This seminar will serve as an introduction to the field of environmental humanities and to social ecology in contemporary Western cultures. Important topics, including climate change, industrial agriculture, energy and sustainability, and animal rights will be examined. The impact of those questions in contemporary Western societies will be evaluated, with a specific, double focus on the United States and a Western European country such as Spain.  The seminar will incorporate theoretical readings from disciplines such as philosophy, economics, psychology, ecology, and other sciences; documentary as well as fiction films; literary texts; and a range of journalistic materials. In addition, students will be exposed to the world of environmental activism in Spain and the United States through the work of groups and associations aligned with the principles of social ecology.