TCNJ launches environmental studies major amidst growing ... - The College of New Jersey News
TCNJ launches environmental studies major amidst growing concerns over climate change | News
The College of New Jersey’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences has launched an undergraduate environmental studies major to effectively address the disproportionate harm to the planet from climate change and other widespread environmental injustices.
“The scientific understanding of environmental problems is necessary to determine potential solutions, but that alone is not sufficient,” said Diane Bates, professor of sociology and interim program coordinator. “We are at a critical point where we need broader and greater strategies to do something about these issues.”
The program, which will begin with the fall 2024 semester, is the first major at TCNJ to incorporate curriculum, course offerings, and faculty input from all seven academic schools.
“The involvement of all our academic schools is a testament to the fact that every discipline now understands that we need to work collaboratively to address these threats,” Bates said. “There is a greater understanding at TCNJ that disciplinary knowledge needs to be supplemented with interdisciplinary approaches.”
The field of environmental studies has exploded in recent years in virtually every area of the private, public, and non-profit business sectors.
“We’ve seen a ton of growth in environmentally oriented jobs,” Bates said, “There is a growing focus on not only environmentally friendly products, but also environmentally friendly corporate behaviors. Graduates who are well-versed in environmental studies, especially interdisciplinary environmental studies, have more opportunities than ever before.”
Students in the program will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the college’s sustainability and energy management and environmental health and safety departments, as well as the option to explore the policy side of the field through the college’s partnership with Sustainable Jersey.
For more information visit the program’s website.
— Luke Sacks
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”