders and Communities in Conserving and Restoring Tropical Forest Landscapes
685 Engaging Landholders and Communities in Conserving and Restoring Tropical Forest Landscapes : 3 Credits : ENV 685 Engaging Landholders and Communities in Conserving and Restoring Tropical Forest Landscapes
Eva Garen
Spring 2025: MW, 10:30-11:50am, Marsh Rotunda; 3 credits
Optional field trip:March or May 2025 to Panama’s Azuero Peninsula
Application: To apply to both the course and field trip, please fill out this brief Qualtrics survey. The application deadline is 5pm on Monday, December 2, 2024. Please note that the field trip is optional, so you can apply for the course even if you are not interested in attending the field component. Do not hesitate to reach out to eva.garen@yale.edu with any questions.
This course teaches students to think critically about the socio-cultural and political complexities of tropical forest landscapes. It emphasizes the importance of engaging landholders and communities in sustainable land management strategies, as well as the complexities involved in this process. Drawing on theory and frameworks from the social sciences, the course guides practitioner interventions and incorporates the applied experiences of the Environmental Leadership & Training Initiative (ELTI),a Center, Program & Initiative (CPI) of YSE focused on capacity development in tropical forest landscapes. Students will learn from ELTI team members and a global network of collaborators about their experiences working with landholders and communities in diverse contexts. The course includes a project component that connects students with ELTI-trained practitioners to support the development of socially informed restoration interventions. Enrollment is limited to 18 students.
This year’s optional field trip to ELTI’s training landscape in Panama’s Azuero Peninsula offers students a unique opportunity to explore the socio-cultural and ecological complexities of a tropical dry forest ecosystem dominated by conventional cattle ranching. Over seven days, students will learn firsthand about ELTI’s capacity development model for smallholder cattle ranchers, focusing on the design, implementation, and monitoring of various on-farm restoration strategies. Students will learn directly from ELTI team members about their experiences engaging ranchers in the region, as well as from several of the ranchers themselves during visits to a network of model farms they established and manage with ELTI’s support. Participation in this optional field trip is limited to 12 students from the 18 enrolled in the seminar.
: Eva Garen : Eva Garen
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Garen M,W - 10:30-11:50 |
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Garen Tentative |
686 3 Credits
Synthesizing Science for Policy and Practice
686 Synthesizing Science for Policy and Practice : 3 Credits : This class is targeted toward second-year students in the YSE Masters programs and admittance to the course is capped at 12, requiring an application for consideration. Please send an email to the instructors by August 26 @5pm. stating your full name, degree program, what year you are in, and your reasons for wanting to take the class. Please keep the reasons to a short paragraph, focusing on the experiential knowledge you wish to develop and how this fits with your career plans.
Instructors: Mark Bradford (mark.bradford@yale.edu), Sara Kuebbing (Sara.kuebbing@yale.edu), Emily Oldfield (eoldifeld@edf.org).
Synthesizing science for policy and practice commonly requires synthesis of scientific evidence to address a targeted policy or practice question. This seminar-practicum focuses on a topical policy/practice need. This year, the focus is on developing a set of best-practice guidelines for measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) of agricultural soil carbon credits developed for voluntary markets, insetting, and nationally determined contributions. The course focuses on developing empirical best practices for project design and soil sampling, filling a gap in current methodologies around growing governmental and market demands for direct empirical (as opposed to modeled) quantification of practice effects on soil carbon removals and avoided emissions. The class meets once a week for one hour and twenty minutes and includes involvement in the running and outcomes of a two-day workshop (in mid-October or early November) where external professionals involved in soil carbon accounting will be invited to campus to discuss and develop the guidelines. The course deliverable is a draft set of best-practices. This course is targeted toward second-year students in the YSE Masters programs, and admittance to the course is capped at twelve, requiring an application for consideration. : Mark Bradford : Mark Bradford : Sara Kuebbing
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Bradford M - 9:00-10:20 |
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Bradford TBA - TBA |
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688 4 Credits
Forest Management and Operations
688 Forest Management and Operations : 4 Credits : This course will provide students with an opportunity to understand many aspects of forest management, especially as it relates to multiple use forestry. Course content will include understanding and critique of forest inventory, and students will be introduced to growth and yield concepts. Forest planning and optimization for objectives such as forest products and carbon will be covered. Stewardship of forestland will be discussed as will legal aspects to land ownership and forest conservation.
Included in this course is are sections focused on forest operations. Students will gain experience in the diverse elements and aspects of forest harvesting. The course is taught from the perspective of what a forester should know about harvesting which includes logging safety, timber harvesting operations and sale administration, legal dimensions of harvesting, planning and maintaining forest access systems, timber procurement and appraisal, logging costs and analysis, and environmental and social influences. Field experiences will compliment lecture material : Joseph Orefice : Joseph Orefice
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Orefice M,W - 2:30-3:50 |
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Orefice Tentative |
692 3 Credits
Science and Practice of Temperate Agroforestry
692 Science and Practice of Temperate Agroforestry : 3 Credits : This course explores the science and practices of temperate agroforestry, covering current knowledge of agroforestry science and shedding light on the myths and assumptions that have yet to be tested regarding the integration of trees in agricultural systems. The course begins with an overview of modern agriculture to help us better understand why agroforestry systems have potential to improve the sustainability of farming systems. We also cover the social science regarding agroforestry and why it has not been widely adopted. Silvopasture and forest farming systems are the primary focus, but windbreaks, alley cropping, and riparian forest buffers are also covered. The field of agroforestry has struggled with the promotion of hypothetical practices; this course introduces students to real-world production agroforestry systems and helps them better contribute to financially viable and environmentally sound agricultural operations. : Joseph Orefice : Joseph Orefice
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Orefice M - 2:30-5:20 |
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Orefice TBA - TBA |
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694 3 Credits
Invasive Species: Ecology, Policy, and Management
694 Invasive Species: Ecology, Policy, and Management : 3 Credits : Humans are moving species outside of their native ranges at unprecedented rates, and the resulting biological invasions present challenges for ecologists, conservationists, and policy makers alike. Through course readings and in-class discussions seminar participants will learn to critically assess contemporary conservation and policy decisions regarding the regulation and management of nonnative species. Using a framework from the ecological study of biological invasions we will explore the major scientific questions in biological invasions, including ‘What makes a species invasive?” and ‘What makes a habitat invasible?” as well as more nuanced questions of how invasive species interact with native and other invasive species and how these interactions alter ecological consequences of biological invasions. Throughout the term we will discuss how invasion biology research informs policy decisions, assessing relevant policy questions such as ‘Should biocontrol agents be used against species invasions?’ or ‘Should we eat invasive species to control their abundance?’ This course is appropriate for anyone interested in learning how species introductions and anthropogenic change interact on a global scale, and how to use the science of species invasions to inform policy and management decisions. By the end of the course, students have a solid background in the ecology and social dimensions of biological invasions. These various concepts will be integrated through the discussion of case studies presented by a variety of practitioners and scientists working across different systems so that students get a broad exposure to the breadth and depth of scholarship and work in the field : Marlyse Duguid :
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Duguid Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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695 1.5 Credits
Yale Forest Forum Series: The Future of Mature and Old-Growth Forests in the U.S.
695 Yale Forest Forum Series: The Future of Mature and Old-Growth Forests in the U.S. : 1.5 Credits : With the release of Executive Order (EO) 14072 on April 22, 2022, the Biden Administration placed the health and sustainability of the nation’s forest at the center of its agenda. The EO calls particular attention to the importance of mature and old-growth (MOG) forests on federal lands, citing their integral role as a natural climate solution and diverse cultural and spiritual significance. Stemming from EO 14072, the Mature and Old Growth Initiative is an ongoing effort by the USDA Forest Service to define, inventory, assess, and conserve MOG across federal lands. In collaboration with the Society of American Foresters (SAF), this seminar will focus on the challenge of fostering healthy and resilience federal forests in a changing climate while continuing to ensure they provide the diverse set of services and values that the public depend upon. Beginning with introductory webinars from Agency leadership and staff, we will hear from a series of speakers of different tribes, universities, and non-profits exploring core challenges to this effort, including: how to define MOG, identifying key threats to MOG, the leading science of climate-informed forestry, integrating western and indigenous knowledge, and strategies for meaningful public engagement. : Gary Dunning : Mark S. Ashton : Mark S. Ashton
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Dunning Th - 12:00-2:00 |
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Ashton Tentative |
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696 1.5 Credits
Yale Forest Forum: TBD
696 Yale Forest Forum: TBD : 1.5 Credits : Seminar Series TBD : Gary Dunning : Gary Dunning : Mark S. Ashton
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Dunning Th - 12:00-1:50 |
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Dunning Tentative |
697 1.5 Credits
Science for Policy and Practice: A Seminar
697 Science for Policy and Practice: A Seminar : 1.5 Credits : Synthesizing science for policy and practice commonly requires synthesis of scientific evidence to address a targeted policy or practice question. This seminar focuses on a topical policy/practice need. This semester, the seminar focuses on synthesizing available science and protocols focused on quantifying the climate benefits of afforestation, reforestation and tree planting initiatives, with a particular focus on developing evidence that builds confidence in carbon accounting within Scope 3 emissions inventories. The class will draw upon materials ranging from the IPCC GHG Inventory Guidelines – for calculating nationally determined contributions – to afforestation/reforestation protocols for carbon markets to the GHG Protocol aimed at corporations, cities and communities. We will focus on discovering and unpacking the science that informs guideline/protocol development, the causal claims made, and what approaches/ information might be needed to build confidence in the rigor of the claims made about reductions in GHG emissions/ enhanced removals due to activities that increase tree/ forest cover. The class deliverable will be an informational brief focused on the state of accounting for these activities, the degree of confidence one should have in current approaches, and what science might be needed to increase standards of evidence.
This class is targeted toward students in the YSE Masters programs and admittance to the course is capped at 12, requiring an application for consideration. : Mark Bradford : : Sara Kuebbing
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Bradford Tu - 9:00-10:20 |
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701 3 Credits
Seminar on Climate Change Economics
701 Seminar on Climate Change Economics : 3 Credits :
The seminar reviews the link between the economy, GHG emissions, climate change, ecosystem change, and economic outcomes. The course then focuses on how to design policies to encourage efficient mitigation and adaptation choices. There are many uncertainties and value judgements that make managing climate change both complicated and controversial. The course encourages active debate about all these different factors. : Robert O. Mendelsohn :
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Mendelsohn M,W - 10:30-11:50 |
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704 1-3 Credits
Workshop on Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry with Drones
704 Workshop on Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry with Drones : 1-3 Credits :
First class begins Sept 4, 2:30pm-5:20pm
A workshop that explores the current state and future outlook of remote sensing with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) for environmental monitoring. UAV-based remote sensing is a rapidly developing field in environmental science and technology. Versatile and inexpensive, it has the potential to offer solutions in a wide range of applications, such as forestry inventory, precision agriculture, flood hazard assessment, pollution monitoring, and land surveys. The class meets once a week for three hours. The workshop is divided into three parts: (1) reviewing the state of the technology on UAV types, sensor configurations, and data acquisition methods; (2) exploring GIS and remote-sensing software tools for analyzing super-high-resolution spectral data acquired by fixed-wing drones; (3) cross-validating drone products against Lidar data and satellite imagery. Students may also have the opportunity to participate in drone flight missions. Data analysis/presentation/literature critique/field trips.
: Xuhui Lee : Xuhui Lee
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Lee W - 2:30-5:20 |
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Tentative (No Semester)
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705 3 Credits
Global Climate Change: Simple, Serious, and Solvable
705 Global Climate Change: Simple, Serious, and Solvable : 3 Credits : People are currently mining millions of years’ worth of stored photosynthetic carbon from the solid Earth and transferring it to the atmosphere where it is profoundly changing the chemistry, physics, and biology of the atmosphere, land, and oceans. Exchanges with the oceans and land surface have been modified substantially, so that currently only about half of anthropogenic emissions remain in the atmosphere. These “carbon sinks” are poorly understood, contributing a great deal of uncertainty to future climate. We consider biogeochemical and transport processes in land ecosystems, the oceans, and atmosphere as well as anthropogenic emissions. We conclude with a study of changes in carbon cycling in the past and future, including predictions by coupled Earth System Models. : A. Scott Denning :
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Denning M,W - 1:00-2:15 |
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707 3 Credits
Introduction to Environmental Chemistry
707 Introduction to Environmental Chemistry : 3 Credits :
A descriptive overview of baseline biogeochemistry and the nature and behavior of pollutants in the environment. The course is designed to aid future environmental professionals who sometimes may find it necessary to make decisions based on knowledge of environmental chemistry. It is geared to the nonspecialist who needs to establish familiarity with various classes of pollutants and the chemical, biological, and physical processes that control their sources, behavior, toxicity, and fate. Topics include the fundamental kinds of chemical reactions in the environment, critical analysis of chemical data, sampling techniques, analytical methods, natural biogeochemical controls on environmental chemistry, water treatment, and green infrastructure, as well as detailed examination of such contaminants as acid precipitation, nutrients, urban runoff, and sewage. Three hours lecture. One class project, problem sets, midterm, final exam. A small number of field trips. : Gaboury Benoit :
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Benoit Tu,Th - 1:00-2:15 |
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709 3 Credits
Lectures, Discussions and Applications of Soil Science
709 Lectures, Discussions and Applications of Soil Science : 3 Credits : : : Mark Bradford
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Bradford TBA - TBA |
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712 3 Credits
Water Management
712 Water Management : 3 Credits :
An exploration of water management at scales ranging from local to global. The course looks at multiple dimensions of the water crisis, including both human and ecosystem impacts; quantity and quality problems; and infrastructural and institutional issues. Theory is illustrated through a variety of case studies. Topics covered include global water resources; flooding; water scarcity; residential, agricultural, and industrial water use; water and health; water justice; impacts of climate change and land-use change; stormwater management; dams and other technologies for water management; human impacts on aquatic ecosystems; water and energy; water economics; water rights; water conflict and cooperation. : Shimon C. Anisfeld : Shimon C. Anisfeld
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Anisfeld M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Anisfeld TBA - TBA |
713 3 Credits
Coastal Ecosystems
713 Coastal Ecosystems : 3 Credits : : : Shimon C. Anisfeld
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Tentative (No Semester)
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714 3 Credits
Ocean Conservation and Sustainability: Policy and Strategies
714 Ocean Conservation and Sustainability: Policy and Strategies : 3 Credits :
We will study the benefits of marine protected areas for biodiversity, the economy and their role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. We will also look at strategies, tactics and main challenges for their designation and implementation.
