MCCCD Program Description

Society and Environment

Course: GPH210

First Term: 2007 Fall

Lecture 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s) 3 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S

Description: Principles of physical geography relating to environmental problems pertinent to contemporary society. Pollution, maladjusted land use, resource exploitation.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Describe the history of the environmental movement.(I) 2. Describe the ecosystems and their dynamics. (II) 3. Explain global ecosystems using the principles of the Gaia hypothesis.(I,II) 4. Describe the role of geomorphology in the development and sustainability of ecosystems.(II) 5. Describe critical factors of the soil ecosystem. (II) 6. Describe the causes and consequences of wildlife extinction.(II) 7. Describe problems related to water usage and water pollution. (III) 8. Identify major atmospheric pollutants, and describe their effects on climate and on humans. (IV) 9. Describe the causes and consequences of the population explosion and review possible solutions. (V) 10. Describe the objectives for sustainable agriculture and explain their relationship to food production. (VI) 11. Identify natural resources and their geographic locations, and describe contemporary issues related to their availability and/or depletion. (VII) 12. Describe the methods for and feasibility of converting trash to resources. (VII) 13. Identify renewable and nonrenewable energy resources and describe contemporary issues related to their availability and/or depletion. (VII) 14. Describe the impact of pollution and exploitation of resources on modern lifestyles. (VIII)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Introduction to physical environment A. The aim of environmental science B. History of the environmental movement C. Gaia hypothesis II. Ecosystems and biomes A. Definition and locations B. How ecosystems work C. Soils and the soil ecosystem D. Geomorphology E. Wildlife and wildlife extinction III. Water A. The hydrologic cycle B. Water usage C. Water pollution D. Sediments, nutrients, and eutrophication E. Water treatment facilities F. Waste water treatment facilities IV. Climate A. Paleoclimate B. Global warming C. El Nino/La Nina D. Ozone depletion E. Air pollution V. The population explosion A. Causes and consequences B. Addressing the population problem VI. Sustainable agriculture A. Causes of world hunger B. Ways to increase food production C. Objectives for sustainable agriculture D. Traditional farming versus commercial farming E. Farm policy in the United States VII. Energy resources A. Natural resources and their geographic locations B. Nonrenewable energy resources C. Renewable energy resources D. Recycling VIII. Lifestyle and sustainability D. Effects of air pollution on climate E. Effects of climate on air pollution F. Effects of air pollution on humans G. Air pollution laws VIII. Plants and animals A. Causes and consequences of species extinction B. Species management IX. Natural Resources and their geographic locations A. Availability/depletion B. Converting trash to resources: recycling X. Energy resources A. Nonrenewable energy resources B. Renewable energy resources XI. Lifestyle and sustainability A. Impact of population B. Exploitation of resources

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: 6/26/2007

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.