Director: Professor J. Douglas Klein (Economics)

Faculty: Professors J. Kenney (Economics), J. Garver, K. Hollocher, D. Rodbell (Geology), A. Ghaly, T. Jewell, M. Mafi (Engineering), R. Wilk (Mechanical Engineering), I. Kaplan (Sociology); Associate Professors K. LoGiudice, S. Rice (Biological Sciences); M. Hagerman (Chemistry), A. Morris (History); Assistant Professors J. Corbin (Biological Sciences), E. Garland (Anthropology), D. Gillikin (Geology), K. Lynes (English), L. MacManus-Spencer (Chemistry), H. Frey (Geology); Visiting Assistant Professor J. Bishop (Biology); Senior Lecturer J. Grigsby (Sociology).  

The Environmental Science, Policy and Engineering (ESPE) program is focused on students with an interest in the science behind the myriad environmental problems that face our world, the political policy mechanisms that may provide solutions to these issues, and the interface between the environment and the human condition. Students in the ESPE program choose either a BS degree in Environmental Science or a BA degree in Environmental Policy. The BS degree emphasizes the biological, chemical, geological sciences, and also physics and engineering. The BA degree emphasizes the social sciences and humanities, and there is considerable overlap between these two tracks. All students take a common introductory course, a core of between 8 and 11 required courses, and 4-6 courses that define an area of concentration. During the senior year, students complete 2 terms of independent research, and participate in a senior seminar.

 
Requirements for the Major in Environmental Science  
Includes ENS-100, between 11 and 13 science courses; 2 math/statistics courses; 2 policy courses; senior seminar, and 1 or 2 thesis (research) credits, for a total of 18-21 courses. Specific requirements are listed below: 
8-10 required core courses (ENS-100; BIO-102; BIO-101 recommended; BIO-315 or BIO-320 or BIO-324 or BIO-350T; CHM-101 and CHM-102 or CHM-110; GEO-100, GEO-101, GEO-102, GEO-106, or GEO-107; GEO-204; MTH-113 or MTH-110 and MTH-104 or MTH-112 or PSY-200) 2 environmental policy courses (ANT-241; CLS-153/243: ECO-228; ENS-222; HST-225; PHL-273, PHL-274; PSC 260; SOC-270, SOC-271, SOC-358T, SOC-359; SOC-450.) 6 upper level science courses in one of five areas of concentration (no more than 4 courses from any one department except for Environmental Engineering and Technology students; no double counting from A-C, above): Ecology (BIO-256T, BIO-257, BIO-315, BIO-320, BIO-322, BIO-324, BIO-325, BIO-328, BIO-350, BIO-350T, BIO-352T; ENS-201; GEO-202, GEO-254, GEO-300, GEO-301, GEO315, GEO355T) Environmental Geosciences (BIO-315, BIO-320, BIO-324, BIO-328, BIO-350T, BIO-352T, CHM-231, CHM-240, CHM-340; GEO-109, GEO-202, GEO-254, GEO-255, GEO-300, GEO-301, GEO-302, GEO-315, any Geology miniterm) Energy and Environmental Physics (PHY-110 and PHY-111; or PHY-120 and PHY-121; or IMP-111-113; and 4 from the following: ENS-200, ENS-209; MER-471; PHY-122, PHY-123, PHY-220, PHY-300, PHY-310) Environmental Engineering and Technology (PHY-120; and 5 from the following: ENS-200, ENS-207, ENS-208, ENS-209, ENS-247, ENS-250, ENS-252, ENS-253, ENS-310, ESC-370; MER-231). Senior Seminar (ENS-460)  
2 terms of thesis research (ENS-498 and ENS-499) or a one term senior research project (ENS497)

