Humanity, Climate, Health, and Stewardship: Faculty Source Packet
A faculty-reviewed reader for ASHA-202 introducing humanity, climate, health, and stewardship through transparent methods and evidence boundaries.
Orientation
Human beings are biological organisms embedded in ecological systems. Clean air, water, food, climate stability, and biodiversity support health.
Core concept
Climate describes long-term patterns; weather describes short-term atmospheric conditions. Greenhouse gases alter planetary energy balance.
Evidence and method
Environmental harms are distributed unequally. Ethical analysis asks who benefits, who bears risk, and who participates in decisions.
Application and limits
A stewardship plan defines a problem, measures a baseline, selects an intervention, identifies tradeoffs, and evaluates results honestly.
What the evidence establishes
Climate describes long-term patterns; weather describes short-term atmospheric conditions. Greenhouse gases alter planetary energy balance.
What remains interpretive
The course requires students to distinguish disciplinary evidence from theological or philosophical interpretation and to state uncertainty where evidence is incomplete.
Seminar questions
- Which claim is most strongly established?
- What alternative explanation deserves consideration?
- How would stronger evidence change the conclusion?