Current Courses

Earth systems science reveals that the environmental conditions that supported the development of human civilization over the past 10,000 years are becoming increasingly destabilized. This course introduces students to the Earth's regulatory systems such as climate, nitrogen and phosphorus flows, forests, oceans and biodiversity, and the social structures and processes that are interfering with them. Students will come to understand that environmental problems cannot be solved by individual behavioural changes; solutions will require collective action to achieve systemic change.

Earth systems science reveals that the environmental conditions that supported the development of human civilization over the past 10,000 years are becoming increasingly destabilized. This course introduces students to the Earth's regulatory systems such as climate, nitrogen and phosphorus flows, forests, oceans and biodiversity, and the social structures and processes that are interfering with them. Students will come to understand that environmental problems cannot be solved by individual behavioural changes; solutions will require collective action to achieve systemic change.

This course introduces students to key ecological concepts through the study of the Grand Lake Lowlands ecoregion where Fredericton is located, including its biodiversity and ecosystems, the flow of materials, energy and waste from the ecosystem through human systems and back again, and the implications of these flows for sustainability. As they become acquainted with the local ecoregion, students will also explore the literary tradition of nature writing in which writers infuse their intense observations of local natural history with ethical reflections on being an inhabitant, rather than simply a resident, of a place.

This survey course introduces the concept of sustainability as encompassing three dimensions -ecological, socio-economic, and personal - and explores the societal changes necessary to achieve sustainability. Prerequisite: ENVS 1013

This course examines energy systems (oil, gas, coal, hydroelectric, nuclear, and renewable) both historically and in the contemporary world, in terms of environmental and economic impacts, theories of technological change in their creation, deployment, and decommissioning, as well as public policy issues.

This course will introduce liberal arts students to the scientific basis of the problem of climate change, the social systems and dynamics at the root of the problem, and the measures necessary to avoid climate breakdown. There is no prerequisite for this course.

To a great extent, the state of the natural environment in Canada depends on laws and policies adopted by municipal, provincial and federal governments. This course introduces students to these systems of government, the processes by which environmental laws and policies are developed, and the power relations that shape the outcomes. Topics include endangered species, toxic chemicals, plastics and global warming. Prerequisite: students must have completed 30 credit hours of courses before enrolling in this course.

This course refers to standards and methods for analyzing and reporting on the ecological and social sustainability of an organization or business. This course examines principles and design of various auditing and reporting frameworks, theories of sustainability reporting and behaviour change, and design and implementation of action plans. Student projects will involve hands-on experience with an audit or action plan as appropriate.

This course introduces the idea of research for sustainability, the application of social science research methods to assist the transition to a sustainable society. Methods such as participatory action research, case studies, interviewing, surveys, and critical policy analysis are examined in the context of real research projects at the community, institutional and sectoral levels. Prerequisite: ENVS 2213.

Earth systems science reveals that the environmental conditions that supported the development of human civilization over the past 10,000 years are becoming increasingly destabilized. This course introduces students to the Earth's regulatory systems such as climate, nitrogen and phosphorus flows, forests, oceans and biodiversity, and the social structures and processes that are interfering with them. Students will come to understand that environmental problems cannot be solved by individual behavioural changes; solutions will require collective action to achieve systemic change.

Praxis can be understood as reflection and action for social change. Drawing on learning in ENVS 1013, students will investigate how global environmental problems are manifested at the local level. They will then develop local action strategies to effect change in those systems. This approach will foster citizenship skills and empower students in the face of global problems. This course will qualify for the STU Experiential Learning Certificate. Prerequisite: ENVS 1013.

In 2015 the UN General Assembly approved the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a set of 17 goals to be met by 2030. These sustainable development goals (SDGs) recognize that human development depends on environmental integrity, social equality, and peace. This course explores the contested meanings of sustainable development, the origins and specific content of the SDGs and the world's progess toward achieving the 2030 Agenda.

Everyone eats, and by eating we are all connected to a global system of industrialized food production and local networks of distribution and waste management. The system outputs include ecological devastation, food insecurity, poor health, and precarious rural economies. As individuals, we are embedded in various food cultures that either bolster the system or are threatened by it. Drawing from political ecology, political economy, sociocultural and health perspectives, this course takes a critical look at food systems and our relationship to them, including Indigenous and Global South perspectives, and practices of and movements for food sustainability, security, and sovereignty. Prerequisite: Must have completed 27 credit hours of coursework.

In recent years, public health and health promotion experts have introduced the concept of Planetary Health which stresses the crucial links between physical and mental wellbeing and the state of the planet. Building on concepts learned in ENVS 2243, this course introduces students to the planetary health framework for health promotion and advocacy. This framework provides a systems-based analysis of the environmental drivers of mental and physical illness and proposes system changes that would result in healthy people and a healthy planet. Prerequisite: ENVS 2243.

At the heart of sustainability transition is the communities within which people live. Housing, mobility, food, energy, recreation, culture, health care, education, child and elder care, and livelihoods all take place in community. This course looks at the changes that communities can make in these systems to bring them in line with the goals of social equity, economic resilience, and ecological sustainability. There are experiential learning components. Prerequisite: Must have completed 27 credit hours of univeristy coursework.

This is a required course for the Major in Environment & Society which is designed to integrate the entire programme of study. The seminar will focus on developing a multidisciplinary understanding of a selection of environmental issues as determined by student and faculty interests. Issues considered will include ecological damage, social origins, and alternative approaches to addressing problems. Prerequisites: ENVS 3013 and ENVS 3023 or permission of the instructor.