Sustainability Ecology Policy: Plastics,Petrochemicals & Life

Plastics intersect with every area of environmental issues today. Plastics are related to fossil fuel use and energy systems, climate change, consumption and capitalism, human and landscape health, environmental justice, biodiversity, and how individuals are situated within larger social/political/economic systems. But, to solve complex environmental problems, activism, hope, and joy must be centered. After obtaining scientific knowledge about the history and impacts of plastics, students will learn about solutions to the plastic crisis being created by leaders of the global environmental justice movement. The final project of class will involve students developing their own chosen solution for a specific plastics concern.

Summer Academy Course; Dates: June 30-July 25 2025; Professional & Continuing Education Dept Permission only; Please contact 802-656-2085; Program Fee: $2715.00; Residential High School students only; In-person on-campus from June 30-July 11 MTWR 9:00am3:30pm; Online only from July 12-July 25; Collocated with SEP 1990 Z2 total enrollment 25 Special Topics courses cannot carry CC designations

Plastics are everywhere, and this often feels like an insurmountable problem. In this course, students will gain the tools to help solve what seem like insurmountable problems. Students will become experts in the biophysical and social sciences of plastics, including impacts related to climate change, ecosystems, and human and animal health. Plastics are petrochemicals; they are made by refining oil and natural gas. Therefore, plastics are inextricably linked to global fossil fuel regimes, colonialism, capitalism, and the consumer industry. Learning outcomes of this class include being able to identify and articulate these critical connections. These complex issues–and the inescapability of plastic in everyday life–can evoke overwhelm, dread, guilt, and anxiety. Students will receive training in how to harness and channel these emotions into coalition building and more creative solutions. Plastics are an environmental justice issue, and leaders from the global movement for a just United Nations global plastics treaty will share their experiences with the class. The final project of the class will involve students working on a solution for a specific topic area of their choice.

Your final grade will be based on: • Reading & content quizzes • Class participation • A few short, written assignments • A final independent project (paper or creative medium such as a short film, podcast, etc.)