This course examines how humankind's collective activities, including altering the climate, have significantly affected the natural planetary balance. We will discuss human population growth and unsustainable resource use; the movement of pollutants through the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere; the impacts these stressors have on ecosystem services and human health; and how certain impacts have been and can be mitigated by environmental policies and laws. Prerequisite: BIOL 208.