 
Requirements for the Major in Environmental Policy  
Includes ENS-100, 4 core policy courses, 1 quantitative method spatial analysis; 3 required science courses; 4 upper level policy courses; 1 environmental seminar; 1 senior seminar; 2 thesis credits for a total of 17 courses. Specific requirements are listed below:  
Introductory course (ENS-100);  
4 required policy courses (ECO-228; and 3 from: ANT-241; HST-225; PHL-273, PHL-274, PSC-260, PSC-272, SOC-260, SOC-271, SOC-358T, SOC-359) 
1 quantitative methods and spatial analysis course (one course from ECO-243, MTH-104, PSY-200, SOC-300, or GEO-204) 
3 required science courses (BIO-102; and BIO-320, or BIO-324, or BIO-350T; and GEO-100, GEO-102, GEO-106, GEO-107 or GEO-355T) 
4 upper level policy courses in one of four areas of concentration (no double counting from A-D, above; up to 2 internships may be counted toward any of the tracks below, provided the subject of the internship is selected with that track in mind and approved in writing by both the relevant internship director and the Director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program; specific internships include: ANT-232T, ANT-490T; ECO-390; PSC-277; PSC-279T; SOC-385): 
Environmental Law and Management (CLS-153/243; ENS-208; GEO-109, GEO-335T; HST-225; PHL-273, PHL-274; PSC-260, PSC-264, PSC-273; SOC-240, SOC-270, SOC-358T, SOC-359) 
Environmental Problems and Response (ANT-241; CLS-153/243; EGL-251; ENS-201, ENS-208, ENS-222, ENS-247; GEO-109, GEO-355T; HST-225; PHL-273, PHL-274; SOC-202, SOC-270, SOC-271, SOC-359, SOC-370, SOC-387T; TAB-333T) 
Marine Studies (BIO-256T, BIO-328, BIO-352T; SOC-358T, SOC-359) 
Energy and Sustainability (BIO-322; ENS-200, ENS-201, ENS-208, ENS-209, ENS-222. ENS-247, ENS-253; PSC-272; SOC-359; TAB-333T) 
Up to two internships may be counted toward any of the tracks above, provided the subject of the internship is selected with that track in mind and approved in writing by both the relevant internship director and the director of the Environmental Science, Policy, and Engineering program. 
Environmental Services and Policy (SOC-450) (Junior seminar for Environmental Policy majors) 
Senior Seminar (ENS-460) 
2 terms of thesis research (ENS-498 and ENS-499)

 
Requirements for Honors: The major requirements as specified above are required, as are the GPA requirements of Union College described elsewhere in this catalogue.

 
Requirements for the Minor in Environmental Science and Policy:  
ENS-100 Either two science courses and three policy courses, or three science courses and two policy courses.. Courses must be selected from the following lists. No more than 2 courses may be taken from any one Department and no more than one course may be taken at the 100 level.

 
Science Courses 
Biology: BIO-320, BIO-322, BIO-324, BIO-328 
Chemistry: CHM-101 
Envir. Science: ENS-200, END-207, ENS-208, ENS-209, ENS-247, ENS-250, ENS-252, ENS-253, ENS-310 
Geology: GEO-102, GEO-106, GEO-107, GEO-109, GEO-202, GEO-204, GEO-252, GEO-254, GEO-255, GEO 300, GEO-301, GEO-302, GEO-315, GEO-355T 

Policy Courses 
Anthropology: ANT-241 
Economics: ECO-228 
Envir. Science.: ENS-208 
Geology: GEO-109, GEO-355T 
History: HST-225 
Philosophy: PHL-273, PHL-274 
Political Science: PSC-272 
Sociology: SOC-202, SOC-271, SOC-358T, SOC-359, SOC-450 

Requirements for the Minor in Environmental Engineering: 
This program of study is only available to students as a minor and requires a minimum of six courses, including one core course and five elective courses. This minor is for students who are interested in the engineering and technical aspects of environmental issues. Completion of this minor will introduce the students to the environmental issues involved in several aspects of human endeavor (energy, water, waste, shelter, etc.), and will prepare them to contribute to design teams working to assess and mitigate environmental impacts.

