136-215 Historical Encounters in a Changing Environment

Note

All BSc students, except those enrolled in the BA/BSc combined course and the BASc course, can only receive 12.5 points science credit at the 200-level for this subject.

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

For Arts student, normally 12.5 points of first-year HPS or 75 points of first year Science subjects.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

Ever since the great European voyages of discovery, people have sought explanations for the changes they saw in the natural environment. This subject traces these explanations - ranging from traditional natural history to evolutionary environmentalism and, eventually, modern ecosystem ecology - in their social, political and economic context. Case studies are drawn from Australia, America, the colonial world and developing nations. Environmental issues examined include: economic botany, introduced species, human-land interactions, resource management, and environmental monitoring. Questions addressed include: local vs. Western knowledge, field work vs. laboratory science, environment and race, control over environmental knowledge and resources."

Assessment

Written work totalling 5000 words, including a 1-hour test at the end of the semester.