ENST 100 – ENVIRONMENT, CULTURE AND SOCIETY
This introductory course in environmental studies helps students to better understand the complex interrelationship between human cultures and their social and physical environments. Lectures and assignments draw upon the methods and expertise of architecture, the humanities and the social sciences. This is a core course of Rice’s Environmental Studies minor.
ENST 117 – FRESHMAN SEMINAR IN LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE RESEARCH
A 7-week seminar course to introduce freshmen perspective environmental science researches to the excitement of research at Rice and in the broader Houston area, and to provide context with which to think about facts presented in textbooks. Small groups will meet weekly with a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher to explore a published research article by a local team of researchers, gaining background information about the subject and exposure to the research techniques. In the final session, the group will tour the lab that produced the feature article. Additional tours and activities TBA. All first year non-transfer students are eligible to enroll in ENST 117 regardless of AP credit. This course meets in the second half of the semester and features research in the Environmental Science Major.
ENST 201 – THE SCIENCE BEHIND EARTH GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE
The course will introduce the students to the science behind last century Earth global warming in the context of the past records of global Earth climate variability and forecast of Earth climate in the next century.
ENST 202 – CULTURE, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT: AN INTRODUCTION TO ENERGY HUMANITIES
Humanity faces extraordinary challenges in an era of climate change and energy transition. These challenges are not only technological but also questions of value, power, behavior, and understanding. This course draws upon new research across the arts, humanities and social sciences to help students better understand the cultural and social dimensions of our current patterns of energy use, their environmental impacts, and the possibility of new energy futures. Intended for both STEM majors and humanities and social science students.
ENST 204 – ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: THE DESIGN & PRACTICE OF COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE
The course introduces the fundamentals of community garden design and practice. Responsibilities will center on developing and improving the Rice Community Garden. A strong emphasis will be on learning and applying ecological principles to the practice of community agriculture. Class has required meetings outside of regular class time.
ENST 265 – GREEN WORLDS: SCIENCE FICTION AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Examines the ways that science fiction has expressed and challenged ideas about nature, culture, society and politics and imagined alternative ‘green’ worlds. Will focus on authors such as Margaret Atwood, Octavia Butler and Paolo Bacigalupi: films such as “Wall-E” and “Avatar”: and accessible secondary criticism.
ENST 281 – ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
Students will work in teams to develop sustainable solutions for energy or environmental problems affecting our Houston and Rice communities. Emphasis will be placed on the integration of engineering fundamentals with societal issues, environmental and safety considerations, sustainability and professional communications.
ENST 302 – ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: RICE INTO THE FUTURE
Students use the campus as a laboratory for learning about sustainability through group projects to reduce Rice’s environmental impact or resolve environmental issues.
ENST 307 – ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
This course explores the physical principles of energy use and its impacts on Earth’s environment and climate. Topics will include energy mechanics, climate change, and the environmental impacts and future prospects of various fossil fuel and alternative energy sources.
ENST 313 – SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
This course will explore sustainable design from initial sustainable facility concepts and team organizations, to enlisting community support and process assessment. The course will develop into details about sustainable design, lessons learned, processes and outcomes. Space is limited and registration does not guarantee a space in this course. The final course roster is formulated on the first day class by the individual instructor.
ENST 315 – ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
An overview of environmental health issues including discussion of epidemiologic methods, illnesses caused or exacerbated by environmental exposures, and the role of research in driving effective policies to protect and promote public health. The class includes numerous guest lectures by area experts (physicians, researchers, community activists, policymakers and others); a bus tour featuring disproportionately affected neighborhoods as well as cutting-edge “green” initiatives; original student research projects; and an opportunity to address the Houston City Council. The dynamic between research and action, i.e., “making a difference,” is stressed.
ENST 316 – ENVIRONMENTAL FILM
Explores the ways film represents the environment and environmental issues (food, water, energy, waste, environmental justice, sustainability), and both expresses and shapes environmental values. We will view and analyze a variety of genres, as well as reading supplementary material.
ENST 321 – CASE STUDIES IN SUSTAINABILITY: THE HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING
The project-based seminar will provide a means by which all those with an interest in the building science entailed in the design of commercial, institutional, and residential structures can investigate common issues, obtain information, discuss local strategies, and otherwise address subjects relating to building or campus performance over its lifecycle. To develop an approach of taking an existing Rice University building an optimizing its use via “repositioning” or redesign the class will create an interdisciplinary forum where students of architecture, engineering (structural, mechanical, etc.), and human sciences will potentially collaborate with professional building consultants, materials manufactures, contractors, developers, owners, and Rice campus facility managers.