Students must complete MTH-102, MTH-112, or MTH-113 and PHY-110 or PHY-120 for this minor. ENS100: Introduction to Environmental Science and Policy Five courses from the following list of electives. Refer to the Environmental Science and Policy section for a description of these courses. ENS-200 Energy ENS-207: Hydrology ENS-208: Waste Management and Recycling ENS-209: Renewable Energy Systems ENS-247: Sustainable Infrastructure ENS-250: Water Resources and the Environment ENS-252: Environmental Geotechniques ENS-253: Environmentally Friendly Buildings ENS-310: Environmental Engineering

Courses in Environmental Studies - Other courses are listed under their individual departments

ENS-100. Introduction to Environmental Studies. (Fall, Winter, Spring, Staff) An introduction to the study of environmental studies from both a policy and a scientific perspective. Topics include human population dynamics, pollution and remediation, global warming, acid rain, and biodiversity. Fieldwork during lab periods involves the investigation of local environmental problems. This course is intended for sophomores in the environmental studies program, but it is open to all students.

ENS-200. Energy. (Fall, Winter, Staff) (not offered 2011-12) Designed to acquaint the student with the many societal and technological problems facing the United States and the world due to the ever increasing demand for energy. Weekly Lab sessions.

ENS-207. Hydrology. (not offered 2011-12) The study of the processes of surface water hydrology; including the rainfall/runoff process, river and stream routing, and reservoir analysis and design. Introduction to drainage system design, culvert design, and groundwater hydrology. Spreadsheets and computer software are used to assist in analysis and design. Four lecture hours per week. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.

ENS-208. Waste Management and Recycling. (Spring, Ghaly). (not offered 2011-12) This course will introduce students to various sources of solid waste materials including hazardous and non-hazardous waste, and biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. Focus areas are overview of landfill systems, geosynthetics, geotextiles, geomembranes, geonets, single clay liner, single geomembrane liner, composite liner systems, leak detection and leachate collection, removal and treatment of leachate, and capping and closure systems. The recycling segment will explore natural resources of raw materials including origin and use. It will also investigate the potential and limitation for recycling of materials. The focus area will be various applications of recycling recyclable and non-recyclable materials especially non-biodegradable waste. Discussion of methods of manufacture and compositions of such materials will concentrate on advanced industrial applications for the reuse of non-recyclable waste materials. Application areas include production of new materials, materials with superior qualities for special purposes, and materials with high level of resistance against certain environmental conditions. The course will also touch on the political aspect of recycling including consumer attitude and government incentives to encourage recycling. Prerequisites: ENS-100 or GEO-100.

ENS-209. Renewable Energy Systems. (Spring, Wilk) The study of renewable energy resources and the conversion technologies available to utilize them to meet society’s energy needs. Topics include forms of energy; First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics; energy conversion and efficiency; sustainability; energy storage. Historical perspective on world and U.S. energy usage, conversion technologies, and energy resources. Fundamentals of the conversion processes and systems involved in the use of solar thermal and photovoltaic, wind, bioenergy, geothermal, thermoelectric, hydro and ocean technologies. The use of hydrogen as a fuel and technologies to produce and use it. Economic and environmental issues relevant to renewable energy resources. Class will be supplemented with laboratory demonstrations and field trips to visit existing renewable energy systems. Prerequisites: MER-231 or PHY-122.