We will also address critical issues in the sustainable use of the sea such as fisheries management, control of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the use of new surveillance technologies and enforcement strategies, and the protection of endangered species.
We will review some of the major international agreements that can have a major impact in addressing ocean threats. These include the World Trade Organization agreement on fisheries subsidies, the Marine Biodiversity Agreement forAreas Beyond National Jurisdiction, the role of regional fisheries management organizations, CITES, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the continuing international negotiations on climate change.
The blue economy will be an important part of this course. In the marine realm we can clearly see that there is noincompatibility between nature conservation and economy. We will see some of the real cases in which economic activities have been developed without detriment to the health of the ocean and to the benefit of the livelihoods of communities and countries.
By the end of the course, students will have navigated a wide range of tools that they can use to help save the ocean and with it, the planet. : Alex Muñoz :
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Muñoz M,W - 9:00-10:20 |
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716 3 Credits
Renewable Energy
716 Renewable Energy : 3 Credits : Introduction to renewable energy, including physical principles, existing and emerging technologies, and interaction with the environment. Energy demand; transmission and storage; generation by hydroelectric, wind, solar, biofuel, and geothermal sources, as well as waves and tidal generation. Includes field trips to conventional, hydroelectric, and wind-power facilities in Connecticut. Prerequisites: high school physics, chemistry, and mathematics; college-level science, engineering, and mathematics recommended. : Michael Oristaglio : Michael Oristaglio
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Oristaglio Tu,Th - 1:00-2:15 |
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Oristaglio Tentative |
717 3 Credits
Tropical Field Ecology
717 Tropical Field Ecology : 3 Credits : APPLICATIONS DUE TBD (
mandatory field trip to Ecuador over Spring Break. This is a no drop course, students cannot drop or withdraw from course after committment is made.
Please find below a course description for Tropical Field Ecology (ENV 717b) for the Spring 2025 semester. The course involves a mandatory field trip to Ecuador over spring break (tentative dates: TBD. In the spring semester, we will meet once per week TBD. Because the appropriate logistics and arrangements must be secured several months in advance, enrollment must be finalized by the end of December.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE: If you are interested in taking the course, please read the description below and email Dr. Simon Queenborough (simon.queenborough@yale.edu) with the following information by 5PM, DECEMBER TBD:
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Name
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Degree program and expected graduation date
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List of previous relevant coursework
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A brief explanation of why you want to take the course and how it would further your academic and career goals (200 words max)
Course expenses (including airfare, local transportation, meals, lodging, fees, etc.) for YSE students will be covered by the YSE field trip fund. Students from outside of YSE and Yale College must seek alternative funding. Interested YSE and Yale College students should apply regardless of financial situation, and we will work with selected students individually to ensure participation is possible.
SELECTION PROCEDURE:For logistical and financial reasons, enrollment is limited. Top priority will be given to students for whom the course will clearly advance their academic/career goals (i.e., students planning to conduct ecological field research and/or focus on tropical ecosystems in their careers). Some previous coursework in ecology is required, but ENV 752 Ecology & Conservation of Tropical Forests is not a prerequisite this year (we will provide some of this content during pre-trip lectures).
You must be available for the entire length of the field trip (no arriving late or leaving early to attend other spring break field courses or for other personal/academic/work commitments).
Do not apply if you think you cannot commit to all aspects of the class.
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ENV 717b, Tropical Field Ecology | 3 credits | Time: TBD | enrollment capped at 12
This course is designed to give students firsthand knowledge of tropical biology and the issues surrounding conservation of biodiversity in the tropics, through a combination of seminar-style discussions and a mandatory 12-day field trip over spring break. The emphasis is on active learning and developing independent research projects carried out during the field trip. Using a case-study approach, topics covered include patterns of biodiversity, tropical forest dynamics, reforestation, species interactions and coevolution, climate change impacts, ecosystem services, and human land use. Students also gain experience with study design, data collection methods, and statistical analysis.
We will visit Ecuador, a country famous for its high biological, cultural, and economic diversity. We visit a variety of forest ecosystems and hear from local and international scientists about current research in the field. Students undertake two short research projects and also learn basic identification and natural history of tropical plant, bird, and insect species. Students should expect to live in shared accommodation and spend a major part of each day outside in the natural tropical environment under adverse conditions. Enrollment is limited and course applications will be due in the Fall semester. Priority will be given to students planning to conduct field research in the tropics. Prerequisite: ENV752 Ecology & Conservation of Tropical Forests. : Simon Queenborough : Liza Comita
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Queenborough Tu,Th - 9:00-10:20 |
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Comita TBA - TBA |
718 1.5 Credits
Climate Change Seminar
718 Climate Change Seminar : 1.5 Credits : : : Peter A. Raymond
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Tentative (No Semester)
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723 3 Credits
Wetlands Ecology, Conservation & Management
723 Wetlands Ecology, Conservation & Management : 3 Credits :
Wetlands are ubiquitous. Collectively they cover 370,000 square miles in the United States and globally encompass more than five million square miles. Most points on a map are less than one kilometer from the nearest wetland. Yet wetlands are nearly invisible to most people. In this course we explore wetlands in all of their dimensions, including the critical services they provide to other systems, the rich biodiversity they harbor, and their impact on global climate. Additionally, wetlands are linchpin environments for scientific policy and regulation. The overarching aim of the course is to connect what we know about wetlands from a scientific perspective to the ways in which wetlands matter for people.
: Kealoha Freidenburg : Kealoha Freidenburg
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Freidenburg Tu,Th - 9:00-10:15 |
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Freidenburg TBA - TBA |
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725 3 Credits
Water, Energy, and Food Interconnections in a Changing Climate
725 Water, Energy, and Food Interconnections in a Changing Climate : 3 Credits : Water, energy, and food systems are interconnected. Over-appropriation of freshwater to support irrigated agriculture and to develop non-renewable and renewable energy sources has depleted rivers and aquifers, contributing to growing water scarcity that imperils food and energy security. This problem is exacerbated by climate change, which is lowering precipitation and riverine flows in water-stressed regions, increasing crop-water requirements, and raising energy demands for cooling. This seminar is intended to illuminate the relations between freshwater demand and availability, various forms of energy development, agriculture, and human-induced climate change. An understanding of these relations is needed to manage the often-competing objectives of the water, energy, and food sectors in ways that ensure the long-term health of ecosystems. : James E. Saiers : James E. Saiers
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Saiers Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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Saiers TBA - TBA |
726 3 Credits
Observing Earth from Space
726 Observing Earth from Space : 3 Credits :
A practical introduction to satellite image analysis of Earth’s surface. Topics include the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, satellite-borne radiometers, data transmission and storage, computer image analysis, the merging of satellite imagery with GIS and applicationsto weather and climate, oceanography, surficial geology, ecology and epidemiology, forestry, agriculture, archaeology, and watershed management. : Xuhui Lee : Xuhui Lee
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Lee Tu,Th - 9:00-10:20 |
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Lee TBA - TBA |
728 3 Credits
Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis in the Environmental Sciences
728 Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis in the Environmental Sciences : 3 Credits : : : Jonathan Reuning-Scherer
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Reuning-Scherer TBA - TBA |
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730 3 Credits
Environmental Data Science in R: Introduction to Data Integration and Machine Learning
730 Environmental Data Science in R: Introduction to Data Integration and Machine Learning : 3 Credits : In today's world, understanding environmental data and making informed decisions based on it is crucial for addressing complex environmental challenges. This course serves as an introductory exploration into the integration of environmental data using R programming language, coupled with machine learning techniques. Participants will gain hands-on experience in handling, analyzing, and interpreting environmental datasets, with a focus on leveraging the power of R for data integration and predictive modeling. : Sparkle Malone : Sparkle Malone
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Malone Tu - 2:30-5:20 |
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Malone TBA - TBA |
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731 3 Credits
Tropical Field Botany
731 Tropical Field Botany : 3 Credits :
This course teaches students how to identify the most important tropical plant families, with an emphasis on woody taxa. Students learn key characteristics for identification. We concentrate on families that have high economic, ecological, or ethnobotanical importance. We also discuss distribution, habitat, and ecology. The course has a strong practical component, and instructors emphasize vegetative characters to identify families and higher-level taxa. The course includes a two-week field trip to Costa Rica over spring break. : Fabian Michelangeli : Fabian Michelangeli : Lawrence Kelly
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Michelangeli Tu - 1:00-3:50 |
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Michelangeli Tentative |
734 3 Credits
Biological Oceanography
734 Biological Oceanography : 3 Credits :
Exploration of oceanic ecosystems and how these environments function as coupled physical/biological systems. Ocean currents and other physical processes determine where nutrients are available to support primary production and where organisms from plankton to top predators occur. Includes discussion of anthropogenic impacts, such as the effects of fishing and climate change on marine ecosystems. : Mary Beth Decker : Mary Beth Decker
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Decker M,W - 1:00-2:15 |
Tentative (No Semester)
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735 3 Credits
Hydrologic Science for Environmental Managers
735 Hydrologic Science for Environmental Managers : 3 Credits : This course examines how natural processes and human actions affect the stocks, flows, and quality of freshwater within rivers, wetlands, soils, and aquifers. The course also covers methods used to assess current water-resource conditions and surveys the science that underpins predictions of future trajectories of freshwater availability and quality as shaped by management and other drivers of change. : James E. Saiers : James E. Saiers
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Saiers Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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Saiers TBA - TBA |
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740 3 Credits
Understanding Environmental Philanthropy: Funding, Financing, and Grant Writing
740 Understanding Environmental Philanthropy: Funding, Financing, and Grant Writing : 3 Credits :
This course will be one of the first of its kind to be taught in a program like YSE’s. During the semester, students will learn about environmental philanthropy and the grantmaking process. The course, which will focus on environmental justice and other kinds of environmental funding, will introduce students to different types of funding sources, funding strategies, and funding affinity groups. Students will also meet with environmental program officers and other foundation staff, understand how to identify funding, write grants, and navigate the review process. Students in the course will write grants to foundations and government agencies. This includes participating in the entire grant-writing process—requests for proposals (RFP), concept papers or pre-proposals, full proposals, budget development, review, budget management, deliverables, and project evaluation. : Dorceta Taylor : Dorceta Taylor
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Taylor Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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Taylor Tentative |
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742 3 Credits
Fundamentals of Working with People
742 Fundamentals of Working with People : 3 Credits : Using environmental science to help inform and change human actions is a key challenge for environmental managers. Doing so requires that professionals be able to work across different scales, including: (1) understanding their own values and ways of working, as well as those of others; (2) forming, working in, and leading teams reflecting a diversity of experiences and skills; (3) influencing the actions of the organizations within which they are working; and (4) building and managing collaborative networks with others in other organizations affecting the resource systems about which they care. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the scholarship being done (mostly within management fields) on how best to make these connections, as well as the ways individuals are putting those lessons learned into action. The course also introduces students to the professors, individual courses, workshops and other offerings across Yale that offer deeper dives into specific approaches to working more effectively with people. : Stuart DeCew : Stuart DeCew
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DeCew Tu,Th - 8:30-9:50 |
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DeCew Tentative |
744 4 Credits
Conservation Science and Landscape Planning
744 Conservation Science and Landscape Planning : 4 Credits :
This advanced course applies ecological principles to understand and manage biodiversity and attendant ecosystem functioning and services in the anthropocene. The course addresses the ethical and functional basis for conservation and fosters thinking about why and how humans ought to share the planet with nonhuman life. It covers scientific principles such as evolution, life-history and the viability of species, species endangerment and extinction risk, the kinds of biodiversity, the spatial distribution of biodiversity, the functional roles of species in ecosystems, vulnerability and risk assessments, and valuing biodiversity and ecosystem services. The course applies these principles to the exploration of such topics as biodiversity’s role in the functioning and sustainability of ecological systems, restoration of environmental damages, conserving biodiversity in dynamic landscapes, adapting landscapes to climate change, balancing conservation with urban development and agriculture, and renewable energy siting. It provides students with the quantitative skills to conduct population viability analyses, geospatial analyses of the distribution of biodiversity across landscapes, vulnerability analyses, and decision-analysis to balance trade-offs among multiple objectives of human land development and biodiversity conservation. Prerequisites: ENV 602aor equivalent course in population or community ecology, ENV 755b or equivalent course in GIS, and ENV 728a or equivalent course in statistical analysis of biological data. A course in economics or applied math for environmental studies is strongly encouraged : Oswald J. Schmitz : Oswald J. Schmitz
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Schmitz M,W - 10:30-11:50 |
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Schmitz TBA - TBA |
745 3 Credits
Global Human-Wildlife Interactions
745 Global Human-Wildlife Interactions : 3 Credits : Wildlife and humans have increasingly complex interactions, balancing a myriad of potentially positive and negative outcomes. In a highly interactive format, students will evaluate the importance and vulnerability of human-wildlife interactions, factors that influence outcomes, and management interventions that promote coexistence. This class will leverage readings across disciplines and on-the-ground case studies across ecosystems and human cultures. : Nyeema Harris :
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Harris M,W - 2:30-3:45 |
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748 3 Credits
Wildlife Movement and Migration under Global Change Scenarios
748 Wildlife Movement and Migration under Global Change Scenarios : 3 Credits : Land use and climate change are major threats to biodiversity globally. As such, wildlife must navigate these emergent pressures across spatial scales that influence their movement patterns. This course will investigate methods to study wildlife movement as well as the movement strategies animals currently use and explore potential adaptations under future scenarios. Through a flipped and interactive classroom, students will evaluate and model drivers of animal movement across different spatial and temporal scales as well as draw connections to human societies and landscape histories. : Nyeema Harris :
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Harris Tu - 2:30-5:20 |
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750 3 Credits
Writing the World
750 Writing the World : 3 Credits :
This is a practical writing course meant to develop your skills as a writer. But its real subject is perception and the writer’s authority—the relationship between what you notice in the world around you and what, culturally speaking, you’re allowed to notice. What you write during the semester is driven entirely by your own interest and attention. How you write is the question at hand. We’ll be exploring the overlapping habitats of language—present and past—and the natural environment. And, to a lesser extent, we’ll be exploring the character of persuasion in environmental themes. Every member of the class will write every week, and we will all read what everyone writes every week. It makes no difference whether you’re a would-be journalist, scientist, environmental advocate or policy-maker. The goal is to rework your writing and sharpen your perceptions, both sensory and intellectual. Application for interested students will be avaiable in August. : Verlyn Klinkenborg : Verlyn Klinkenborg
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Klinkenborg Tu - 2:30-5:20 |
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Klinkenborg Tentative |
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752 3 Credits
Ecology and Conservation of Tropical Forests
752 Ecology and Conservation of Tropical Forests : 3 Credits : Tropical forests contain extraordinarily high biological diversity and provide critical ecosystem services with complex interactions with humans. This course focuses on the structure, function, and diversity of intact and degraded tropical forests, with an emphasis on ecological processes that shape plant and animal communities in these unique and diverse ecosystems. We also discuss the major threats to tropical forests, as well as examples of tropical forest recovery following disturbance. The course involves a mix of lectures, classroom activities, and student-led discussions. Students who successfully complete this course are given priority for ENV 717-Tropical Field Ecology (field trip course). : Nyeema Harris : : Liza Comita
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Harris M,W - 10:30-11:50 |
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753 3 Credits
Regression Modeling of Ecological and Environmental Data
753 Regression Modeling of Ecological and Environmental Data : 3 Credits :
This course in applied statistics assists scientific researchers in the analysis and interpretation of observational and field data. After considering the notion of a random variable, the statistical properties of linear transformations and linear combinations of random data are established. This serves as a foundation for the major topics of the course, which explore the estimation and fitting of linear and nonlinear regression models to observed data. Three hours lecture. Statistical computing with R, weekly problem exercises.
