To pursue sustainability is to recognize that humanity is a part of the natural world, not separate from it, and that healthy social and economic systems depend on healthy ecological systems. Conversely, key threats to global environmental sustainability can only be addressed through societal systems, which must be understood as structured by intersecting systems of power and privilege. The pursuit of sustainability thus requires skills of critical analysis and participatory problem-solving grounded in an understanding of interconnectedness and justice as it relates to humans and the more-than-human world. The Sustainability Minor explores real-world problems from a variety of academic perspectives by incorporating curricula from across the natural and social sciences, as well as humanities and the arts. Its robust, interdisciplinary nature catalyzes intellectual inquiry, systems thinking, and agency to tackle the most pressing socio-ecological challenges of our time.
The Sustainability Minor is designed to engage students from every college, transcending disciplines while complementing any major. It further provides a coherent pathway to fulfill General Education and Diversity and Common Ground requirements (if the student chooses). The minor can be of particular value to students seeking careers in the growing field of sustainability, public policymaking or community development, or in applying sustainability concepts and practices to their chosen career pathway.
Contact Information
Environmental Studies website
John Meyer, Interim Department Chair
john.meyer@humboldt.edu
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