CFAN3518: Environmental Issues in New Zealand

This Global Seminar, Environmental Issues in New Zealand, is open to any undergraduate or graduate students regardless of major. Priority for enrollment is given to University of Minnesota students, but students from other institutions may attend if space is available. There are no course prerequisites and all instruction is in English. New Zealand is a modern country with friendly people and awesome scenery. Our daily news is filled with reports on climate change, water scarcity and pollution, soaring energy costs, and food shortages. Solutions must consider environmental, economic, and social implications of our management strategies. Frequently there are trade-offs between benefits and costs. University students as future leaders of business, government, and social programs should understand how to analyze environmental issues. What are the issues? Who is affected? What alternatives exist to solve them? What are the environmental, economic, and social trade-offs between these alternatives? What are reliable sources of information? How can each of us contribute to solutions?New Zealand has undergone significant changes in its plant and animal composition following the invasion of humans and the exotic species they introduced. Alarmed by these changes, New Zealanders recently have made significant strides in recognizing environmental issues and seeking sustainable solutions. They offer valuable lessons for U.S. students to bring home and apply to our own environmental issues.

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