ENS-222. The New Wall of China (Same as MLT-209)

ENS-247. Sustainable Infrastructure. (Fall, Ghaly) Infrastructure is the backbone of nations. It is a society’s inventory of systems and facilities that allow it to function properly and smoothly. This includes, but is not limited to, roads, bridges, tunnels, dams, transit, waterways, ports, aviation, pipelines, transmission lines, rail, parks, and public buildings such as schools, courts, hospitals, and recreational and sport facilities. Infrastructure involves also services such as energy, water supply, wastewater treatment, power and gas distribution grids, waste collection, and sewer disposal. Major advances in technology resulted in digital infrastructure that includes communication networks, signal transmission towers, data centers, information repositories, servers/computers, and the Internet. This course explores the progress humanity achieved in developing infrastructure facilities and the present move towards sustainability. Methods, materials, processes, technologies, practices, and operations required to maintain a healthy environment and efficient infrastructure will be examined. The intersection between policies necessary for sustainable infrastructure and political, economical, social, societal, and cultural factors will be emphasized. Four class hours weekly. No prerequisite.

ENS-250. Water Resources and the Environment. (Winter, Jewell) Fluid mechanics as applied to water resources and environmental engineering. Study of pollution in streams, lakes, and reservoirs from point and non-point sources. Introduction to hydrology, water supply development and treatment, and wastewater collection and treatment. Prerequisites: MTH-112 or MTH-113, and PHY-120.

ENS-252. Environmental Geotechniques. (Fall, Ghaly) Environmental Geotechniques: This course explores the natural characteristics, techniques of coring, methods of classification, and testing of soils as a material impacted by the surrounding environment. The utilized methods of testing are those standardized by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Basic topics covered are soil exploration, composition, flow and permeability, compaction, compressibility, strength, slope stability, and environmental geotechnology with focus on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) testing and design specifications. Three class hours and a weekly lab. Prerequisite ENS100 (Introduction to Environmental Studies) or GEO102 (Environmental Geology).

ENS-253. Environmentally Friendly Buildings. (Spring, Mafi) A large percentage of energy consumption and negative effect on environment is attributable to buildings and their use. In this course, through hands-on experience, computer simulation and research, the students will become acquainted with the inner-workings of the subsystems in buildings, such as: Structures, lighting and appliances, heating/air-conditioning, plumbing, basement/crawl space/attic, water and moisture management; enclosure, interior, exterior. The students will become aware of indoor and outdoor environmental and life cycle costs of the existing systems and will learn the latest science and technology to reduce the negative effect of these subsystems on the environment. Laboratory: hands-on experience with the above subsystems, site visits, Computer simulations, research, projects, presentations. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.

ENS-460. Senior Seminar in Environmental Studies. (Winter) This capstone course for the environmental science and policy program brings together the expertise and experience of all environmental science and policy seniors to study contemporary environmental issues, usually related to a single topic or small number of topics. Issues may include legal cases, legislation and regulation, application of technology to social problems, and national and global environmental policy. Class time may include discussion, debate, field trips, class presentations, and outside speakers. Research and presentation of findings will be stressed. Prerequisite: Senior standing (open to all seniors).

Independent Studies and Thesis ENS 295H-296H Two-Term Environmental Science Honors Independent Project 1 & 2. Prerequisite: Union Scholar.

ENS-490-491. Independent Study in Environmental Studies. Independent work on an environmental topic of particular interest under the direction of a faculty advisor. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ENS 497. Senior Research in Environmental Science. Senior-level independent research on an environmentally related topic. Substantial writing in required for ENS 497 (must satisfy WAC-WS requirements, for which WS credit is awarded). Topics are chosen in consultation with, and conducted under the direction of the student’s senior research advisor. The results of senior research are presented to an audience of faculty members and peers. Prerequisite: Senior standing in the environmental science program and permission of the project advisor. (NOTE: This option is not open to environmental policy majors.)

498-499. Research in Environmental Studies. Senior-level research on an environmentally-related topic. Work may take the form of two independent study term projects, or as a two-term senior thesis. Substantial writing is required for ENS 499 (must satisfy WAC-WS requirements, for which WS credit is awarded). Topics are chosen in consultation with and conducted under the direction of the student’s advisor. Thesis research must follow the guidelines of the host department. The results of senior research are presented in the senior seminar. Prerequisite: Senior standing in the environmental studies program and permission of the instructor.