The Environmental Science department provides the foundational courses that give students opportunities and skills to study the world around them. The courses offered in this department and the two majors which are housed here strive to teach students about the interconnectedness of the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere (i.e. living things, land, water, and air). Fundamentally, this department follows the philosophies espoused by the Wisconsin conservationist Aldo Leopold who believed that a person should “examine each question in terms of what is ethically and esthetically right, as well as what is economically expedient. A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise” (“The Land Ethic” in a Sand County Almanac). Students will explore for themselves questions related to sustainability, best and fair stewardship of natural resources, and protection of air, water, and soil.
Environmental Science offers students a variety of scientific perspectives on environmental issues. This course of study will provide the opportunity for students at Wisconsin Lutheran College to focus on the growing interfaces of biology, chemistry, and earth science as applied to the environment. Wisconsin Lutheran College provides an environment in which a student can study the complexities of creation in a classroom where God’s intricate design can be recognized as such. The study of the environment and the relationship that humans have with the environment and with each other regarding environmental issues will be addressed from a Christian perspective. This major will help prepare students to be active in society as stewards of God’s creation. The environmental science major differs from the environmental studies major in that it requires greater depth in science. The environmental science major also has an interdisciplinary nature, but the major allows students to choose a direction within the science disciplines in the elective options.
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