Seminars in the Sustainability Learning Community (LC) will examine the importance of place, the human role in the environment, and actions that foster sustainability. Questions we will ask include: What is the relationship of people to the environment? How do our attitudes towards nature change over time? And how is Austin making efforts to become more sustainable?
Signature Events:
CapMetro Transit Adventure- We get to know some of Austin's popular sites like SoCo, Zilker Park, and downtown, by using the city's mass transit system. Once you know how to catch the bus, you'll be able to explore the whole city.
Where's My Food From?- Compare food sold at grocery stores and farmers' markets. Learn how global our corporate food distribution system is, and how local farmers have created a healthier and more sustainable alternative.
Hike, Bike, and Paddle- Barton Springs, Lady Bird Lake, Zilker Park, Wild Basin, Blunn Creek - Austin is full of great outdoor spaces. You'll have the chance to get to see how the city preserves and uses its natural beauty.
Fall 2021 classes
Feast or Famine: Reimagining Food Systems for the Future
Feast or Famine: Reimagining Food Systems for the Future
Faculty member teaching this course: Amy Concilio
Ever wonder who grew that banana on your breakfast plate and how far it traveled to get to you? Or how a coffee bean comes to be a cup of coffee? In this class, we will follow that banana from farm to plate, examining the impacts of our industrialized food system, exploring what it means for a food system to be “sustainable”, and investigating what it will take to feed the world’s population with equitable, environmentally-sound practices. Lastly, we will explore food justice, local food, and fair trade through guest lectures and hands-on field trips here in Austin, TX.
Sustainable Austin: Exploring Sustainability on Campus & in the Austin Community
Sustainable Austin: Exploring Sustainability on Campus & in the Austin Community
Faculty member teaching this course: Peter Beck
Over the past two decades, Austin has become a living laboratory for sustainable development as it has grown significantly while attempting to reduce its environmental impact. In this course, we will incorporate local excursions, guest speakers, and class activities to examine different sustainability initiatives and explore how they are attempting to meet environmental, economic and social objectives. Selected topics include the City of Austin's initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases and achieve zero waste, environmental justice issues in East Austin, and St. Edward's initiatives to reduce resource use on campus.
Want to Live on Mars?
Want to Live on Mars?
Faculty member teaching this course: Gary A. Morris
Does the future of the human species involve establishing sustainable bases in space? On the Moon? On Mars? What would life look like in those places? How do humans survive disconnected from our home planet? This course explores sustainability from the perspective of establishing independent, self-sustaining human colonies off planet Earth.
Woke Wardrobe: Sustainable Fashion in Austin and Beyond
Woke Wardrobe: Sustainable Fashion in Austin and Beyond
Faculty member teaching this course: Angela Ju
Although fashion is often considered frivolous, its social and environmental consequences are undeniable. The social consequences encompass issues of migration and labor as much of this clothing is made by migrant workers in sweatshops in the developing world. The fashion industry is one of the top five largest polluting industries in the world, making it detrimental to environmental sustainability and public health. In this class, we will discover more sustainable alternatives to “fast fashion” in Austin and beyond.