Humans have become increasingly aware of the environmental implications of how we have chosen to define and pursue economic development. There are many debates about how to respond to the environmental crises we are seeing, as well as who should be responsible for making and/or initiating changes in response. These debates emerge out of a context in which there is an unequal distribution of the impacts of many of these environmental issues and an unequal distribution of wealth both across and within countries. We will look at the history of economic development and how the environment was not a consideration during much of this history; the emergence of environmental awareness and the history of the environmental movement culminating in the present moment in which there is widespread consensus that human activity is contributing to climate change and the dire effects of this; how this awareness and understanding has raised questions about how economic development has been defined and is being pursued and the need for us to acknowledge and adapt to the environmental constraints we face. We examine the environmental impacts of a number of industries that countries are developing as part of their pursuit of economic growth, environmental critiques of these industries, and related alternative ideas about development. We conclude the course by reflecting on – based on what we have learned – how we, as a society, need to rethink development.