Who Owns the Natural World?
P. David Polly
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
***THIS CLASS IS OPEN ONLY TO FRESHMAN WELLS SCHOLARS***
The natural world is fundamentally important to us all, but how are its uses and fate decided? Using paleontology — the study of fossils and extinct life — as the focus, we will ask “who ‘owns’ the natural world?” Because it is the only direct record of Life’s history, the origin of humanity, and past events like extinctions, climate change, and origin of species, paleontology is a type of natural heritage common to us all. We will examine how science, economy, culture, conservation, recreation, the rights of indigenous peoples, religion, individual rights, and constitutional politics have collided to bring paleontology into current political debate.
Catalog Information: HON-H 240 SCIENCE AND SOCIETY