Cosmic Ecology

This course defaults to satisfy the Fairhaven Science & Our Place on the Planet II core requirement. If you would like this to satisfy the Fairhaven Humanities & Expressive Arts II requirement, please email herolde@wwu.edu. This course can satisfy either requirement, but not both.

In this reading-and-discussion-based course, we will read popular texts that explore ecology on the macro and microcosmic planes of existence, with an eye to understanding the interconnectedness of living things with the cosmos, the Earth, and each other, and addressing problems that we humans face – as a species that has essentially taken hold of the planet’s living systems. 

We will begin with a look at how physics shapes complexity in the universe and explains its evolution. Then we will zoom in to the Solar System to our living planet, Earth – and look at its history and the forces that shaped the emergence of life. We’ll look at the microbiome, the bacteria and other microorganisms that may be Earth’s true dominant species. We’ll explore threats to Earth’s living systems posed by global human civilization – specifically, the carbon-forced heating of the planet and the mass extinction event that is currently unfolding on Earth. Our goal will be to learn to think eco-logically about our broader environment, from the living, breathing cosmos to the tiniest microorganisms, to understand our place in Earth’s complex dynamic system and what we might do to preserve it, and to imagine futures that can sustain healthy and joyful human existence, intertwined and interconnected with our fellow species, and with the ocean, the atmosphere, the ice, and the living rock. 

Required work will include regular reading and written response, class discussion, and a final written project.