Earth’s climate is constantly changing in response to influences forced upon it by natural systems and human actions. It is expected that current and future climate changes will have a strong influence on human populations, society, and development. This course describes how humans predict future climate changes and how we can mitigate or adapt to those changes. Major topics discussed in this course will focus on the politics and economics of climate change and how these can help, or hinder, our attempts to manage climate change. More direct attempts, through geoengineering and weather modification, will be addressed as well.

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This course examines traditional and contemporary approaches to disaster risk reduction (DRR) as practiced by Indigenous communities. Drawing on Indigenous philosophical traditions and adaptions in the face of colonization, topics examined will include: Indigenous interpretations of natural hazards, risk, vulnerability and resilience; the regulation of Indigenous planning and development; the role of Indigenous Knowledge in disaster response and recovery; the participation of Indigenous Peoples in provincial, federal and international disaster management; and the implementation of Indigenous DRR strategies in the 21st Century.

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Focuses on the analysis of the processes whereby public policies arise and are enacted in Canada. The course compares theories and models of policy making and decision making to illustrate the special requirements of the Canadian environment and examines the roles of various participants in the policy process: legislators, political parties, interest groups, administrators and administrative structures, citizens, and the judiciary.

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This course will provide students with a foundation in ecological theories relating to the restoration and remediation of terrestrial systems. Application and on-going development of restoration and remediation technologies in a range of impacted landscapes, including mine sites, rights-of-way, forests, grasslands and wetlands are examined.

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