: Timothy G. Gregoire :
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Gregoire M,W - 10:30-11:50 |
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754 3 Credits
Geospatial Software Design
754 Geospatial Software Design : 3 Credits : : : Charles Dana Tomlin
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Tentative (No Semester)
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755 3 Credits
Modeling Geographic Space
755 Modeling Geographic Space : 3 Credits :
An introduction to the conventions and capabilities of image-based (raster) geographic information systems (GIS) for the analysis and synthesis of spatial patterns and processes. In contrast to ENV 756a, the course is oriented more toward the qualities of geographic space itself (e.g., proximity, density, or interspersion) than the discrete objects that may occupy such space (e.g., water bodies, land parcels, or structures). Three hours lecture, problem sets. No previous experience is required. : Charles Dana Tomlin : TBD Faculty
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Tomlin Th - 1:00-3:50 |
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Faculty Tentative |
756 3 Credits
Modeling Geographic Objects
756 Modeling Geographic Objects : 3 Credits :
This course offers a broad and practical introduction to the nature and use of drawing-based (vector) geographic information systems (GIS) for the preparation, interpretation, and presentation of digital cartographic data. In contrast to ENV 755b, the course is oriented more toward discrete objects in geographical space (e.g., water bodies, land parcels, or structures) than the qualities of that space itself (e.g., proximity, density, or interspersion). Three hours lecture, problem sets. No previous experience is required. : Charles Dana Tomlin : TBD Faculty
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Tomlin Th - 1:00-3:50 |
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Faculty Tentative |
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757 3 Credits
Data Exploration and Analysis
757 Data Exploration and Analysis : 3 Credits : Survey of statistical methods: plots, transformations, regression, analysis of variance, clustering, principal components, contingency tables, and time series analysis. The R computing language and web data sources are used.
Follows Yale College Calendar : Jonathan Reuning-Scherer : TBD Faculty
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Reuning-Scherer Tu,Th - 9:00-10:15 |
Reuning-Scherer Tu,Th - 9:00-10:15 |
Faculty TBA - TBA |
Faculty TBA - TBA |
758 3 Credits
Multivariate Data Analysis in the Environmental Sciences
758 Multivariate Data Analysis in the Environmental Sciences : 3 Credits :
An introduction to the analysis of multivariate data. Topics include multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), principal components analysis, cluster analysis, canonical correlation, ordination methods including multidimensional scaling, discriminate analysis, factor analysis, and structural equations modeling. Emphasis is placed on practical application of multivariate techniques to a variety of examples in the natural and social sciences. Students are required to select a dataset early in the term for use throughout the term. There are regular assignments and a final project. Extensive use of computers is required—students may use any combination of R, SAS, SPSS, MINITAB, and STATA. Three hours lecture/discussion. : Jonathan Reuning-Scherer : Jonathan Reuning-Scherer
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Reuning-Scherer Tu,Th - 1:00-2:15 |
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Reuning-Scherer TBA - TBA |
759 3 Credits
Power, Knowledge, and the Environment: Social Science
759 Power, Knowledge, and the Environment: Social Science : 3 Credits : Capped at 25, interested students must email Instructor and TF (evan.singer@yale.edu) with your degree program, your year, your advisor and the basis for your interest in the course
Introductory graduate course on the social science of contemporary environmental and natural resource challenges, paying special attention to issues involving power and knowledge. Section I, overview of the course. Section II, disasters and environmental perturbation: pandemics, and the social dimensions of disaster. Section III, power and politics: river restoration in Nepal; the conceptual boundaries of resource systems, and the political ecology of water in Mumbai. Section IV, methods: the dynamics of working within development projects; and a multi-sited study of irrigation in Egypt. Section V, local communities: representing the poor, development discourse, and indigenous peoples and knowledge. The goal of the course is to develop analytic distance from current conservation and development debates and discourse. This is a core course for MEM students in YSE, and a core course in the combined YSE/Anthropology degree program. Enrollment is capped. : Michael R. Dove : Michael R. Dove
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Dove M - 1:00-3:50 |
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Dove Tentative |
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760 3 Credits
Conservation in Practice: An International Perspective
760 Conservation in Practice: An International Perspective : 3 Credits :
This course is limited to 20 students. The application process for enrollment requires prior permission from the instructors. Students requesting enrollment should submit a completed application form, found at the link listed here. Download the form, fill out the empty row, save & send via email to amy.vedder@yale.eduand sofi.montalvo@yale.eduno later than 5 pm Jan. 6. If you are enrolled in a Yale school/department other than YSE for which registration decisions are requiredearlier, contact us and we can adapt to that schedule. Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CpuNmJx36f76jx5oZyG9K9JeT9ZaFaWHVFtxDfzjGco/edit?usp=sharing
This seminar focuses on the practice of wildlife and wildlands conservation, examining key topics from the dual perspectives of academic literature and actual field experiences; bringing together interdisciplinary thinking; and drawing on examples from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and North America. The thematic outline of the seminar is organized around three fundamental questions in nature conservation: What are we trying to save—and why? How is this being done—and how has it changed over time? What lessons are we learning—and what overarching issues remain problematic? Specific topics include how different players define and value wildness; selection and prioritization of conservation targets; comparisons of various species and landscape conservation approaches; and governance and decision-making in conservation, including ties between conservation and development and community-based conservation. During the term, students work in small teams to assess one of several current case studies—integrating biological, social, economic, and governance considerations—to propose an effective path forward for conservation. Participation and leadership are key, as the seminar is discussion-based and approximately 25% of the sessions are student-led. Evaluation is based on participation, presentations, and a final paper. : Amy Vedder : Amy Vedder : Bill Weber
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Vedder Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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Vedder Tentative |
761 3 Credits
Negotiating International Agreements: The Case of Climate Change
761 Negotiating International Agreements: The Case of Climate Change : 3 Credits : This class is a practical introduction to the negotiation of international agreements, with a focus on climate change. Through the climate lens, students explore cross-cutting features of international agreements, the process of international negotiations, the development of national positions, advocacy of national positions internationally, and the many ways in which differences among negotiating countries are resolved. The seminar also examines the history and substance of the climate change regime, including, inter alia, the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, the 2015 Paris Agreement, the UAE Consensus, and other recent developments. There are two mock negotiations.
Permission from the Instructor needed to register : Susan Biniaz : Susan Biniaz
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Biniaz M - 1:30-3:20 |
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Biniaz Tentative |
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762 3 Credits
Applied Math for Environmental Studies (AMES):Foundations for Measuring and Modeling Environmental and Socio-environmental Systems
762 Applied Math for Environmental Studies (AMES):Foundations for Measuring and Modeling Environmental and Socio-environmental Systems : 3 Credits :
The language of mathematics is an important leg in the stool of interdisciplinary research and analysis, and many graduate courses at YSE involve mathematical content. However, many graduate students have not taken a math course in years, and their math skills are rusty. Furthermore, many graduate-level mathematical concepts may be entirely new. Experience suggests that many students either opt out of taking courses they are truly interested in or muddle through, struggle with the math, and miss important concepts. AMES is meant to help students refresh or acquire new math skills and succeed in content and “toolbox” graduate-level courses. AMES provides a structured opportunity to learn a range of mathematical concepts used in environmental studies. The course assumes that, at a minimum, students took college algebra and perhaps a semester of calculus (but might not really remember it). Concepts are presented heuristically in a “how to” and “why” approach with examples from environmental studies. The goal is for students to be conversant and have intuition about (i.e., to demystify) why logs, exponents, derivatives, integrals, linear algebra, probability, optimization, stability analysis, and differential equations show up throughout environmental studies. Students learn (review) how to use these techniques. Also covered is a bit of history of math and an introduction to computer programming. : Eli Fenichel : Eli Fenichel
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Fenichel M,W - 10:30-11:50 |
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Fenichel TBA - TBA |
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764 3 Credits
Sociology of Sacred Values: Modernity, Ecology, and Policy
764 Sociology of Sacred Values: Modernity, Ecology, and Policy : 3 Credits :
This course equips students to understand how moral culture shapes all environmental issues and management, driving even the most basic decisions that on the surface may appear to be entirely obvious, rational, or scientific. Modern people and modern institutions are propelled toward certain ends and possibilities that are inescapably rooted in questions of human culture about who we are, what we should do, and why it all matters. The first half of the course draws on theoretical readings from sociology, philosophy, and religious studies to understand the ubiquity of sacred codes and how they work, with an emphasis on late-modernity, rationality, capitalism, and the sacred/profane. The second half of the course introduces recent case studies to see in practice how moral values are embedded in environmental work, including policymaking, advocacy, the free market, scientific research, race and class, death and extinction, ecotourism, and more. Cultivating a lens to see culture and moral values in all things will improve students' applied work in all sectors.
