Introduction to
Sustainability Engineering

The Mortenson Center at CU Boulder: mission, programs, research, and career pathways. Course overview and introductions.

• Thu 8/20First day — course overview, syllabus & introductions; the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering and pathways in sustainability.

Group presentations on an environmental problem and proposed solution. 6 minutes maximum per group.

• Tue 8/25Presentation prep workshop — framing an environmental problem, evidence, and a credible solution.
• Thu 8/27Group presentations (6 min max each) and peer feedback.

Global health overview, disease determinants, the Global Burden of Disease framework, and data analysis.

• Tue 9/1Global health overview; determinants of health; the epidemiologic transition — what kills people and why.
• Thu 9/3The Global Burden of Disease framework; DALYs & risk factors; hands-on GBD data lab.

Planetary boundaries, climate science fundamentals, the carbon cycle, and tipping points.

• Tue 9/8Planetary boundaries and the safe operating space for humanity; Earth systems thinking.
• Thu 9/10Climate science fundamentals — the greenhouse effect, the carbon cycle, and tipping points.

In-class EnRoads simulation: design policies to limit global warming to <2°C.

• Tue 9/15EnRoads simulation — policy levers and the <2°C challenge.
• Thu 9/17Stakeholder negotiation roleplay and debrief; synthesis of decarbonization pathways.

A full-class simulation exploring power dynamics, systemic inequality, and privilege, played across both days. The debrief is in Week 7.

• Tue 9/22Star Power simulation — gameplay; trading rounds and the emergence of a rigged system.
• Thu 9/24Star Power simulation, continued.

The Sustainable Development Goals and the 50 Breakthroughs; debrief of the Star Power game and discussion of The Divide Part 1.

• Tue 9/29The SDGs and 50 Breakthroughs.
• Thu 10/1Star Power Game Debrief and The Divide Part 1 Discussion.

Food security, regenerative agriculture, soil carbon, the food-water-energy nexus.

• Tue 10/6Food security and the global food system; the food–water–energy nexus.
• Thu 10/8Regenerative agriculture, soil carbon, and the footprint of sustainable diets.

Domestic and global water systems — sources, distribution, conventional treatment, and the contaminants that defeat it.

• Tue 10/13Drinking water & wastewater systems — sources, distribution, and conventional treatment.
• Thu 10/15Contaminants — PFAS, lead, and the Flint crisis.

Advanced treatment — membrane, UV, and nature-based systems — plus a hands-on water-quality lab.

• Tue 10/20Membrane, UV, and nature-based treatment technologies.
• Thu 10/22Hands-on Lume water-quality lab.

Life cycle analysis, embodied carbon, plastics, e-waste, design for disassembly.

• Tue 10/27Life cycle analysis and embodied carbon; the linear vs. circular economy.
• Thu 10/29Plastics and e-waste; design for disassembly, reuse, and material recovery.

Embodied carbon in buildings, net-zero design, EVs, urban planning, green infrastructure.

• Tue 11/3Buildings — embodied vs. operational carbon, efficiency, and net-zero design.
• Thu 11/5Transportation — EVs, urban planning, transit, and green infrastructure.

How carbon credits work, voluntary and compliance markets, Virridy’s model, the water-carbon connection.

• Tue 11/10How carbon credits work; voluntary vs. compliance markets; additionality and integrity.
• Thu 11/12Climate finance in practice; Virridy’s model and the water–carbon connection.

The electric grid, renewable energy engineering (solar, wind, storage), grid decarbonization pathways.

• Tue 11/17The electric grid — electricity fundamentals, supply & demand, and the fossil baseline.
• Thu 11/19Renewable energy engineering (solar, wind, storage) and grid decarbonization pathways.

The Divide Part 4 (remedies), domestic environmental justice, pollution burden, energy poverty in the US.

• Tue 12/1Global inequality and The Divide Part 4 (remedies); colonial legacies and the drivers of poverty.
• Thu 12/3Last day — domestic environmental justice: pollution burden, redlining, and energy poverty in the US.