ENST 322 – CASE STUDIES IN SUSTAINABILITY: THE REGENERATIVE REPOSITIONING OF NEW OR EXISTING RICE CAMPUS BUILDINGS
This course will explore application of high performance, sustainable design to specific Rice University campus and facility targets. In partnership with Rice University leadership, the team effort will develop “regenerative redesign” approaches based on investigation of other campuses’ case study. Space is limited and registration does not guarantee a space in this course. The final course roster is formulated on the first day of class by the individual instructor.
ENST 323 – CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
The course is designed to give students a broad overview of conservation biology. Lecture and discussions will focus on conservation issues such as biodiversity, extinction, management, sustained yield, invasive species and preserve design.
ENST 331 – ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY
The course considers the major issues in the increasingly important public policy area of the environment. It emphasizes the American experience, but also considers certain international aspects of these issues.
ENST 332 – THE SOCIAL LIFE OF CLEAN ENERGY
This course considers the phenomenon of renewable energy, using a social scientific approach to analyze the various forces and interests involved in the development of renewable energy projects (such as hydropower, solar and wind) in both the global North and South.
ENST 340 – GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
This course introduces students to the coupled nature of the biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere using as focal points elemental cycles such as those of carbon and nitrogen. This is a writing-intensive class, and will include 3 required Saturday field trips.
ENST 350 – ENVIRONMENTAL INTERNSHIP
Provides enrollment credit for approved internships with environmental organizations or agencies. Students must seek approval prior to beginning the internship. Weekly progress reports and a final paper are required. Instructor Permission Required.
ENST 367 – ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY
This course focuses on the foundations of environmental sociology and takes a social and historical approach to examine how humans affect the environment and the environment affects humans. Topics include: agricultural sustainability, resource extraction and climate changes; environmental racism/sexism; globalization and development; population, and consumption, and environmental movements.
ENST 368 – LITERATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
A course that asks the question: How does literature express or shape environmental values? In this class we will read American fiction and nonfiction exploring the relationship between human and nonhuman nature.
ENST 379 – LAB MODULE IN AQUATIC ECOLOGY WITH SCUBA
Students will learn some fundamentals of aquatic ecosystems and conduct lab exercises that involve SCUB-based fieldwork in a nationally recognized freshwater dive site. Course has required meetings outside of regular class time.
ENST 391 – SPECULATIVE FUTURES
Drawing from “CliFi,” “Speculative Fiction, “and global anthropological case studies, this course analyzes a series of potential futures as earthly conditions continue to be altered by human activity. Students will develop speculative future models through assessing climate conditions, population displacement, ethics, ecological transformations and human practices and values.
ENST 406 – INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
Introduction to Environmental Law is intended to introduce the student to the methods used by the United States and the international community to regulate and/or allocate air, water and land resources. A key focus of this course will be the emerging area of the law of sustainable development, including the implementation of full price costing, life cycle analysis, carbon cycle analysis, allocation of assimilative capacity and other similar issues.
ENST 415 – THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT
Examines the environmental movement in the U.S. and globally. After a historical overview, we will use a social movement perspective to examine mobilization, organizations and tactics, ideologies and identities, as well as exploring aspects of contemporary environmentalism (e.g. green building and slow flood, wildlife management/biodiversity, sustainable development, environmental justice).
ENST 425 – ORGANIC GEOCHEMISTRY
This course covers the organic geochemistry of the natural environment. Topics include: production, transport, decomposition, and storage of organic matter in the marine and terrestrial environments, use of isotopes to track biogeochemical processes and natural and perturbed carbon cycle issues, including past and recent climate shifts.
ENST 437 – ENERGY ECONOMICS
Discussion of key aspects in the supply and demand of energy. Topics include optimal extraction of depletable resources, transportation, storage, end-use and efficiency, and the relationship between economic activity, energy, and the environment.
ENST 441 – GOVERNING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMONS
Common Property Resources (CPRs), such as fisheries, aquifers, and the Internet, appear in many guises and pose a fundamental problem for governing. Exploration of theoretical underpinnings for CPRs, their growing literature, and the political and economic institutions mediating CPR dilemmas. Included is an original research project in conjunction with the instructor.
ENST 480 – ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY ECONOMICS
Uses economic theories of externalities and common property resources to analyze how markets, legal institutions, regulations, taxes and subsidies, and voluntary activity can affect the supply of environmental amenities, such as clean air, clean water, and wilderness areas. Also discusses methods for determining the demand for environmental amenities.
For a full list of all the Environmental Studies (ENST) courses and their prerequisites, please visit Environmental Studies Courses and Descriptions at Rice General Announcements.