: Justin Farrell : Justin Farrell
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Farrell Th - 9:00-11:50 |
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Farrell TBA - TBA |
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767 3 Credits
Tools for Conservation Project Design & Management
767 Tools for Conservation Project Design & Management : 3 Credits : Enrollment application due by Jan. 6: permission required
This course is limited to 12 students. The application process for enrollment requires prior permission from the instructors. Students requesting enrollment should submit a completed application form, found at the link listed here. Download the form, fill out the empty row, save & send via email to amy.vedder@yale.edu and nicole.israel-meyer@yale.edu no later than 5 pm Jan. 6. If you are enrolled in a Yale school/department other than YSE for which registration decisions are required earlier, contact us and we can adapt to that schedule. Application link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n8ecNFO1UJvi8KyOX2bpKvFCci1M02vbAmDmqK3xTbw/edit?usp=sharing
As wildlife and wildland conservation programs have multiplied and grown in size, conservation organizations have sought methods to improve strategic project planning, assessment of progress, cross-project comparison, learning of lessons, and transparency for donors. To address these challenges, major nonprofit organizations have collaboratively designed a set of decision-support tools for planning field projects and programs and for monitoring their progress, summarized in the “Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation” ( http://cmp-openstandards.org). Use of these tools has allowed organizations to more clearly articulate strategies, define priority actions, critically assess success, manage adaptively, and derive lessons—all of which help to improve effectiveness. Students in this course explore a mutually reinforcing suite of these project tools: their underlying principles are introduced, students practice the techniques, and current case studies from field conservation are examined to explore tool utility. Students synthesize use of these design tools in a final project design focused on a single case study of their choice. The suite of decision-support tools covered includes situation (logic) models for project design, stakeholder assessments, threats and opportunities analysis, conservation target identification, and monitoring frameworks. Students gain experience in design of projects and their monitoring, as well as familiarity with budgeting. Evaluation is based on class participation, regular assignments, and a final project design paper. : Amy Vedder : Amy Vedder : Bill Weber
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Vedder M,W - 2:30-3:50 |
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Vedder Tentative |
768 3 Credits
Data-Driven Urban Forestry
768 Data-Driven Urban Forestry : 3 Credits : This course focuses on urban forestry management using geospatial data to guide decision-making. Class participants will learn how to spatially depict tree canopy cover inequities that may demonstrate environmental injustice where apparent. They will also learn how to integrate data about urban heat, storm water management, and how to apply such data to urban forestry management plans. Students will gain data skills (integration, standardization, analysis, and visualization) to support urban forest managers’ needs. Students will be introduced to key data management, analysis and visualization technique through lectures, readings, and practical exercises reinforced by field exercises. : TBD Faculty : : Colleen Murphy-Dunning
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Faculty Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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771 3 Credits
Fundamentals of Green Engineering and Green Chemistry
771 Fundamentals of Green Engineering and Green Chemistry : 3 Credits :
There is a broad desire to ensure that consumer products, manufacturing processes, and material and energy systems are compatible with public health, environmental sustainability, and this course provides the fundamental knowledge on the frameworks, methods, tools, and techniques of how to design for sustainability. Through an understanding of the conceptual contracts and the application to real-world case studies, students will understand the impacts of design on health (including toxic and eco-toxic effects) and the ways to ensure that new products, processes, and systems can be constructed through the principles of green engineering and green chemistry. This is a course of fundamentals that set the foundation for more advanced investigations in sustainable design and therefore there are no pre-requisites. : Paul Anastas : Paul Anastas : Julie Zimmerman : Hanno Erythropel
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Anastas Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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Anastas Tentative |
772 2 Credits
Indigenous Self-Government in the U.S. Constitutional Order (Follows Law Calendar)
772 Indigenous Self-Government in the U.S. Constitutional Order (Follows Law Calendar) : 2 Credits :
ENV 772 is only available to students enrolled in YSE.
Follows Law school calendar
Native people in the United States have been building institutions of self-governance in the face of enormous colonial pressure for centuries. This course will consider the unique legal positions of Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian citizens in the United States as well as the residents of the U.S. territories. The course would introduce students to contemporary legal debates and social movements in the U.S. territories, Indian Country, and Hawaii and explore how overseas expansionism and relations with Indigenous peoples have shaped U.S. constitutional theory and doctrine. This course will demonstrate how the constitutional condition of the U.S. territories, Tribal nations, Alaska villages, and Hawai‘i occupy more than niche legal issues but require us to think more broadly about borders, race, indigeneity, and citizenship in the U.S. We want to focus on the institutions of self-governance both to illustrate the continued resistance to colonial rule and to highlight the unique constitutional questions US colonial actions have posed from the very beginning. : Gerald Torres :
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Torres Th - 4:10-6:00 |
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773 3 Credits
Air Pollution Control (APC)
773 Air Pollution Control (APC) : 3 Credits :
An overview of air quality problems worldwide with a focus on emissions, chemistry, transport, and other processes that govern dynamic behavior in the atmosphere. Quantitative assessment of the determining factors of air pollution (e.g., transportation and other combustion–related sources, chemical transformations), climate change, photochemical “smog,” pollutant measurement techniques, and air quality management strategies. : Drew Gentner : Drew Gentner
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Gentner Tu,Th - 2:30-3:45 |
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Gentner Tentative |
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774 3 Credits
"Framing" Climate Migration: Science, Policy, Ethics & Politics of a Growing Crisis
774 "Framing" Climate Migration: Science, Policy, Ethics & Politics of a Growing Crisis : 3 Credits :
People have constantly moved throughout history in response to changing climates, natural disasters, and environmental degradation, usually leading to the formation of new states, the expansion of territories, and the creation of diverse economies. These migrations have historically been a way to adapt to changing environments and embrace new opportunities for growth and survival. The reality of climatic change today is of a different magnitude and consequence, occurring in a politically, economically, and socially labyrinthine and polarized world. This intensive seminar is for students from diverse disciplines and will offer students an option for summer field work to allow for a deeper understanding of climate migration. This course explores the complex relationship between climate change and migration, focusing on the attribution of environmental/climate change drivers, the experiences of migrants, the responses of host communities, and the rise of a far-right negative narrative on climate migration. Legal frameworks and human rights perspectives will be central to understanding the challenges and opportunities for climate migrants. : Michel Gelobter : Harvey Weiss : Gerald Torres : TBD Faculty
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Gelobter TBA - TBA |
Tentative (No Semester)
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775 3 Credits
Federal Indian Law
775 Federal Indian Law : 3 Credits : This course will cover the basics of federal Indian law. It will not address the substantive content of tribal law. Tribal law is a specialized study arising from the exercise of the legal authority that the tribes retain. This course is designed to lay the ground work for a deep understanding of what kinds of sovereignty Indian nations may exercise within the framework of our legal system.
Normally, courses of this type begin with an historical exploration of the foundations of the relations between Indian and non-Indian peoples. Instead, we will begin with questions that are current and sketch out, roughly, where we are now. Typically, we start with cases pending before or recently decided by the Supreme Court. We use the Marshall Trilogy to build from the present back to the origins to see how the doctrines reflect the positive aspects of the legal expression of contact between Europe and the native nations of the Western hemisphere as well as the more malign aspects. We will also situate the doctrinal evolution of federal Indian law with the struggle over colonialism as expressed in the insular cases. We will not neglect the history; it will prove critical for understanding the ways in which federal Indian law is sui generis in domestic jurisprudence, but we will see how that history is always haunted by the specter of colonialism, extra-legality, and finally international legal norms. Every student must complete the discussion question requirements to sit for the examination or to submit a paper. Also ENV 775, Follows Law school Calendar : Gerald Torres : Gerald Torres
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Torres M,W - 1:35-3:00 |
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Torres Tentative |
782 3 Credits
Globalization Space: International Infrastructure and Extrastatecraft
782 Globalization Space: International Infrastructure and Extrastatecraft : 3 Credits : Infrastructure space as a primary medium of change in global polity. Networks of trade, energy, communication, transportation, spatial products, finance, management, and labor, as well as new strains of political opportunity that reside within their spatial disposition. Case studies include free zones and automated ports around the world, satellite urbanism in South Asia, high-speed rail in Japan and the Middle East, agripoles in southern Spain, fiber optic submarine cable in East Africa, spatial products of tourism in North Korea, and management platforms of the International Organization for Standardization. : Keller Easterling : Keller Easterling
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Easterling Tentative |
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Easterling Tentative |
789 3 Credits
Energy and Development
789 Energy and Development : 3 Credits : This 3 credit course delves into the relationship between energy use and economic development, at a household, national and global scale. The course will provide both a quantitative and qualitative understanding of poverty, energy demand, and the relationship between the two. Students will grapple with different income and multidimensional poverty and living standards indicators, GDP and its limitations as a human development measure. We will learn about energy poverty in various parts of the world, energy consumption patterns with rising income. Students will be exposed to cutting edge research on living standards measures and their embodied energy needs. Students will study actual household survey and national statistics data on consumption and energy use. We will cover basic models for household energy transitions, and appliance diffusion. This is a seminar course, wherein students will be expected to present readings in class. The course involves one term project and presentation which may be quantitative or qualitative. Basic math, excel and microeconomics are required. Those selecting technical projects should have basic R or other data manipulation skills. : Narasimha Rao : Narasimha Rao
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Rao M,W - 9:00-10:20 |
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Rao TBA - TBA |
790 3 Credits
Managing the Clean Energy Transition: Contemporary Energy and Climate Change Policy Making
790 Managing the Clean Energy Transition: Contemporary Energy and Climate Change Policy Making : 3 Credits :
This seminar explores the principal challenges facing key global economies in managing their respective transitions to a clean energy future and the goals of the Paris agreement, while simultaneously meeting their energy security needs and keeping their economies competitive. By the end of the course, students should be familiar with key features of the global energy and climate change architecture, principal challenges facing policy makers around the world in balancing energy and climate goals, and prospects for the development of key fuels and technologies as we advance toward a net zero emissions world. After a solid grounding in energy and climate scenarios, the course explores the role of electricity and renewable energy, energy efficiency, and clean energy technologies in the clean energy transition; corporate and financial sector climate initiatives; economic tools including carbon pricing; and the shifting roles of fossil fuels in the clean energy transition.
: Paul Simons :
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Simons F - 9:25-11:15 |
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791 3 Credits
Climate Adaptation
791 Climate Adaptation : 3 Credits : To apply, please email Katie Mach (kmach@miami.edu), Subject: “ENV 791 Application,” by January 10 at 5:00 pm, with a paragraph expressing your interest in the course. Include your name, Yale email, school/department, degree program, and graduation year. Preference will be given to YSE students. Students will be notified of their enrollment status by 12:00 noon on January 11.
Are we prepared for climate change? As climate extremes intensify and new normals emerge, communities, governments, and businesses are adjusting and increasing resilience, to support safety, well-being, and markets. Yet these efforts are far from sufficient for the present, much less the future—and they have not benefited all people and regions equally. This course will tackle key challenges in climate adaptation. But what is adaptation? And how well are those adaptations working—and for whom? What are options and approaches for improving climate preparedness? This class will equip students to create solutions for these key adaptation themes: the intersectional complexity of climate risks and responses; risk and policy assessment, including decision-making under deep uncertainty methods; monitoring, evaluation, and learning in adaptation; equity and justice in adaptation processes and outcomes; governance (local-to-international, across the public and private sectors and civil society); risk sharing and transfer, including insurance and systemic risks; pathways for transformational adjustments. Students will integrate theories and empirical insights across disciplines. They will explore and create adaptation solutions for the thorny real-world contexts increasingly affected by climate today. : TBD Faculty :
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Faculty M - 2:30-5:20 |
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793 3 Credits
Abrupt Climate Change and Societal Collapse
793 Abrupt Climate Change and Societal Collapse : 3 Credits :
Collapse documented in the archaeological and early historical records of the Old and New Worlds, including Mesopotamia, Mesoamerica, the Andes, and Europe. Analysis of politicoeconomic vulnerabilities, resiliencies, and adaptations in the face of abrupt climate change, anthropogenic environmental degradation, resource depletion, “barbarian” incursions, or class conflict. : Harvey Weiss : Harvey Weiss
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Weiss Th - 9:25-11:15 |
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Weiss Tentative |
794 1.5 Credits
Climate Ethics: Principles and Model Applications
794 Climate Ethics: Principles and Model Applications : 1.5 Credits :
This 1.5-credit graduate-level course delves into the literature in philosophy, welfare economics and integrated assessment modeling to provide students with an overview of how climate change has been viewed as a moral phenomenon that raises claims for differentiating action while acknowledging the common threat to humanity. The course will examine philosophical principles, modeling studies that examine countries’ obligations under different principles, and their treatment in international agreements and politics. Students will learn primarily through writing assignments, class discussions, and simple manipulation of models in problem sets. Basic knowledge of climate science is expected. : Narasimha Rao :
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Rao Tu - 1:00-2:20 |
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795 3 Credits
Nature as Capital: Merging Ecological and Economic Models
795 Nature as Capital: Merging Ecological and Economic Models : 3 Credits :
Students learnconcepts and develop skills in natural resource economicsincluding thinking about natural resources as capital assets with a specific link to quantitative measures that may be useful in assessing sustainability. Students gain a working knowledge of concepts necessary to apply capital theory to ecosystems and develop a skill set sufficient to build dynamic bioeconomic models that can help them approximate the value of changes in ecosystems. Students also learn computational toolsin Excel and Rin dynamic optimization, which are useful for forward-looking decision-making. Application focus on natural resources and conservation questions. : Eli Fenichel : Eli Fenichel
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Fenichel M,W - 10:30-11:50 |
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Fenichel TBA - TBA |
796 3 Credits
Biopolitics of Human-Nonhuman Relations
796 Biopolitics of Human-Nonhuman Relations : 3 Credits : Advanced graduate seminar on the ‘post-humanist’ turn toward multi-species ethnography. Section I, introduction to the course. Section II, perspectivism: ontological theory and multi-species ethnography; human consciousness and the environment; and mimesis in human-prey relations. Section III, entanglements: translating indigenous knowledge; the history of natural history; and the politics of environmentalism. Section IV, metaphors: non-human imagery in political discourses; and geologic/volcanic imagery. Section V, student selections of readings; and student presentations of their seminar papers. Section VI, conclusion: plants as teachers; and a lecture by the course TF. Three hour lecture/seminar. Enrollment capped. : Michael R. Dove : Michael R. Dove
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Dove Th - 1:00-3:50 |
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Dove TBA - TBA |
800 3 Credits
Energy Economics and Policy Analysis
800 Energy Economics and Policy Analysis : 3 Credits :
This course examines energy policy issues that pertain to the environment, with a focus on providing tools for analyzing these issues. A primary objective is to apply economics to particular issues of energy markets, environmental impacts, investment in renewables, and other energy issues such as transportation and energy efficiency. We cover the economic and technical considerations behind a particular energy policy issue and then discuss a related article or case study. : Kenneth Gillingham : TBD Faculty
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Gillingham M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Faculty TBA - TBA |
805 1.5 Credits
Seminar on Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
805 Seminar on Environmental and Natural Resource Economics : 1.5 Credits :
