Prepare for a future in the growing field of Environmental Studies with this distance learning course.
If you want to get a broad based understanding of the environment and what you can do to live in a more environmentally sensitive way, this is a great place to start.
- Become more green and sustainable at home and at work.
- Discover things you never knew about the environment, and explore ways you can contribute to the well being of the planet, your local community, your friends and your family.
- Learn the basics, and lay a foundation for work or further study in environmental management.
- Course duration: 100 hours of self paced study.
Course Structure and Lesson Content
The course comprises 6 lessons, as follows:
Lesson 1: Living Things
- Classification of plants and animals.
- Identifying living organisms.
- Using identification keys.
Lesson 2: Basic Ecology
- Populations.
- Communities.
- Ecosystems.
- Constituents of ecosystem.
- The ecosphere.
- The web of life.
- Habitats and niches.
- Humans in the environment.
Lesson 3: Global Environmental Systems
- The Earth’s structure.
- The atmosphere.
- Climatic systems.
- Gaia theory.
- The carbon dioxide cycle.
- El Nino.
Lesson 4: Environmental Problems
- Deforestation.
- Loss of agricultural land.
- Loss of biological diversity.
- Loss of water.
- Loss of non renewable resources.
- Environmental weeds.
- The Greenhouse Effect.
- Ozone depletion.
- Ozone as a Greenhouse gas.
Lesson 5: Conservation
- The definition and goals of conservation.
- The history of conservation.
- Natural resources (renewable and non renewable).
Lesson 6: Acting Locally: Thinking Globally
- Humans and water.
- How to minimize water usage.
- Energy use in the home.
- Reducing household waste.
- Domestic transport and its affect on pollution.
- Building materials and their environmental impact.
Course Aims
- To understand the binomial system of classifying living things.
- To understand the use of keys to identify living things.
- To grasp the basics of ecology (the relationships between living organisms and their environment).
- To have a basic grounding in Earth Science and an understanding of global environmental systems.
- To understand the Earth’s major environmental problems and how they have come about.
- To gain an understanding of conservation and its importance to individuals and the world.
- To learn a range of ways to reduce the environmental impact of ones actions at home and globally.
What You Will Do In This Course
Here are some of the things you may do in this course:
- Classify a range of living organisms in your locality.
- Identify the genus and species names of plants in a nursery.
- Compose a food web for your local area.
- Carry out basic research into the weather in your area and what affects it.
- Carry out in depth research into at least one major environmental problem.
- Contact three conservation organisations to determine the issues they deal with.
- Survey a building to determine the types of building materials used.
- Design an environmentally friendly house.
What Can Humans Do To Reduce Water Use?
- Reduce demand for water per person. We waste a lot of water, and even though some is recycled, some becomes polluted and cannot be used.
- Recycle waste water (bath and shower) for use in the garden.
- Select plants suited to the local environment for use in the garden so that garden watering is minimised.
- Mulch plants.
- Collect rainwater (e.g. troughs and tanks).
- Reduce pollution - through better industrial processes and waste water treatment, and through tighter anti-pollution laws.
- Desalination - this can create its own problems due to the energy consumption required to run the desalination plants.
- Build more dams - this has major effects on the environment.
- Water diversion works - this also has major environmental consequences.
- Cloud seeding to cause more rain in needy areas.
- Reducing evaporation from water storages and channels through the use of covers, or anti-evaporative substances.
- Encourage people to live where water supplies are better.
How The Course Works
You can start the Environmental Studies course at any time.
It is studied by distance learning, so you can study in the comfort of your own home. But this doesn't mean you are all alone in your studies. Our highly qualified and friendly tutors are there to help you every step of the way. If you have any questions at all, they are always happy to help.
Each lesson includes set tasks, and is completed with an assignment which the student submits to their course tutor. The tutor will mark the assignment and return this to the student with comments and suggestions for further reading.
The Advantages Of Studying With ACS
- Our courses are written and taught by experienced professionals, so you know you can expect a high quality of teaching and support.
- You can start the course at any time and study at your own pace.
- Fit your studies around your own busy lifestyle.
- Study where you want to - online studies offer the flexibility for you to determine where and when you study.
Learn More
- Learn to understand more about the environment and ecological systems.
- Understand the problems faced by the environment and learn about how you can reduce your own environmental footprint.
Do You Have Any Questions?
If you have any questions or need guidance on choosing the right course
for you, please get in touch with one of our environmental tutors -
Use our FREE COUNSELLING SERVICE, or
Phone us today on (UK) 01384 442752, or (International) +44 (0) 1384 442752.