Wikipedia:USEP/Courses/Readings in Environmental Studies (David Sonnenfeld)

Course information

 * University: State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF)
 * Course title: EST 495, Readings in Environmental Studies (Section 06) (associated with EST 361, History of the American Environmental Movement)
 * Professor name: David A. Sonnenfeld
 * Professor's Wikipedia username:
 * Course start date: August 27, 2012
 * Assignment due date: December 14, 2012
 * Wikipedia Online Ambassador: The Interior

Course description
EST 495, Selected Readings in Environmental Studies: "An in-depth and independent exploration of selected readings from the environmentally related literature. Emphasis is placed on gaining insights and understanding from the readings, rather than producing an extensive bibliography." ESF Course Catalog


 * (EST 361, History of the American Environmental Movement: "Three hours of lecture and discussion per week. The historic and cultural origins and evolution of this complex, multifaceted social phenomenon called the environmental movement and its influence on public policies, values and lifestyles. The events, personages, philosophies and historical/cultural processes that marked and continue to drive various, competing attitudes toward nature, even within the United States environmental movement.")

Wikipedia assignment
By the end of the semester, each student participating in EST 495 is expected to make significant contributions to at least one Wikipedia article related to the History of the American Environmental Movement.

Possible topics
Following is an illustrative list of articles relating to the History of the American Environmental Movement that could be created or significantly improved:
 * Arthur Kill blob (1950s), mass of untreated sewage off of Staten Island, New York
 * Barry Commoner (1917-2012), citizen-scientist, presidential candidate, environmentalist, author of Science and Survival (1966), and The Closing Circle (1971)
 * Black Monday (1943), notable air pollution incident in Los Angeles
 * City Beautiful movement, late 19th century urban beautification movement
 * Climate Action Network, contemporary international network of organizations active on the issue of global climate change
 * USCAN, "the largest US network of organizations focused on climate change"
 * Echo Park Dam controversy (1950s), arguably the first big 'victory' for the American wilderness movement (could be spun off and developed into a separate article; see also related section in the article on Howard Zahniser)
 * Forest and Stream (1873-1930), outdoor sportsmen's magazine involved in the campaign to establish the Adirondack Park
 * The Knickerbocker (1833-1865), literary magazine based in New York City that published influential articles by Thomas Cole and Francis Parkman, Jr. on the United States' vanishing wilderness
 * New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, contemporary NY state agency responsible for administration of 168 state parks and much more...
 * New York State Park Commission, est. 1872 to investigate the possibility of an Adirondack Park
 * Northwoods Walton Club, organization involved in the founding of the Adirondack Park
 * Our Synthetic Environment (1962), by Murray Bookchin, critique of the environmental challenges of contemporary urban life
 * People v. the Brooklyn Cooperage Company, key early conservation legal battle concerning forestry and logging practices in the Adirondack Park
 * Rachel's Environment & Health News (1986-2008), edited and published by Peter Montague, important contemporary example of environment-oriented citizen science
 * Sanitarian movement, early 20th century public and environmental health movement (see: sanitarian)

Article banner
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Student resources
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External link

 * Course outline, SUNY-ESF