This seminar is based on outside speakers and internal student/faculty presentations oriented toward original research in the field of environmental and natural resource economics and policy. Presentations are aimed at the doctoral level, but interested master’s students may enroll with permission of the instructors. : Kenneth Gillingham : Kenneth Gillingham : Matthew J. Kotchen
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Gillingham W - 3:00-4:20 |
Gillingham W - 3:00-4:20 |
Gillingham TBA - TBA |
Gillingham TBA - TBA |
807 3 Credits
Corporate Sustainability: Strategy and Management
807 Corporate Sustainability: Strategy and Management : 3 Credits :
This survey course focuses on the policy and business logic for making environmental issues and sustainability a core focus of corporate strategy and management. Students are asked to analyze when and how sustainability leadership can translate into competitive advantage by helping to cut costs, reduce risk, drive growth, and promote brand identity and intangible value. The course combines lectures, case studies, and class discussions on management theory and tools, the legal and regulatory frameworks that shape the business-environment interface, and the evolving role of business in society, including how to deal with a world of diverse stakeholders, increasing transparency, and rising expectations related to corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Self-scheduled examination. : Daniel C. Esty : Daniel C. Esty
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Esty M,W - 2:30-3:50 |
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Esty TBA - TBA |
811 3 Credits
Metrics, Tools and Indicators in Corporate Responsibility
811 Metrics, Tools and Indicators in Corporate Responsibility : 3 Credits : This is an applied course on the standards, guidelines and tools for designing, implementing, auditing and communicating a corporate environmental and social responsibility (CR) program. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the knowledge and tools needed to enter a career in CR and sustainability. The course is designed for students who currently hold/will hold positions in organizations where they are/will be responsible for creating, implementing, measuring and/or managing internal CR and sustainability programs, or be responsible for assisting a corporations in this area. : Todd Cort : Todd Cort
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Cort Tu,Th - 10:10-11:30 |
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Cort Tentative |
814 3 Credits
Energy Systems Analysis
814 Energy Systems Analysis : 3 Credits :
This 3-credit lecture course offers an overview of all aspects of energy systems and their interaction with society and the environment. The course will provide students with a comprehensive theoretical and empirical knowledge base about energy systems in the world. This course will describe and explain the basics of energy and the laws that govern it, the different components of an energy system (supply technologies, delivery systems, and demand), the institutions that govern the energy sectors, the role of energy in development, its impact on climate change and an understanding of the key challenges of an energy transition towards a sustainable future. The course will have a specific emphasis on electricity systems, how they are operated and governed, and how they have to be transformed to tackle climate change. Students will receive a unique exposure to energy issues in the Global South. This course will provide students with basic analytical tools and knowledge to formulate and solve energy-related decisions at an individual, national and global scale, and to understand and critique ongoing policy dialogues on energy and climate. : Narasimha Rao : Narasimha Rao
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Rao M,W - 9:00-10:20 |
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Rao TBA - TBA |
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816 3 Credits
Electric Utilities: an Industry in Transition
816 Electric Utilities: an Industry in Transition : 3 Credits : The U.S. electric utility industry is a $400 billion business with capital expenditures on the order of $100 billion per year to replace aging infrastructure, implement new technologies, and meet new regulatory requirements. A reliable electricity infrastructure is essential for the U.S. economy and the health and safety of its citizens. The electric industry also has a significant impact on the environment. In the United States, electric power generation is responsible for about 40 percent of human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas. Electric utilities in the United States are at a crossroads. Technological innovations, improving economics, and regulatory incentives provide a transformational opportunity to implement demand-side resources and distributed energy technologies that will both lower emissions and improve service to customers. Such significant changes could, however, disrupt existing utility business models and therefore may not be fully supported by incumbent utilities. This course focuses on the issues, challenges, risks, and trade-offs associated with moving the U.S. utility industry toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. We explore how utilities are regulated and how economic factors and regulatory policies influence outcomes and opportunities to align customer, environmental, and utility shareholder interests to craft win-win-win solutions. : John Rhodes : John Rhodes
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Rhodes Th - 1:00-3:50 |
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Tentative (No Semester)
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817 3 Credits
Urban, Suburban, and Regional Planning Practice
817 Urban, Suburban, and Regional Planning Practice : 3 Credits :
The built environment in which we live, work, and recreate represents the cumulative impact of government policies and private sector investments implemented at multiple geographic scales over the past several centuries. This course explores the ways in which North American cities and towns have evolved and the dynamic trends facing their urban and suburban neighborhoods. We will examine the ways in which past decisions prepare or hinder our communities' addressing the big challenges they will face in the coming decades. We will delve into the ways that city and regional planning practice is evolving to address current issues such as climate change, demographic shifts, gentrification, sclerotic government, and contested public hearings and realize opportunities such as community resilience, active transportation, eco districts, and participatory planning. : David Kooris :
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Kooris W - 4:00-6:50 |
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819 3 Credits
Measuring and Visualizing Urban Environments
819 Measuring and Visualizing Urban Environments : 3 Credits : Cities are central to addressing some of the most pressing sustainability challenges of our time. Access to data is transforming how we study them, offering new opportunities to make data actionable for policy through analysis and visualization. This course explores a series of urban sustainability challenges, focusing on how innovative data sources and tools can be harnessed to address them. Through hands-on workshops, students will explore and analyze urban data from sources such as street networks, sensors, drones, images, and GPS data. The course emphasizes environmental challenges, including the interplay between the built environment, vegetation, and heat, and the influence of urban policies on climate resilience. It also delves into societal concerns like equitable access to services and socioeconomic segregation in cities. Students will learn to effectively collect, analyze, and visualize large spatial datasets, gaining practical skills in spatial analysis, computer vision, network analysis, and more. The course concludes with a final project, allowing students to apply their skills to urban problems. : Arianna Salazar Miranda :
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Salazar Miranda Th - 2:30-5:20 |
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821 3 Credits
Environmental Policymaking: From Local to Global
821 Environmental Policymaking: From Local to Global : 3 Credits : This course focuses on policymaking around environmental issues. We will explore and analyze institutions at all levels of government, from community management of forests to global management of greenhouse gas emissions. We will also explore a variety of environmental case studies. Students will learn to examine issues and institutions through the lens of the actors involved, their incentives, and the information they have. The course will include a simulation taking place over multiple weeks where students will negotiate an international environmental agreement
by application (tbd) : Luke Sanford : Luke Sanford
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Sanford M,W - 10:30-11:50 |
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Sanford TBA - TBA |
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822 1.5 Credits
Strategic Communication: Delivering Effective Presentations(see description for section times and dates)
822 Strategic Communication: Delivering Effective Presentations(see description for section times and dates) : 1.5 Credits : : : Taly Reich
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Reich Tentative |
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823 2 Credits
Energy Law and Policy (Follows Law School Calendar)
823 Energy Law and Policy (Follows Law School Calendar) : 2 Credits : : : TBD Faculty
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Faculty Tentative |
824 3 Credits
Environmental Law and Policy
824 Environmental Law and Policy : 3 Credits :
Introduction to the legal requirements and policy underpinnings of the basic U.S. laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and various statutes governing waste, food safety, and toxic substances. This course will examine and evaluate current approaches to pollution control and resource management as well as the "next generation" of regulatory strategies, including economic incentives, voluntary emissions reductions, and information disclosure requirements. Mechanisms for addressing environmental issues at the local, regional, and global levels will also be considered. Scheduled examination : Robert Klee : Robert Klee
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Klee M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Klee TBA - TBA |
828 3 Credits
Risk Assessment & Management: Climate Change
828 Risk Assessment & Management: Climate Change : 3 Credits :
This course focuses on the concept of environmental and health risks and their management by both the public and private sectors. Risk assessments have become the primary form of rational analysis that governments and corporations rely upon to identify, prioritize, and manage environmental and health threats. The class examines a series of environmental challenges dimensions of risk in each case including magnitude, distribution, duration, reversibility, and probability. Each case also considers past and potential policy types to assure a safe, healthy, just, and sustainable future. These range from prohibition, regulation, tax adjustments, trading programs, subsidies, certification, transparency requirements, buffer zone specification, transboundary contamination management, among others. Special attention is given to those at special risk including the young and elderly, minorities experiencing discrimination, poorer populations without the resources to self-manage environmental dangers, those living in high hazard areas, and those with background illnesses. : John P. Wargo : John P. Wargo
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Wargo M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
Wargo Tentative |
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829 3 Credits
Pathways to a Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Future (First Class meets August 27)
829 Pathways to a Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Future (First Class meets August 27) : 3 Credits :
This course follows the Yale Law school calendar, First class meets Tuesday, August 27, Yale Law School, Room TBD
Students must apply to this course by sending Professor Esty a copy of their resume or CV and a short statement (no more than ½ page) that explains their background in the topics that will be addressed and their interest in the course
This advanced climate change seminar will explore pathways to a low-carbon economy with emphasis on the policy frameworks required to establish a just transition to a clean energy future as well as the business and industry transformations that will be needed. Each session introduce students to critical topics including: theories of change, the climate change policy framework (at the global, national, state/provincial, and local levels), technology challenges and opportunities, incentives to spur innovation, finance strategies for both developed and developing nations, the role of private capital and sustainability-minded investors, climate justice and equity considerations, and potential points of policy leverage to drive transformative change. Students will be asked to think critically about the obstacles to deep decarbonization and the trade-offs across social objectives that might complicate the mobilization of society in response to the climate change threat. The course will be highly interactive with each student expected to participate in the class dialogue each week. : Daniel C. Esty : Daniel C. Esty
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Esty Tu - 4:00-6:50 |
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Esty Tentative |
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834 3 Credits
Environmental Economics and Policy
834 Environmental Economics and Policy : 3 Credits : This is a course in environmental and natural resource economics and policy. It covers both general methodological principles and specific applications. Rather than serving as a standard course in environmental and natural resource economics, the material is tailored specifically to master’s students pursuing professional degrees in environmental management. The course therefore has a focus on environmental problem solving in the real world. Topics covered include, but are not limited to: evaluation of environmental policies (e.g., standards, taxes, cap-and-trade); cost-benefit analysis and its critiques; nonmarket valuation (ecosystem services, revealed and stated preferences); discounting and macroeconomic perspectives on climate change; management of nonrenewable resources (oil, minerals, etc.); management of renewable resources (forests, fisheries, etc.); land and biodiversity conservation; the relationship between development, trade, and the environment; strategic incentives for international environmental agreements; and environmental behavioral economics. : Matthew J. Kotchen : Matthew J. Kotchen
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Kotchen M,W - 9:00-10:20 |
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Kotchen TBA - TBA |
835 1.5 Credits
Seminar on Land Use Planning (Fall-1 Aug 28-Oct 11)
835 Seminar on Land Use Planning (Fall-1 Aug 28-Oct 11) : 1.5 Credits : Land use control exercised by state and local governments determines where development occurs on the American landscape, the preservation of natural resources, the emission of greenhouse gases, the conservation of energy, and the shape and livability of cities and towns. The exercise of legal authority to plan and regulate the development and conservation of privately owned land plays a key role in meeting the needs of the nation’s growing population for equitable housing, energy, and nonresidential development as well as ensuring that critical environmental functions are protected from the adverse impacts of land development. This course explores the multifaceted discipline of land use and urban planning and their associated ecological implications. Numerous land use strategies are discussed, including identifying and defining climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, including affordable housing, community revitalization, energy development and siting, equitable community engagement, transit-oriented development, building and neighborhood energy conservation, distressed building remediation, jobs and housing balance, coastal resiliency, and biological carbon sequestration. The class will also explore how recent events impact these planning issues. The focus of this seminar is to expose students to the basics of land use and urban planning, especially in the U.S. but also internationally, and to serve as an introduction for a YSE curricular concentration in land use. Guest speakers are professionals involved in sustainable development, land conservation, smart growth, renewable energy, and climate change management. : Jessica Bacher : Jessica Bacher
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Bacher Th - 1:00-3:50 |
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Bacher Tentative |
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835E 1.5 Credits
Seminar on Land Use Planning (Online)
835E Seminar on Land Use Planning (Online) : 1.5 Credits : Land use control exercised by state and local governments determines where development occurs on the American landscape, the preservation of natural resources, the emission of greenhouse gases, the conservation of energy, and the shape and livability of cities and towns. The exercise of legal authority to plan and regulate the development and conservation of privately owned land plays a key role in meeting the needs of the nation’s growing population for equitable housing, energy, and nonresidential development as well as ensuring that critical environmental functions are protected from the adverse impacts of land development. This course explores the multifaceted discipline of land use and urban planning and their associated ecological implications. Numerous land use strategies are discussed, including identifying and defining climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, including affordable housing, community revitalization, energy development and siting, equitable community engagement, transit-oriented development, building and neighborhood energy conservation, distressed building remediation, jobs and housing balance, coastal resiliency, and biological carbon sequestration. The class will also explore how recent events impact these planning issues. The focus of this seminar is to expose students to the basics of land use and urban planning, especially in the U.S. but also internationally, and to serve as an introduction for a YSE curricular concentration in land use. Guest speakers are professionals involved in sustainable development, land conservation, smart growth, renewable energy, and climate change management. : Jessica Bacher : Jessica Bacher
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Bacher Online |
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Bacher Tentative |
836 3 Credits
Agrarian Societies: Culture, Society, History, and Development
836 Agrarian Societies: Culture, Society, History, and Development : 3 Credits :
An interdisciplinary examination of agrarian societies, contemporary and historical, Western and non-Western. Major analytical perspectives from anthropology, economics, history, political science, and environmental studies are used to develop a meaning-centered and historically grounded account of the transformations of rural society. Team-taught. : TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty : Elisabeth Wood
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Faculty W - 1:30-3:20 |
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Faculty Tentative |
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838 3 Credits
Life Cycle Assessment
838 Life Cycle Assessment : 3 Credits :
Application required: https://forms.gle/N7qudSGKPMrLasgD8
The increasing concerns about environmental pollutions and resource challenges drive the development of sustainable solutions that can meet societal needs without compromising the environment or depleting the resources for future generations. Given many technological, behavioral, and policy options, it is challenging to determine which option best serves humanity and the environment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) offers a systems approach to support these decisions. This course is an overview of life cycle thinking, the fundamental theory of LCA framework, and practical applications in supporting real-world decision-making. Students will learn state-of-the-art LCA tools, industrial case studies, and advanced LCA methodologies. The course will have an emphasis on systems thinking. The course is appropriate for all MEM specializations.
