Introduction to Environmental Earth Sciences @ UNI - Dr. Heinzel
Syllabus Fall 2025 (in class or posted to E-Learning) , SustainableUNI, Sustainability in Higher Education
Week 1 - Environmental Science and Sustainability: Science to Economics Slides: Introduction, What is sustainability, environmental science to Economics , Links to learn by... Understanding Science via U.C. Berkeley Pages for HW 1: One, Two A, Two B
Week 2 - Systems, Human population and ecologic biodiversity, Reading Text supplement p23-25
Week 3 - Matter, energy and environmental change, Handout = Energy and the hydro cycle Listen to this, NY Times Daily Podcast, in order to listen for free you need to log into the site with your UNI accountHow do the following concepts from class: Demand/supply, Markets, Ethics, Externalities, True Cost Accounting and Tragedy of the Commons apply to the content of this podcast, no more than one page. Due Friday Sept. 12
Week 4 - Conservation, Video for Friday, Importance of biodiversity Suzanne Simard.
Week 5 - Systems and Cycles: Podcast for Wednesday R.W. Kimmerer and Krista Tippett, Importance of conservation and systems thinking
Week 6 - Hydrosphere System - Watersheds to Groundwater
Week 7 - Lithosphere: Minerals, Rocks and Mining, Rock cycle video, Rock cycle Handout , Readings for this week and midterm Minnesota and Pacific Ocean ,
Mid-Term Exam
Week 8 - Landscapes, soils and agriculture - New York Times article "How America Got Hooked on Ultraprocessed Foods" - Oct. 2025 will need to make sure you are log into your UNI MyUNIverse account to access.
Week 9 - Non-renewable to Renewable energy - Coal, oil and gas Homework handouts, Number 1 , Number 2 Due Oct. 28, ignore the March date listed in document 1.
Week 10 - Environmental Health and Geology - Introduce Radon and Lifestyle Projects Halloween Presentation
Week 11 - Waste generation and disposal - Consumption vs. Conservation vs. Recycling
Week 12 - Atmosphere - Air quality, wildfires and heatwaves - No home work, all in class activities.
Week 13 - Climate change,, Slides, Podcasts: NY Times Daily 1.Science Friday: What happens if Atlantic Ocean Currents Cease to Churn?, 2. How Climate Migration will Reshape America , ProPublica New Climate Maps Website , Podcast for Friday - Katharine Hayhoe
More information NOAA Climatology, NOAA Sea-level Rise Simulation 3. Extra Reading
Week 14- Fall Break
Week 15 - Decision making, Sustainable economics, policies, and regulations - Podcasts NPR Marketplace , NPR Marketplace 2 , Black Rock
Resources
United States Geological Survey
The Scientific Method , even better try this or this Hypotheses Versus Theories
Relevant Podcasts
Environmental education Talk of Iowa
Climate Change and our National Parks
Changing Climate Means Changing Oceans
Past videos