Welcome to Environmental Science at SRJC!
Global climate change, oil spills, broken levees, skyrocketing energy prices … now, more than ever, there is a need for everyone to have a basic understanding of our environment and the environmental impact of our actions, or inactions.
Environmental Science focuses on the interactions between humans and their environment. Global climate change, ecological restoration, water quality, solid waste management, renewable energy, sustainable development, and green building are just a few of the many fundamental issues encompassed by this broad, interdisciplinary field.
Why should you take Environmental Science?
Environmental Science will:
- Empower you with an understanding of the local, regional, and global issues that affect you and your community
- Make you a more informed citizen, better able to make decisions that reflect your values as a consumer and a voter
- Equip you with the tools needed to find, interpret, and evaluate scientific information
- Provide you with an opportunity to apply and synthesize knowledge from different disciplines
- Facilitate networking with other scientists, analysts, activists, politicians, and students working on local and regional environmental issues
- Prepare you to "…be the change you want to see in the world" (Mahatma Gandhi)
Additionally, understanding both environmental issues and the methods used to study these issues is valuable for students pursuing careers in many fields, such as resource management, public policy, K-12 education, urban planning, environmental consulting, scientific research, political science, public health, agriculture, journalism, law, business, recreation, and medicine.
At Santa Rosa Junior College, we offer the following Environmental Science courses:
Environmental Science 12 (Introduction to Environmental Science)
Introduction to environmental issues from a scientific perspective, focusing on physical, chemical, and biological processes within the Earth system, the interaction between humans and these processes, and the role of science in finding sustainable solutions.
Environmental Forum (ENVST40)
A series of lectures, readings, and classroom discussions on topics of environmental concern
Environmental Science course outline: (See comment above regarding CORs)
LINKS
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: http://www.fws.gov
U.S. Department of Energy: https://www.energy.gov
National Renewable Energy Lab: http://www.nrel.gov/
U.S. Department of Agriculture: http://www.usda.gov
California EPA: http://www.calepa.ca.gov
California Department of Water Resources: http://www.water.ca.gov
California Energy Commission: http://www.energy.ca.gov/
California Integrated Waste Management Board: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/
Sonoma County Water Agency: http://www.scwa.ca.gov/
United Nations Environmental Program: http://www.unep.org
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: http://www.ipcc.ch