: Yuan Yao : Yuan Yao
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Yao Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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Yao TBA - TBA |
839 3 Credits
Power in Conservation
839 Power in Conservation : 3 Credits : This course examines the anthropology of power, particularly power in conservation interventions in the global South. It is intended to give students a tool-box of ideas about power in order to improve the effectiveness of conservation. Conservation thought and practice is power laden—conservation thought is powerfully shaped by the history of ideas of nature and its relation to people, and conservation interventions govern and affect peoples and ecologies. This course argues that being able to think deeply, particularly about power, improves conservation policy-making and practice.
Political ecology is by far the most well-known and well-published approach to thinking about power in conservation; this course emphasizes the relatively neglected but robust anthropology of conservation literature outside political ecology, especially literature rooted in Foucault. It is intended to make four of Foucault’s concepts of power accessible, concepts that are the most used in the anthropology of conservation: the power of discourses, discipline and governmentality, subject formation, and neoliberal governmentality. The important ethnographic literature that these concepts have stimulated is also examined. Together, theory and ethnography can underpin our emerging understanding of a new, Anthropocene-shaped world.
This course will be of interest to students and scholars of conservation, environmental anthropology and political ecology, as well as conservation practitioners and policymakers. It is a required course for students in the joint YSE/Anthropology doctoral degree. It is highly recommended for MESc students who need an in-depth course on social science theory. MEM students interested in conservation practice and policy-making are also encouraged to consider this course, which makes an effort to bridge the gap between the best academic literature and practice. It is also open to advanced undergraduate students. No prerequisites. Three hour discussion-centered seminar. : Carol Carpenter : Carol Carpenter
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Carpenter M - 2:30-5:20 |
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Carpenter TBA - TBA |
840 3 Credits
Climate Change Policy and Perspectives
840 Climate Change Policy and Perspectives : 3 Credits : This course examines the scientific, economic, legal, political, institutional, and historic underpinnings of climate change and the related policy challenge of developing the energy system needed to support a prosperous and sustainable modern society. Particular attention is given to analyzing the existing framework of treaties, law, regulations, and policy—and the incentives they have created—which have done little over the past several decades to change the world’s trajectory with regard to the build-up of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. What would a twenty-first-century policy framework that is designed to deliver a sustainable energy future and a successful response to climate change look like? How would such a framework address issues of equity? How might incentives be structured to engage the business community and deliver the innovation needed in many domains? While designed as a lecture course, class sessions are highly interactive. Self-scheduled examination or paper option. : Robert Klee : Robert Klee
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Klee M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Klee TBA - TBA |
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850 3 Credits
International Organizations and Conferences
850 International Organizations and Conferences : 3 Credits :
This course focuses on the historic, present, and future roles of international environmental conferences. Through guest speakers, assigned readings, and discussions, students explore conferences including IUCN’s World Conservation Congress, the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity, UNFCCC’s climate change conference, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Students, along with visiting alumni and guest speakers, discuss the roles and impacts of the various conferences in international environmental decision-making and the future of international conferences in a post-COVID world. The course also assesses the potential for improved equity, justice, and inclusion in international conferences, organizations, and their secretariats. Students attending fall conferences (in person or virtually) develop work plans to be completed during the conference under the guidance of their host delegations and the instructor. : Peter Boyd : Peter Boyd
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Boyd Tu - 1:00-3:50 |
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Boyd Tentative |
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852 2 or 3 Credits
Food Systems & US Environmental Law
852 Food Systems & US Environmental Law : 2 or 3 Credits : Application Instructions:
This course is capped at 18 students. Preference for this course are students currently enrolled at the Yale Law school and students in their last semester.
Students should know that this course is primarily a law and policy course, and should be ready to engage with legal material, ideally would have some experience doing so.
Classes meet, Wed 4:10-6:00 at Yale Law school. First class is Wednesday, January 15 and follows Yale Law school calendar.
Survey: https://forms.gle/ypEg4LFeotRAz5Jw7 is due by 5pm Est, Monday, January 6, 2025 . Students will receive notification by Wednesday, January 8, 2025 and will have the course preregistered for them.
Course Description:
2 credits. We eat food every day. The food system, from agricultural production to processing to consumption and waste, shapes our lives. Less well known, the food system profoundly affects our environment, climate, and public health. This course examines the environmental impact of modern agriculture and the U.S. laws that attempt to reduce those harms. In so doing, we explore different methods of oversight, from common law to various types of regulation to targeted subsidies, and wrestle with the challenges of limiting harms from a sprawling, diverse, diffuse, and poorly understood system.
Today’s industrial food system bears little relation to the bucolic family farms we imagine – and that were in Congress’s mind in the 1970s when it passed most modern environmental laws. Since then, U.S. agriculture has grown increasingly concentrated and industrial. Most row crops are monocultures dependent on high doses of fertilizers and pesticides and most meat is produced in “concentrated animal feeding operations” that house thousands or even millions of animals in small areas. In terms of high output of apparently inexpensive food (and fuel and fiber), the system is a success. On the other hand, the increased industrialization, without the environmental safeguards applicable to other industries, has led to agriculture being a major source of environmental and health harm. Agriculture is the main driver of biodiversity loss, the largest source of water pollution and one of the largest sources of air and toxic pollution. It drives over a third of climate change.
US environmental law directly and indirectly seeks to reduce these harms, although often in partial, ineffective, or unenforceable ways. While alternative production systems can produce sufficient food with less impact, the law rarely encourages and often discourages such approaches. The long history of discrimination in farm policy leaves a legacy that compounds the challenge. This course studies existing US environmental law and its strengths and weaknesses, and explores alternative approaches to environmental and public health protections. Several short papers and in-class presentations, as well as a final paper and presentation are required for all students. Students who write a longer paper for Substantial Paper credit may earn a third credit.
Course questions can be directed to Peter Lehner ( peter.lehner@yale.edu)
: Peter Lehner :
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Lehner W - 4:10-6:00 |
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853 3 Credits
International Trade Law and Policy
853 International Trade Law and Policy : 3 Credits : : : Daniel C. Esty : Gary Horlick
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Esty TBA - TBA |
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855 1 Credit
Climate Change Mitigation in Urban Areas (Dates TBD)
855 Climate Change Mitigation in Urban Areas (Dates TBD) : 1 Credit : : : Karen C. Seto
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Seto TBA - TBA |
857 3 Credits
Financing Climate Change Adaptation in Developing Countries
857 Financing Climate Change Adaptation in Developing Countries : 3 Credits : This course is capped at 15 students. Interested students should register no later than TBD. If more than 15 students register, priority (in order) will be given to YSE students in their second year or beyond, YSE students in their first year, students from other Yale graduate schools, and finally Yale College students. Final enrollment decisions will be shared by end-of-day on August TBD
This course is intended for students who are interested in applied work in development organizations or public institutions focused on nature, climate, energy and waste that are involved in catalyzing finance for climate change adaptation, particularly in the global south. The course has no specific prerequisites but students will find that courses in development economics, natural resources management, finance and law will be helpful. The class will entail in-class discussions where students will be expected to critically analyze course content, discuss and debate as well as present material. : Pradeep Kurukulasuriya : Pradeep Kurukulasuriya
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Kurukulasuriya Th - 4:00-6:50 |
Kurukulasuriya Tentative |
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860 3 Credits
Developing Environmental Policies and Winning Campaigns
860 Developing Environmental Policies and Winning Campaigns : 3 Credits : This course is about what makes an environmental policy idea successful — one that can go from concept to law, get implemented well, and achieve its intended goals. In addition, this class will cover how to develop and run effective campaigns to win environmental policies. Good policy does not just happen. It takes creative thinking, learning from experience and history, and an ability to ‘look around corners’ to help ensure that your idea can actually be well implemented, won’t have unintended consequences, and will actually solve the problem you set out to alleviate. And, once you have a honed policy idea, there is no magic wand that will turn it into the law of the land. Whether in city hall, the state legislature, the U.S. Congress, or a corporate boardroom, many stakeholders will have a hand in determining whether an idea turns into a law. : Margie Alt : TBD Faculty
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Alt M - 2:30-5:20 |
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Faculty Tentative |
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878 3 Credits
Climate and Society: Past to Present
878 Climate and Society: Past to Present : 3 Credits : Capped at 25, interested students must email Instructor and TF (christian.espinosaschatz@yale.edu) with your degree program, your year, your advisor and the basis for your interest in the course
Seminar on the major traditions of thought and debate regarding climate, climate change, and society, drawing largely on the social sciences and humanities. Section I, overview of the course. Section II, disaster: the social origins of disastrous events; and the attribution of societal ‘collapse’ to extreme climatic events. Section III, causality: the revelatory character of climatic perturbation; politics and the history of efforts to control weather/climate; and 19th-20th century theories of environmental determinism. Section IV, history and culture: the ancient tradition of explaining differences among people in terms of differences in climate; and cross-cultural differences in views of climate. Section V, knowledge: the study of folk knowledge of climate; and local views of climatic perturbation and change. Section VI, politics: knowledge, humor, and symbolism in North-South climate debates. The goal of the course is to examine the embedded historical, cultural, and political drivers of current climate change debates and discourses. This course can be applied towards Yale College distributional requirements in Social Science and Writing. The course is open to both graduate and undergraduate students. Enrollment capped. : Michael R. Dove : Michael R. Dove
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Dove Th - 1:30-3:20 |
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Dove Tentative |
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884 3 Credits
Industrial Ecology
884 Industrial Ecology : 3 Credits :
Industrial ecology studies (1) the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities, (2) the effects of these flows on the environment, and (3) the influences of economic, political, regulatory, and social factors on the flow, use, and transformation of resources. The goals of the course are to define and describe industrial ecology; to demonstrate the relationships among production, consumption, sustainability, and industrial ecology in diverse settings, from firms to cities to international trade flows; to show how industrial ecology serves as a framework for the consideration of environmental and sustainability-related aspects of science, technology, and policy; and to define and describe tools, applications, and implications of industrial ecology. : Yuan Yao : Yuan Yao
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Yao Tu,Th - 10:30-11:50 |
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Yao TBA - TBA |
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892 3 Credits
Introduction to Planning
892 Introduction to Planning : 3 Credits :
This course will offer an exploration of contemporary planning practice in the United States through the introduction of foundational planning principles and the different planning subfields that the profession now encompasses. Through academic research, readings that reveal the practical challenges and political realities each subfield faces, and discussion, the course will seek to clarify and explain the general structure and process inherent in practicing the planning profession. Additionally, the individual planning subfields - transportation and infrastructure planning, housing and the built environment, economic development, community planning and advocacy, sustainability and the environment, and general practice – will be explored to further understand these specialized skillsets and how collaborations among them lead to the creation and implementation of more robust planning decisions. The course will consist of lecture classes alternating with case study discussion groups. : Maura Smotrich : TBD Faculty
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Smotrich M,W - 10:30-11:50 |
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Faculty Tentative |
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893 3 Credits
Principles of Risk Assessment
893 Principles of Risk Assessment : 3 Credits :
This course introduces students to the nomenclature, concepts, and basic skills of quantitative risk assessment (QRA). The goal is to provide an understanding necessary to read and critically evaluate QRA. Emphasis is on the intellectual and conceptual basis of risk assessment, particularly its dependence on toxicology and epidemiology, rather than its mathematical constructs and statistical models. Specific cases consider the use of risk assessment for setting occupational exposure limits, establishing community exposure limits, and quantifying the hazards of environmental exposures to chemicals in air and drinking water. : TBD Faculty : Vasilis Vasiliou
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Faculty F - 3:00-4:50 |
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Vasiliou Tentative |
894 3 Credits
Green Building: Issues and Perspectives
894 Green Building: Issues and Perspectives : 3 Credits :
Our built environment shapes the planet, our communities, and each of us. Green buildings seek to minimize environmental impacts, strengthen the fabric of our cities and towns, and make our work and our homes more productive and fulfilling. This course is an applied course, exploring both the technical and the social-business-political aspects of buildings. Topics range from building science (hygrothermal performance of building enclosures) to indoor environmental quality; from product certifications to resilience (robust buildings and communities in the face of disasters and extended service outages). The purpose of the course is to build a solid background in the processes and issues related to green buildings, equipping students with practical knowledge about the built environment. Extensive use is made of resources from BuildingGreen, Inc., one of the leading information companies supporting green building and green building professionals. The course takes a “joint-discovery” approach with substantial emphasis on research and group project work, some fieldwork, and online individual testing. There are too many topics within green building to cover in one term, so the course is broken down into two sections. The first six weeks focus on the following topics, led by the instructor and/or an expert guest lecturer: building science, materials, indoor environmental quality, rating programs and systems, resilience, systems integration. The second half of the course focuses on selected topics driven by students and their particular interest/academic focus. The class meets once a week, with the instructor available to students that same day. Enrollment limited to twent. : Melissa Kops : Melissa Kops
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Kops Tu - 9:00-11:50 |
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Kops TBA - TBA |
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896 3 Credits
Public Health Toxicology
896 Public Health Toxicology : 3 Credits :
