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This course will explore a variety of geological and environmental challenges faced by people around the world. We will investigate the causes of these challenges and compare how they are being confronted by different populations around the world. Examples of topics to be explored include how humans are trying to mitigate and prepare for climate change, threats to drinking water quality and quantity (contamination, droughts), conflicts surrounding natural resource extraction (oil, economic minerals), and risks posed by geologic hazards (landslides, earthquakes, volcanoes). Throughout the course we will use data and science-based evidence to determine the causes of the challenges, propose potential solutions, and assess whether ongoing and proposed solutions are likely to succeed.