Undergraduate Courses

REM 100-3
Global Change
This course provides students with an overview of global environmental change and its causes from a social science perspective, historically and at the present time. Population growth, an increasing ecological footprint and changes in ideology, social organization, economy and technology will be critically reviewed. New ways of thinking in natural and social science will be considered in relation to specific issues such as land, soil and food; energy, raw materials and solid waste; air pollution and transportation; water, oceans and fisheries; climate change; forestry and biodiversity; urbanization, and alternative futures. Breadth-Social Sciences. This course is offered during the Spring and Fall semester.

REM 100-3 (Surrey)
Global Change
This course provides students with an overview of global environmental change and its causes from a social science perspective, historically and at the present time. Population growth, an increasing ecological footprint and changes in ideology, social organization, economy and technology will be critically reviewed. New ways of thinking in natural and social science will be considered in relation to specific issues such as land, soil and food; energy, raw materials and solid waste; air pollution and transportation; water, oceans and fisheries; climate change; forestry and biodiversity; urbanization, and alternative futures. Breadth-Social Sciences. This course is offered during the Spring and Fall semester.

REM 311-3 (Spring)
Applied Ecology and Sustainable Environments
Students will learn to apply the ecological concepts introduced in prerequisite courses to applied ecological problems at the population, community, and ecosystem levels of organization. Emphasis will be placed on processes which drive ecological dynamics, on recognizing those processes and dynamics in applied contexts, and on interpreting ecological data. Prerequisite: REM 100 or EVSC 200, BISC 204 or GEOG 215, STAT 101 or GEOG 251 or equivalent. Quantitative.

REM 321-3 (Fall)
Ecological Economics
Introduces students to the concepts and methods of ecological economics. Provides students with grounding in the core principles of conventional economics applied to the environment but then extends this to the integration of economics and ecology to create a new ecological-economic understanding of environmental change and sustainability. Prerequisite: minimum of 45 units. This course is identical to ENV 321 and students cannot complete both courses for credit.

REM 350-4 (Spring)
Sustainable Energy and Materials Management
Takes an interdisciplinary approach to sustainable management of society’s energy and materials flows. Topics range from thermodynamics and estimates of global resources to market-based policies and governance institutions. Peak oil, renewable energy and carbon capture and storage are also discussed. The role for green consumerism in light of climate challenge are highlighted. Prerequisite: minimum of 45 units.

REM 356-3 (Fall)
Institutional Arrangements for Sustainable Environmental Management
This course provides an overview of some basic legislation, agencies, and policies which currently are in use to regulate the natural environment at the international, national, provincial, regional, and local levels. Its purpose is to present a basic set of evaluative questions which can be used to address the effectiveness and efficiency of the environmental regulatory and management systems currently in use. Prerequisite: REM 100.

REM 363-3
Special Topics

REM 412-3 (Spring)
Environmental Modelling
Students receive hands-on experience in the construction and analysis of computer simulation models of environmental and ecological systems and problems. Prerequisite: BISC 204, REM 100 or EVSC 200, MATH 151 or 154 or 157, MATH 152 or 155, STAT 101 or 103 or 301 or equivalent. Quantitative.

REM 445-3 (Fall) (Course Schedule)
Environmental Risk Assessment and Management of Hazardous Substances
Students receive theory and practical experience in the control and management of hazardous substances in the environment. This includes the application of techniques used to assess toxicological, ecological and human health risks of contaminants within the current regulatory framework. Prerequisite: MATH 151, 154, or 157; STAT 101, 103, or 301 or GEOG 251.

REM 471-3 (Summer)
Forest Ecosystem Management
Students will examine the problems of managing forest ecosystems for a variety of societal goals and objectives. The course will start with an examination of the ecological characteristics of forest ecosystems and their dynamics. The second section will focus on the objectives and tools of forest management in an ecological context. The final section of the course will focus on the institutions, economics and policies of forest management, with a focus on British Columbia’s historical and current management issues. This course will involve lectures, group discussions, field trips, and exercises. Prerequisite: At least one of REM 311, BISC 304, BISC 310, BISC 404, GEOG 315, or GEOG 316.