The Colorado Internet Center for Environmental Problem Solving

University Environmental Course Listings

Modeling the Environment and Climate

Examines modeling of the environment and climate, including climate change. Construction of simple climate and environmental models from first principles. These models are used to examine the interrelationships that exist within the climate and the environment and to test hypotheses and theories related to climate and environmental change.

Weather and the Atmosphere

This course introduces principles of modern meteorology for non-science majors, with emphasis on scientific and human issues associated with severe weather events. Includes description, prediction, economic safety impacts of blizzards, hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, floods, and firestorms. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science.

Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate

This course covers the climate of the Earth for non-science majors, focusing on the role of the atmosphere and oceans in the climate system. Descriptions of climate system energy flow, atmosphere and ocean global circulations, El-Nino, monsoons and natural and human-caused climate change. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural sciences.

Analysis of the Climate and Weather Observations

The instruments, techniques, and statistical methods used in atmospheric observations. issues of data accuracy and spatial representativeness. Applications to ozone changes, surface temperature trends, interannual variability of climate, droughts, floods, and hurricanes. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural sciences.

Air Chemistry and Pollution

Composition of the atmosphere. Sources of gaseous and particulate pollutants: their chemistry, transport, and removal from the atmosphere. Application of general principles to acid rain, smog, and stratospheric ozone depletion. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural sciences.

Modeling the Environment and Climate

Examines modeling of the environment and climate, including climate change. Construction of simple climate and environmental models from first principles. These models are used to examine the interrelationships that exist within the climate and the environmental and to test hypotheses and theories related to climate and environmental change.

Critical Issues in Climate and Environment

Discussion of current issues such as ozone depletion, global warming, and air quality for graduate students in non- scientific fields. The course will provide the scientific background necessary to understand, follow scientific developments, and critically evaluate these issues.

Physical Processes in Atmospheres and Oceans

Atmospheric thermodynamics, hydrostatics, cloud and radioactive processes, and chemical cycle. Elementary dynamics with application to the earth and planetary atmosphere. PAOS graduate core course.

Dynamics of Oceans

Theory of the large scale wind-driven and thermohaline circulations in the oceans. Models of boundary currents, western intensification, ventilation, equatorial surface and undercurrents, ocean waves, and eddies. PAOS GRADUATE core course.

Remote Sensing of Atmospheres and Oceans

Examines fundamentals of radiative transfer; extinction and scattering-based passive remote sensing; emission- based passive remote sensing; principles of active remote sensing; multi-sensor and multi-wave-length approaches to satellite remote sensing; and future satellite systems and validation programs. PASO graduate core course requirement.

Introduction to Environmental Studies

A survey of environmental studies examining ecological, socioeconomic, political, aesthetic, and technological factors that influence the quality of life on Earth.

Race, Class, and Pollution Politics

Examines communities affected by major toxic contamination threats in the U. S., evaluating race and class factors in levels of governmental and private-sector responses and actions. Investigative research methods utilized at case study sites provide skills necessary for assessment of any environmental threat for protective action.

Public Land Law

Deals with the legal status and management of federal lands. Explores federal law, policy, and agency practice affecting the use of mineral, timber, range, water, wildlife, and wilderness resources on public lands.

Water Resources

Analysis of regional and national water problems, including legal methods by which water supplies are allocated, and an examination of problems involved in water resource planning.

Oil and Gas

Deals with the legal problems associated with private arrangements forth ownership and development of oil and gas: deeds and leases to oil and gas rights. trespass, adverse possession, implied covenants in leases, conveyances of fractional interests, and the interaction of private right and conservation regulation.

Mining Law

Federal law governing access to and development of hard rock minerals on public lands; location of claims; issues of discovery; assessment work; patents; and environmental regulation.

Pollution Law

Examination and analysis of important federal pollution control statutes, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Solid Waste Act, and Superfund, Related economic theory and policy issues are considered.

Natural Resources Litigation Clinic

Offers hands-on experience in the practice of natural resources law in the Rocky Mountain region to a select number of clinic students. Affords an inside view into both complex environmental litigation as well as alternative dispute resolution. Students participate in traditional litigation as well as alternative dispute resolution. Students participate in traditional litigation, administrative advocacy, legislative drafting, and the conduct of complex negotiations and settlements.

Hazardous Waste and Toxic Torts

Examines statutorily-imposed responsibility and common-law tort and product liability exposure. These are discussed in relation to the growing problem of the handling and disposal of toxic substances and hazardous waste as they impact public health and the environment. Focuses on federal law and that of several states regulating chemicals and toxic substances, hazardous waste disposal, and clean-up of contaminated sites.

Legal Negotiation and Dispute Resolution

Explores fundamentals of effective negotiation techniques and policies for lawyers. Students engage in mock negotiations of several legal disputes. Examines a variety of dispute resolution processes such as mediation, arbitration, mini-trials, and court-annexed settlement procedures as alternatives to traditional court adjudication.

Independent Legal Research: International Environmental Law Journal

Students participate in the research, writing, and editing activities involved in publishing the Colorado Journal of Environmental Law and Policy. Standards for the awarding of credit are set and applied by the faculty.

Seminar: Advanced Natural Resources Law

For students with a strong interest in natural resources issues in the American West. Coverage is based upon biological and geographical classifications where numerous resource issues converge. Studies historical, literary, and scientific materials and then moves to an analysis of current problems relating to matters such as federal public lands, wildlife habitat, water quantity, ocean and coastal law, land us planning, pollution control, Indian law, and state, federal authority as they implicate the topic of the seminar.

Seminar: Advanced Water Resource Management

Explores the use of watersheds as geographic and political entities for addressing water- related issues. Introduces the nature of watersheds and their historical treatment, and looks at the ways in which laws and institutions facilitate or impede watershed-based problem solving or decision-making. Students prepare and present major research papers focusing on a particular water issue and explore solutions in the context of the entire watershed with its related problems and multiple, interconnected interest.

Seminar: Biotechnology and Law

Legal, moral, and economic analysis of problems posed or soon to be posed by advances in biomedical technologies. Examines problems raised by behavior control through organic intervention, including psychosurgery, psychoactive drugs. and electrical stimulation of the brain; genetic engineering, amplification of human powers and faculties by artificial means, including organ transplantation, man-machine symbiosis, and pharmacologically induced enhancement of mental functioning; death and dying; and regulation of experimentation with human subjects. Discusses problems in distributive justice posed by limited availability of biotechnological commodities, as well as issues arising from enforced treatment.

Seminar: Alternative Dispute Resolution

A study of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) theory, its application in specific contexts (e. g., civil rights), procedural approaches to ADR, advantages and disadvantages of using ADR, and the attorney's roles in ADR processes.

Seminar: International Environmental Law

Deals with selected issues in environmental law that involve the United States and one or more other countries. Students prepare research papers on topics dealing with trans-boundary pollution, extraterritorial application of federal water courses, export or disposal of hazardous materials, regulation of foreign aid and investment affecting the environment, options for controlling global climate change, and the use of treaties to protect the environment.

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For more information contact: Guy Burgess, Co-Director, Conflict Research Consortium, Campus Box 327, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0327 Phone: (303)492-1635; Fax: (303)492-2154; E-Mail: crc@colorado.eduCopyright 1997 by Conflict Research Consortium