https://courses.vccs.edu/colleges/brcc/courses/ENV122-ApplicationsinEnvironmentalScience

Effective: 2026-01-01

Course Description

Applies the basic concepts of environmental science to human interactions with the environment. Examines environmental science in the context of the societal implications with a focus on sustainability. Assignments require college-level reading fluency, coherent written communication, and basic mathematical skills. Intended for students not majoring in science. This is a Passport and UCGS transfer course.
Lecture 3 hours. Laboratory 3 hours. Total 6 hours per week.
4 credits

The course outline below was developed as part of a statewide standardization process.

General Course Purpose

The purpose of ENV 122 is to provide non-science majors with the opportunity to apply concepts of environmental science to sustainability.

Course Objectives

  • Scientific Literacy
    • Apply the scientific method to laboratory exercises.
    • Develop and test a hypothesis
    • Read and interpret data, including simple graphs
    • Explain how science concepts relate to society
    • Communicate scientific ideas by written and/or oral communication
  • Critical Thinking
    • Discriminate among degrees of credibility, accuracy, and reliability of inferences drawn from given data
    • Determine whether certain conclusions or consequences are supported by the information provided
    • Weigh pros and cons of environmental solutions, such as renewable energy, organic agriculture, climate change policies, etc.
  • Civic Engagement
    • Apply environmental concepts to real world scenarios
    • Discuss how we can mitigate and adapt to climate change.
    • Use disciplinary and civic knowledge to engage, assess, design, implement and evaluate environmentally sustainable actions
    • Identify the role of stakeholders in environmental sustainability
    • Use disciplinary and civic knowledge to assess environmentally sustainable actions

Major Topics to be Included

  • Types of Energy and Energy Conservation
    • Describe several types of conventional energy and its advantages and disadvantages (coal, oil, nuclear, and natural gas)
    • Describe several types of renewable energy sources and advantages and disadvantages (hydropower, solar, wind, and geothermal)
    • Summarize the potential and risk of various energy sources
    • Evaluate strategies for energy efficiencies.
    • Give examples of how we can transition to more sustainable energy.
  • Environmental Issues: Air
    • Identify the causes of air pollution (natural and man-made)
    • Define air pollution and its effect on air quality
    • Describe air pollution related disease and disorders
    • Evaluate air pollution progress and efforts
    • Examine anthropogenic causes of climate change
    • Describe current and future impacts of climate change on the environment and human populations
  • Environmental Issues: Food and Soils
    • Describe the patterns of world food sources and their relations to climate
    • Discuss nutritional requirements and their relationship to health
    • Describe methods of farming, including genetic engineering
    • Evaluate food related progress and efforts
    • Describe the components, use, and conservation of soils
    • Discuss pesticides and their impact on the environment
    • Evaluate methods of organic and sustainable agriculture
  • Environmental Issues: Water
    • Discuss the importance of water as humanity's most vital natural resource and reasons for its shortages
    • Discuss the importance of water as humanity's most vital natural resource and reasons for its shortages
    • Identify sources of water pollution and its control
    • Identify the relationship between water quality and health for both humans and wildlife
    • Evaluate water pollution related progress and efforts
    • Identify the ways to preserve water as a vital resource
  • Environmental Issues: Toxicology and Waste
    • Recognize that environmental diseases can be directly attributed to unhealthy, adverse environmental factors (exposure to toxic chemicals, radiation, air pollution, water contamination, inadequate sanitation, etc.)
    • Evaluate how we may lessen the sources of disease-causing pollution
    • Investigate the diseases caused by adverse environment factors
    • Evaluate the importance of maintaining a collective healthy environment
    • Describe the municipal waste stream
    • Explain how both municipal waste and hazardous waste are disposed
  • Environmental Policy and Economics
    • Compare ecological economics (steady state economics) to neoclassical economics
    • Summarize how market economics can affect resource use and the environment
    • Describe the economic value of functioning ecosystems
    • Describe community based and green approaches to policy
    • Describe major U.S. environmental laws and evaluate ways these policies are shaped via 3 branches of the government
    • Explain the purpose of international treaties and conventions
    • Recognize ways to lessen the exposure to toxic social factors in the environment, such as environmental migration and racism