ENV-326 Environmental Sustainability in Tropics

In this course, students explore the difficulties and rewards of pursuing an environmentally sustainable culture, while focusing especially on two of Costa Rica's most pressing challenges: tourism and agriculture. Students will both be ecotourists by engaging in some of the typical tourist activities (e.g., zip-lining, rafting, canopy walks) and analyze the effects of their tourist activities. They will also explore the complexities of an economy and national identity based on ecotourism. In addition, students will observe and investigate the complexities of agriculture by studying both the implications of unchecked grazing and industrial agriculture, and the movement toward sustainable practices such as organic and polyculture farming. Students will complete a research project based on their studies. Prerequisites: Instructor permission

Credits

3 credits