This course is designed to serve as a foundation for understanding environmental toxicology. It includes basic principles of toxicology, mechanisms of toxicity and cellular defense, and the fundamental interactions between chemicals and biological systems. Human exposure to foreign chemicals and their adverse effects are considered, as is the importance of federal and state agencies in protecting public health. Through the use of case studies, the course provides insights into prevention of mortality and morbidity resulting from environmental exposure to toxic substances, the fundamentals of risk assessment and regulatory toxicology, and the causes underlying the variability in susceptibility of people to chemicals. : Vasilis Vasiliou : Vasilis Vasiliou
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Vasiliou Th 1:00-2:50, F-1:00-1:50 |
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Vasiliou Tentative |
897 3 Credits
Environmental and Occupational Exposure Science
897 Environmental and Occupational Exposure Science : 3 Credits : This course examines the fundamental and practical aspects of assessing exposures to environmental agents, broadly defined, in the residential, ambient, and workplace environments. The course provides the knowledge and skills to design and conduct exposure assessments, and has a particular focus on applications to environmental epidemiology and risk assessment. Indirect and direct methods of assessing exposures, such as questionnaires, environmental sampling, biological monitoring, and spatial modeling, are reviewed; and case studies and hands-on projects are presented. : Nicole Deziel :
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Deziel W-3:00-4:50; F 2:00-2:50 |
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898 3 Credits
Environment and Human Health
898 Environment and Human Health : 3 Credits :
This course provides an overview of the critical relationships between the environment and human health. The class explores the interaction between health and different parts of the environmental system including weather, air pollution, greenspace, environmental justice, and occupational health. Other topics include environmental ethics, exposure assessment, case studies of environmental health disasters, links between climate change and health, and integration of scientific evidence on environmental health. Students learn about current key topics in environmental health and how to critique and understand scientific studies on the environment and human health. The course incorporates lectures and discussion. : Michelle L. Bell :
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Bell M - 1:00-3:50 |
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900 3 Credits
Doctoral Student Seminar and Responsible Conduct of Research
900 Doctoral Student Seminar and Responsible Conduct of Research : 3 Credits :
This course provides the foundation for doctoral study at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. As a major part of the course, students will learn what it means to do scholarly research as well as become adept with philosophy of science and research methodology and proposal writing, as a basis for exploring diverse approaches to formulating and addressing research questions. Students will work with their advisers to put these concepts and principles into practice to develop the basis for their dissertation research (including building bibliography, identifying and crafting research questions, formulating research hypotheses and drafting a research proposal). Students will further learn about funding opportunities and procedures for submitting grants. The course will also cover professional ethics and responsible conduct of research, including ethical approaches to inquiry and measurement, data acquisition and management, authorship and publication, peer review, conflicts of interest, mentoring, collaborative research, and animal and human subjects research. Finally, the course will explore ethical ways to advocate for the application of scholarly knowledge in the interest of environmental problem solving. Weekly assigned readings will support concepts and issues addressed in class. Students will present their embryonic research ideas in class and use feedback from the group to further develop their ideas : Peter A. Raymond : Peter A. Raymond
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Raymond W - 1:00-3:50 |
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Raymond Tentative |
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902 1 for PhD students Credits
Environmental Anthropology Colloquy
902 Environmental Anthropology Colloquy : 1 for PhD students Credits :
1 course credit/credit/fail. A biweekly seminar for Dove doctoral advisees and students in the combined YSE/Anthropology doctoral program. Presentation and discussion of grant proposals, dissertation prospectuses, and dissertation chapters; trial runs of conference presentations and job talks; discussion of comprehensive exams, grantsmanship, fieldwork, data analysis, writing and publishing, and the job search; and collaborative writing and publishing projects. : Michael R. Dove : Michael R. Dove
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Dove F - 1:00-3:50 |
Dove F - 1:00-4:00 |
Dove TBA - TBA |
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905 3 Credits
Doctoral Seminar in Environmental and Energy Economics
905 Doctoral Seminar in Environmental and Energy Economics : 3 Credits :
This course is designed to bring doctoral students up to speed on the latest developments in the literature on environmental and energy economics. Key papers are presented, and associated mathematical and empirical methods are covered. Topics to be covered include uncertainty and climate change policy, estimating energy demand, electricity markets, and behavioral economics and the environment. A focus is on identifying areas that deserve future research attention. Open to advanced master’s students with permission of the instructor. : Kenneth Gillingham : Kenneth Gillingham
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Gillingham Tu - 9:00-11:50 |
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Gillingham Tentative |
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908 1 for Phd Students Credits
Urban and Environmental Economics
908 Urban and Environmental Economics : 1 for Phd Students Credits : A Ph.D. field course covering latest research topics in urban economics and in environmental and energy economics. Topics include the links between urban planning and city productivity and livability, infrastructure investments in electrification and water management, managing externalities, environmental regulation, effects of climate change in cities and in rural areas.
Prerequisites: First-year Ph.D. Economics courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics (or equivalent). Or instructor permission. : TBD Faculty :
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Faculty M,W - 9:00-10:20 |
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910 3 Credits
Survival Skills for Doctoral Students
910 Survival Skills for Doctoral Students : 3 Credits : credit/fail. This course is aimed at preparing advanced doctoral students for successful and rewarding careers in ecology and environmental science. Students learn about academic and non-academic careers from readings of and presentations by scientists in those positions. Students identify important steps toward planning and launching their career paths, and skills for being effective in these positions; and they develop their own career plan, curriculum vitae, teaching and research plans, and critiques of professional web pages. Finally, the course exposes students to resources and opportunities for continuing to apply and polish their skills. : William Lauenroth : William Lauenroth : Indy Burke
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Lauenroth TBA - TBA |
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Lauenroth Tentative |
951 3.0 Credits
Strategic Environmental Communication
951 Strategic Environmental Communication : 3.0 Credits : This is a seminar course with a strong emphasis on active participation and discussion, so the enrollment is limited to 12 students.
Please note that this is a hands-on course, in which you will be developing a communication plan for or analysis of an actual organization, as described below. Please do not apply if you will be unable to do this.
Throughout the class, you will either: 1) develop a strategic communication plan for an organization of your choice, ideally one that you have a direct relationship with; or 2) analyze an historical communication campaign that an organization of your choice has implemented in the past.
The organization could be a company, a non-profit, a candidate or elected official, a government agency, or a center or program within the Yale School of the Environment, Yale College or other administrative unit. The organization must be facing or have faced some issue, opportunity, or obstacle related to their environmental mission – your job is to either develop a strategic communication plan to help the organization address this situation or analyze a past communication campaign. By the end of the class, you will have a full campaign plan that the organization could implement, or an assessment of a prior campaign.
To apply, please provide short answers to the following questions and email your responses + your current resume/CV in one PDF with the subject line “ENV 951 application” to michaela.hobbs@yale.eduno later than 5:00 pm EST on Monday, January 6. You will be notified no later than 5:00 pm EST on Friday, January 10.
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Why are you interested in taking this class?
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What organization and/or project are you planning to develop a communication plan for or to analyze?
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Do you have an existing relationship with that organization and/or project? If so, what is it? Have you asked if they would support your project (not necessary, but very helpful)?
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Are you a graduate student or undergraduate? What is your specialization or major?
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When do you expect to graduate?
Strategic communication is a powerful means of achieving an organization’s mission, especially when informed by insights into human behavior and social systems. By the end of this course, students are able to develop communication strategies and apply insights from the social and behavioral sciences to improve the effectiveness of their communication campaigns. Enrollment limited to twelve. : Anthony Leiserowitz : Anthony Leiserowitz
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Leiserowitz M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Leiserowitz TBA - TBA |
953 3 Credits
Sustainable Business Capstone Consulting
953 Sustainable Business Capstone Consulting : 3 Credits :
The intended outcome of this course is to provide you with a ‘capstone’ experience; consulting to established organizations confronting real-life challenges at the intersection of business and environmental sustainability. The course is designed for you to apply tools and insights gained in this and other courses to a defined project, creating deliverables that will be useful to the partner organizations.
This course is designed to help prepare anyone who wishes to become a consultant after graduation; though it is also intended to be useful for those that intend engaging with consultants in their career post-Yale. In short, there is hopefully something in it for many of you!
The brief from the client will be topical and relevant to challenges and opportunities faced by their organization and intersect business and environmental opportunity. It is also likely to surface potential trade-offs and require addressing cross-cutting critical issues of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion; all complicated by living through, and emerging from, the pandemic. Consulting teams will be consistently applying tools learnt in this and other courses, and the clients will be on hand to provide insight and guidance at points throughout the term.
Through a combination of individual & group work and lively discussion, you will establish an understanding of the client’s wider Purpose and Priorities; then help co-define and connect the Potential success of the project with the organization’s broader goals. You will work together in small consulting teams, holding each other accountable to Perform, creating defined deliverables for the client. In this way the course builds off some of the core elements of the Perspectives Course (ENV 553 - Fall 2020) : Peter Boyd : Peter Boyd
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Boyd Tu,Th - 1:00-2:20 |
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Boyd TBA - TBA |
954 3 Credits
Management Plans for Protected Areas (includes Friday and Saturday Field trips)
954 Management Plans for Protected Areas (includes Friday and Saturday Field trips) : 3 Credits :
A seminar that comprises the documentation of land use history and zoning, mapping and interpretation, and the collection and analysis of socioeconomic, biological, and physical information for the construction of management plans. Plans are constructed for private small-holders within the Quiet Corner Initiative partnership managed by the Yale School Forests. In the past plans have been completed for the Nature Conservancy; Massachusetts Trustees of Reservations; town land trusts; city parks and woodlands of New Haven, New York, and Boston; and the Appalachian Mountain Club. Prerequisite: ENV 659b or 660a, or permission of the instructor. Ten days fieldwork.
Must also take ENV 957 in same semester. : Mark S. Ashton : Mark S. Ashton
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Ashton M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Ashton TBA - TBA |
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955 1 or 3 Credits
Seminar in Research Analysis, Writing and Communication in Forest Ecology
955 Seminar in Research Analysis, Writing and Communication in Forest Ecology : 1 or 3 Credits :
A seminar for students in their second year working on research projects. Students start by working through the peer-review publication process. They identify the scope and scale of the appropriate journal for their work. They then work on their projects, which comprise data and projects in applied forest ecology. Discussions involve rationale and hypothesis testing for a project, data analysis techniques, and reporting and interpretation of results. It is expected that manuscripts developed in the course are worthy of publication and that oral presentations are of a caliber for subject-area conferences and meetings. Extensive training in writing and presenting work is provided.
1 credit option is available for incoming students only. Must be taken for 3 credits to count as a capstone course.
: Mark S. Ashton : Mark S. Ashton
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Ashton W - 4:00-6:50 |
Ashton M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
Ashton TBA - TBA |
Ashton TBA - TBA |
956 3 Credits
Strategies for Land Conservation
956 Strategies for Land Conservation : 3 Credits :
Our introductory video on the plans for the course can be foundhere. - please watch this before filling out your class application!
The class application form can be foundhere."
Please submit this application no later than the end of the day on Wednesday, December 4th, 2024. Applications after this date will be considered as space allows
This course is a capstone seminar in strategies for private land conservation. The course focuses primarily on issues within the U.S., although many of its lessons can be applied in other countries. The course explores the legal and financial tools used by the land conservation community, as well as management techniques for addressing key strategic issues. The course will also provide perspectives and time for reflection on the history and future of the land conservation movement. The primary focus of the course is to provide students with knowledge of the tools of private land conservation and the necessary professional skills to apply those tools. The course relies heavily on guest speakers, all of whom are experts and leaders on the topics on which they present. Many of our in-person guest speakers will also be joining a small group of students for dinner after class. Finally, a key deliverable for the course is working with and completing a clinical project for a land conservation organization.
Additional questions, please contact Steven Ring (TF) steven.ring@yale.edu : Bradford S. Gentry : Bradford S. Gentry
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Gentry Tu - 2:30-5:20 |
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Gentry Tentative |
957 3 Credits
Field Skills in Land Stewardship
957 Field Skills in Land Stewardship : 3 Credits : See ENV 954 for description.
Must register for both ENV 954 & 957 at the same time. : Mark S. Ashton : Mark S. Ashton
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Ashton M,W - 1:00-2:20 |
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Ashton TBA - TBA |
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959 3 Credits
Clinic in Climate Justice, and Public Health
959 Clinic in Climate Justice, and Public Health : 3 Credits : In the course, interdisciplinary student teams carry out applied projects at the intersection of climate justice, law and public policy, and public health. Each team works with a partner organization (e.g., state agency, community organization, other nongovernmental organization) to study, design, and implement a project, typically through community-based participatory research practices. The course affords the opportunity to have a real-world impact by applying concepts and competencies learned in the classroom. This course should be of interest to graduate and professional students across the University and is open to Yale College juniors and seniors. In addition, this course is one of the options available to students to fulfill the practice requirement for the M.P.H. degree at YSPH and the capstone requirement for the M.E.M. degree at YSE. Students who plan to enroll must complete an application, which will be used to match each student with a clinic project. Check the course’s Canvas site or contact the instructor for more information.
