This course is a broad, critical and introductory exploration of both the roots of the modern environmental crisis, and the environmental studies major at The New School. It is rooted in critical and intersectional approaches to environmental studies, with attention to histories of race, colonization, and capitalism, as well as movements of resistance from indigenous peoples and communities of color. We proceed from the position that society and the natural environment are vitally linked and mutually reinforcing. The uneven distribution of environmental problems such as pollution, habitat conversion, biodiversity decline, deforestation, overfishing, and many other issues both reflect and shape human social organization, relations of power, and understandings of the world. We face a turbulent future in the work to co-develop sustainable systems that prioritize equity in land, food, water, energy, and shelter related needs. These challenges, while daunting, also present tremendous opportunities to learn about how people are already organizing to move towards an ever more socially just and more resilient world.