Concepts:
Desertification- Considering human created desert-like conditions that exacerbate drought, heat waves, and climate change
Environmental catastrophe- How does catastrophizing affect the public? Who is to blame for the possibility of human-caused planetary collapse?
Wilderness- How do we define “wildness”? Who defines wilderness?
Food Systems- How are global food systems controlled and who controls them? How is food consumed globally?
The Social Construct of Nature- How is nature produced?
Scholarly movements:
Ecofeminism- How are women uniquely affected by environmental issues and how do they respond?
Design, Emotion, Sustainability-When does design become sustainable? How is design intertwined with our emotions?
Ecopoetry-Considering the connections that ecopoetry makes and its history.
Queer Ecology-The study of how environmental ism intersects with gender. How do we gender our environments?
Urban Ecology-Considering different concepts related to Urban ecology.
Issues/debates:
Representation and Reality-The oppositions and intersections of representation and reality. Who controls representations? How do we assess reality?
Environmental Restoration and Conservation- Who benefits from conservation and restoration? Where is it effective?
Agro-Food Systems- Benefits of global vs. local systems.
Expert and Lay Environmental Knowledge-Considering different ways of knowing regarding environmental issues.
Fire-How to manage fire? What/ who does fire benefit or harm?