Prerequisite: EHS 547 or permission of the instructor. Not open to auditors
: TBD Faculty : TBD Faculty
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Faculty Th - 1:00-2:50 |
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Faculty Tentative |
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960 3 Credits
Urban Climate Solutions Capstone: Freetown, Sierra Leone Clinic
960 Urban Climate Solutions Capstone: Freetown, Sierra Leone Clinic : 3 Credits :
Application: https://bit.ly/4hwZTI8
The deadline to apply for class is November 7 at noon. Applicants will be notified by November 11.
"Freetown the Treetown" is an ambitious, city-led, "pay-to-grow" scheme to plant, grow and digitally track trees. YSE students will assess strengths and challenges of this innovative economic development model and help evaluate the potential for sustainable financing via carbon markets. YSE students will work with a client, Freetown, Sierra Leone, to bridge cutting edge urban climate science with practice. Using geospatial data and modeling methods, students will evaluate where to plant trees to mitigate heat. Students will develop an understanding of best practices and innovative approaches for cities to increase their climate resilience and mitigate emissions. Students will learn methods of data collection, analysis and community engagement aimed at building equitable urban resilience at neighborhood and city scales. : Karen C. Seto : Karen C. Seto
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Seto Tu - 1:00-3:50 |
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Seto Tentative |
961 3 Credits
Environmental Law and Politics: Research and Advanced Topics Seminar
961 Environmental Law and Politics: Research and Advanced Topics Seminar : 3 Credits : : : John P. Wargo
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Tentative (No Semester)
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963 3 Credits
Case Studies in Water Management: Conflict and Cooperation
963 Case Studies in Water Management: Conflict and Cooperation : 3 Credits : : : Shimon C. Anisfeld
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Tentative (No Semester)
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965 3 Credits
Regenerative Agriculture & Just Food Systems Lab
965 Regenerative Agriculture & Just Food Systems Lab : 3 Credits : The application for ENV 965 Regenerative Agriculture & Just Food Systems Lab capstone course is now open.
Application Link: https://forms.gle/3ZaZtmRovxZcVGC96
Course description: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mSIoI4VHpRlX_m-_LHYINOLEdIRxBMD509D0oq1Rg10/edit
The course is at the Yale School of the Environment and open to all graduate students with some preference given to MEM degree students for their second-year capstone requirement. Priority application deadline is midnight Thursday August 22nd, with acceptance notification by end of day Friday August 23rd. Applications received after the priority deadline will be considered if there are open slots in the class.
The Regenerative Agriculture & Just Food Systems Lab capstone is a project-based clinic course for students to work with external businesses and organizations to support a just and thriving agricultural community and food system for people and the planet. The Lab hosts four semester-long projects centered on regenerative and just solutions in agriculture and the food system locally, nationally, and globally. The Lab engages with deeply challenging questions facing agricultural communities and producer-consumer networks today, encouraged by the prospect that regenerative approaches may hold the promise of repairing long-standing patterns of social, economic, and ecological exploitation and have a positive impact on the climate crisis. The Lab explores and supports work in regenerative agriculture and just food systems such as (a) community and smallholder farmer-centered approaches that are climate resilient and employ just practices for workers and people, (b) operational or business planning for land-based agriculture, agroforestry, and/or ocean farming, (c) equitable and resilient business models, and (d) reparative finance and investing practices.
Our clients for the fall semester are:
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Black Farmer Fund: Due Diligence in a Reparative Investing Model
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SEAmarron Farmstead: Hemp Farm Production Development for Fiber and Building Materials
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Good Food Purchasing Program & HEAL Food Alliance: National Food Procurement Policy
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Sacred Seasonal & Farm based in Mexico of Guatemala (TBD): Coffee Cherry Pulp and Circular Economy Opportunities in Latin America
Please apply if you are interested and share this widely with others. Feel free to contact tagan.engel@yale.edu if you have any questions.
: Tagan Engel :
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Engel W - 1:00-3:50 |
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966 3 Credits
Sustainability Implementation: Change Management in Institutional Settings
966 Sustainability Implementation: Change Management in Institutional Settings : 3 Credits : This course is capped at 20 students. Interested students should register no later than August 27. If more than 20 students register, priority (in order) will be given to YSE students in their second year or beyond, YSE students in their first year, students from other Yale graduate schools, and finally Yale College students. Final enrollment decisions will be shared by end-of-day on August 28.
Yale’s formal sustainability efforts are nearing the two-decade mark, with the Office of Sustainability established in 2005, but the work to make the campus more sustainable has been going on far longer. From sending food scraps to pig farmers in the 1800s, to responding to energy crises and crashes with infrastructure changes, to establishing early recycling programs in the 1980s, the University’s work has deep roots, if not always the comprehensive impact some would desire. This YSE Capstone course provides students with the opportunity to learn about this long history of effort to improve the University’s sustainability and engage in the real act of change management in current efforts on campus. Exploring change management theory and learning from many on campus experts, students work in groups, bringing a diversity of experiences and knowledge to the table to tackle real and wicked problems in our midst. In taking on these timely projects, students have the opportunity to tangibly impact Yale’s ongoing efforts to fully embrace sustainable operations while experiencing the friction, joy, disappointment, learning, and challenge that are all part of working to make real change happen. : Sara Smiley Smith : Sara Smiley Smith : Julie Zimmerman : Lindsay Crum
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Smiley Smith Th - 9:00-11:50 |
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Tentative (No Semester)
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970 3 Credits
Environmental Protection Clinic Policy and Advocacy (Follows Law School Calendar)
970 Environmental Protection Clinic Policy and Advocacy (Follows Law School Calendar) : 3 Credits :
Follows Law School Calendar
What is EPC:
EPC offers an interdisciplinary experience that brings together law students and students from the Yale School of the Environment to work on cutting-edge projects in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council and other public interest organizations. Students will have the opportunity to work alongside leading environmental advocates and gain practical experience in public interest advocacy.
EPC is a project-based clinic, in that EPC students are assigned to work on a specific project for the semester based on their interests. You can find descriptions of our projects in the project guide. This year's clinic also includes projects and instructors from the Climate, Animal, Food, and Environmental Law & Policy Lab (CAFE Lab). There are opportunities to work on matters addressing environmental justice, climate change, industrial animal agriculture, forest protection, ocean conservation, and more. The projects also cover a wide range of advocacy approaches, including policy development, legislative and regulatory advocacy, and direct community engagement.
How should YSE Students apply:
All interested students are encouraged to apply to EPC, regardless of level of experience. This is a great opportunity to gain exposure to a new field or to hone previous experience in environmental advocacy.
To apply, please complete the EPC bidding form by October 31, 4:30 p.m. ET. On the bidding form, we ask you to rank the projects you are interested in working on. More information on the application process is included in the project guide and bidding form.
Zoom Office Hours
The EPC teaching team will be holding two drop-in Zoom sessions to answer questions about the clinic, our projects, or the bidding process:
You should also feel free to email EPC Clinical Fellow Kevin Chen (kevin.x.chen@yale.edu) or Teaching Fellow Stephanie Prufer (stephanie.prufer@yale.edu) with any questions or to set up a time to talk.
Limited to 30
Faculty
* Primary Instructor
: Douglas Kysar : Douglas Kysar : Elizabeth Suatoni : David Hawkins
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Kysar Tu - 12:10-2:00 |
Kysar Tu - 12:10-2:00 |
Kysar Tentative |
Kysar Tentative |
971 3 Credits
Land Use Clinic
971 Land Use Clinic : 3 Credits : The Land Use Clinic gives students the opportunity to explore a variety of specific land use topics that are of current concern and relevance to the field, to the curriculum, and to society, including renewable energy, natural resources, rural-based land uses, watershed management, agriculture, and sustainable urban planning. In our rapidly changing political environment, strategies that focus on the local level are increasingly more important to achieving our global sustainability goals. Students will work with the Clinic professor and practitioners in the field to develop papers, research memoranda, and publications on a selected topic. The Clinic professor and guest speakers will conduct skill-based workshops focused on the tools and techniques needed to pursue a career in community land use planning. Some synchronized classes will be held online to accommodate guest speakers around the country and outside of the US.The Clinic includes a field trip over Spring break and is available by application only. Applications will be available at the beginning of the Fall semester and selections will be made no later than November 1. : Jessica Bacher : Jessica Bacher
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Bacher W - 10:30-11:50 |
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Bacher Tentative |
972 1-4 Credits
Advanced Environmental Protection Clinic (Follows Law School Calendar)
972 Advanced Environmental Protection Clinic (Follows Law School Calendar) : 1-4 Credits : Follows Law School Calendar
What is EPC:
The EPC offers an interdisciplinary experience that brings together law students and students from the Yale School of the Environment to work on cutting-edge environmental issues in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council and other public interest organizations. This year's clinic will also include projects that were previously in the Climate, Animal, Food, and Environment Law and Policy Lab (CAFE).
The EPC is a project-based clinic, in that EPC students are assigned to work on a specific project for the semester based on their interests. You can find descriptions of our projects in the project guide. There are opportunities to work on matters addressing environmental justice, energy justice, climate change, international development, tribal rights and sovereignty, and more. The projects also cover a wide range of advocacy approaches, including litigation support, legislative and regulatory advocacy, and direct community engagement.
How should YSE Students apply:
We encourage you to apply to EPC! This is a great opportunity to gain exposure to an unexplored field or to hone previous experience.
To apply, complete the EPC bidding form by July 11, 4:30 p.m. ET. On the bidding form, we ask you to rank the projects you are interested in working on. More information on the application process is included in the project guide.
Zoom Office Hours
The EPC teaching team will be holding two drop-in Zoom sessions to answer questions about the clinic, our projects, or the bidding process:
· Thursday 6/27, 4-5 pm ET: Zoom link
· Tuesday 7/9, 4-5 pm ET: Zoom link
You should also feel free to email Rebecca Ramirez (rebecca.ramirez@yale.edu) and/or me (stephanie.prufer@yale.edu) with any questions or to set up a time to talk.
Warmly,
Stephanie : Douglas Kysar : Douglas Kysar : Elizabeth Suatoni
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Kysar Tu - 12:10-2:00 |
Kysar Tu - 12:10-2:00 |
Kysar Tentative |
Kysar Tentative |
974 3 Credits
Social Innovation Starter
974 Social Innovation Starter : 3 Credits : : : Teresa Chahine
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Chahine Tentative |
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975 3 Credits
Field Craft: Writing Society, Science, and Nature
975 Field Craft: Writing Society, Science, and Nature : 3 Credits : This course develops students' skills in writing and publishing, with a mandatory field trip at its core. Students complete a self-driven writing project aimed at publication, with work both before and after the trip. The course welcomes projects from any field, including but not limited to social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. The course fulfills the MEM capstone, but is open to all students. In prior years, students have published scholarly journals articles, op-eds in reputable news outlets (e.g. NYT in 2024), thesis chapters, book manuscripts, documentaries, podcasts, and creative non-fiction essays. The course emphasizes narrative craft for both scholarly and general public writing.
Trip Details:The YSE Dean's office generously covers trip costs, scheduled for February 12-17th, 2025, at the San Miguel Writers' Conference in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. All students are required to participate for the full length of the trip.
Course Application Instructions: Due to the logistics of field trip planning, application review begins on December 13th, 2024, with decisions sent on a rolling basis until the roster of ten is filled. Write an email with the subject “Field Course Application” to Justin Farrell ( justin.farrell@yale.edu). In less than 300 words, include the following information: (1) Name, degree program, year, specialization. (2) What is your writing project, and why does it excite you? (3) Where would you ideally like to publish it? (4) How does this writing course align with your future professional goals? (5) Confirm that you have a passport and can travel internationally without problem. (6) Separately, attach a one-page sample of your ongoing writing project, or if you do not have one, an outline of your proposed project.
: Justin Farrell : Justin Farrell
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Farrell Th - 4:00-6:50 |
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Farrell TBA - TBA |
979 3 Credits
Climate Solutions Capstone: Sub-National Actors
979 Climate Solutions Capstone: Sub-National Actors : 3 Credits : : : Robert Klee
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Klee TBA - TBA |
982 3 Credits
Green Engineering and Sustainable Design
982 Green Engineering and Sustainable Design : 3 Credits :
Study of green engineering, focusing on key approaches to advancing sustainability through engineering design. Topics include current design, manufacturing, and disposal processes; toxicity and benign alternatives; policy implications; pollution prevention and source reduction; separations and disassembly; material and energy efficiencies and flows; systems analysis; biomimicry; and life cycle design, management, and analysis. : Julie Zimmerman : Julie Zimmerman
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Zimmerman M,W - 1:00-2:15 |
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Zimmerman Tentative |
990 3 Credits
Climate, Animals, Food, and Environment Law & Policy Lab — Pre-Registration Deadline: TBD
990 Climate, Animals, Food, and Environment Law & Policy Lab — Pre-Registration Deadline: TBD : 3 Credits : : : Douglas Kysar
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Kysar Tentative |
Kysar Tentative |
991 1-4 Credits
Advanced Climate, Animals, Food, and Environment Law and Policy Lab
991 Advanced Climate, Animals, Food, and Environment Law and Policy Lab : 1-4 Credits : Follows the Yale Law School Calendar.
Open only to students who have successfully completed ENV 981, Climate, Animals, Food, and Environment Law and Policy Lab (CAFE Lab).Paper required. Enrollment limited to nine. Permission of the instructors required.
In addition to listing this course among experiential permission selections, interested students should submit a brief statement describing the project they intend to pursue through the Advanced CAFE Lab. Statements should be submitted by 4:30 pm on the last day of the bidding period of the Yale Law school.
Note:The instructors will set a regular meeting time once the students have set their schedules. : Douglas Kysar : Douglas Kysar
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Tentative (No Semester)
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Tentative (No Semester)
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