SUST 134 - Creating a Sustainable Future: Introduction to Environmental, Social, and Economic Health

Fall 2008

(This document is available at: http://sev.lternet.edu/~bmilne/SUST134/08/sust134_08.htm)

 

Dr. Bruce T. Milne

Professor of Biology & Director, UNM Sustainability Studies Program   

                     

Office:   Biology Annex Room 110a

Phone:   277-5356
Email: bmilne@sevilleta.unm.edu
URL:   http://sev.lternet.unm.edu/~bmilne/

Office Hours: Monday 9:30 - 10:00 and Thursday 2:00 - 3:00, or by appointment

at our convenience.

 

Class sessions:  Tuesday, Thursday, 9:30—10:45    Mitchell Hall 205

 

Course description: An introduction to creating a sustainable future that supports environmental health and restoration, social equity, and economic vitality. Examines challenges and examples of integrated, creative strategies on local, regional, national, and global levels.

 

Course goals, purposes, and expectations:  This dynamic course is suited for students interested in community development, water issues, local food production, resource conservation, activism, city beautification, and the environment.  The class is a springboard for students to engage in independent or collaborative projects that promote sustainability in the community.  Our focus will be on accomplishing small, humble contributions to New Mexico’s environment and examining the feasibility of ambitious projects for the future.

Course philosophy:
We engage in a caring, creative learning experience with responsible students and thereby gain perspectives that empower us all as agents of sustainability.  From Steve Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People we favor an outcome that is "win/win".  Some languages have no words for "teaching" but over 30 words for "learning".  Indeed we can only learn; learning is the basis of personal development and enrichment.

 

 

Texts and Readings:

Neilson, R. 2006. The Little Green Handbook. Picador, New York.

 

Krupp, F. and M. Horn. 2008. Earth: The Sequel. Environmental Defense Fund.

Plus other supplemental readings on ereserves.

Grading: Your grade will be determined from the following:

            a) Attendance & participation              10%

            b) Personal sustainability challenge                    10%

c) Weekly-threes annotated bibliography           20%

            d) Midterm exam                                             20%

e) Final exam                                                    20%

            f) Community experience                      20%

 

Attendance & Participation (10 %): Sustainability embraces a wide range of disciplines and issues.  Assigned readings are a survey of topics in three general areas: Awareness, Basic Needs, and Integrative Interactions.  A progression of readings will tune us to the central problems and solutions of sustainability.  Each discussion session, students will be called to lead the discussion about an assigned reading.  Readings are available via http://ereserves.unm.edu/eres/default.aspx .  The readings are organized in folders with titles that correspond to session topics in the syllabus.

 

Personal sustainability challenge (10%): After calculating your carbon footprint and after an introduction to the UNM Peer-based Sustainability Coaching Kit, you and your partner will adopt practices that reduce your carbon footprint.  Your assignment is to provide evidence that you have implemented one or more ways to reduce your carbon footprint by at least 20% over the semester.

 

Weekly-threes annotated bibliography (20%):

Some of the most meaningful readings are the ones you find for yourself.  Each week, you will turn in an annotated bibliography for three (3) readings that you found regarding an assigned topic.  No more than one (1) source may be a web page. At least (2), preferably all (3), must come from books and journal articles. To ensure that you receive credit, hardcopies of your annotations are due in class.  Annotations follow the required format:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Name:

Assigned Topic:

Due date:

Author(s):

Year:

Title:

Journal/Book:

Volume(Issue):

Pages:

Annotation (100-200 words):

 

Midterm Exam (20%)  Short essay style to cover material from assigned readings and class sessions.

 

Final Exam (20%) Short essays to cover material from assigned readings and class sessions.  Approximately 25% of the exam will be cumulative to allow for synthesis of concepts and knowledge over the entire course.

 

Community Experience (20%):

Opportunities are scheduled for first-hand experiences at representative farms, markets, and other venues in the local foodshed and at major sustainability events.  Satisfactory participation in two (2) of the opportunities will satisfy the requirement.  Transportation is on your own (directions will be provided).  The biodiesel van will be available for 9 passengers. Use this reporting form.

 

[Note: Satisfaction of Outcomes Assessment Goals:

a) Compile three annotated bibliographic entries and report them in writing and orally in class.

 

b) Obtain voucher signatures from mentors and leaders to whom they contribute service hours, e.g., coordinator of the Lobo Growers Market.]

 

Schedule:

 

 

 

Topic

Weekly 3 Topic (due)

Read & Discuss

Due

I. Awareness

 

 

 

 

 

August

26

Introduction

 

 

 

 

28

Ecological Footprint

What is Sustainability?

Brundtland, Rio Decl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sept

2

Peer Coaching Kit

 

Nielson Ch. 1 & 10

Footprint calculation

 

4

The Great Work

Human Population Impacts

Nielson Ch. 2, Berry

Peer coaching plan

 

9

Ethics & Relations

 

Miller

 

 

11

Consumer or Citizen?

Risks of Greenhouse Effect

Hartmann

 

II. Basic   Needs

 

 

 

 

 

 

16

World hunger & poverty

 

 

 

 

18

Industrial Food & GMOs

Social Decline & Poverty

Nielson Ch. 7,8

 

 

23

 

 

 

 

 

25

Peak oil

Energy Needs and Trends

Nielson Ch. 5, 6

 

 

30

Transportation: Food v. Fuel

 

Apollo Proj.

 

Oct

2

Traffic & urbanism

 

Newman & Kenworthy  

 

 

7

Case Study: Curitiba

 

 Maclaren (1996)

 

 

9

Water

Water crisis

Nielson Ch. 4

 

 

14

Midterm Exam

 

 

Midterm exam

 

16

Fall Break

Globalization: downside

 

 

 

21

Architectecture 2030

 

Vale (1991)

Community Ex. I

 

23

Ecovillages

Globalization: upside

 

 

III. Integration

28

Carbon Cap & Trade

 

Krupp a & Horn Ch. 1

 

 

30

Clean energy overview

 

Montbiot Ch. 6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nov

4

Solar energy

 

K & H, Ch. 2, 3

 

 

6

Biofuels

 

K & H, Ch. 4,5

 

 

11

Ocean energy

 

K & H, Ch. 6

 

 

13

Geothermal

 

K & H, Ch. 7

 

 

18

Conservation

 

Montbiot Ch. 4

 

 

20

Local foodshed

 

Weber and Mathews (2008)

 

 

25

Personal economic sustainability

 

 

 

 

27

Thanksgiving

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dec

2

Green economics

 

Daly (1973)

Personal sustainability

 

4

Local currencies

 

 

Community Ex. 2

 

9

Microlending

 

 

 

 

11

Review & Course Evaluation

 

 

 

 

16

Final Exam 7:30-9:30 a.m.

 

 

Final exam

 

 

 

Community Experience Opportunities:

 

            Fridays, 6:30 p.m. Chispa Farm pot-luck and labor fest

Various days August, September  -  Growers Markets

Sept, Oct, and Nov. 5. LOBO Grower’s Market – see Rose Chavez, coordinator

            NM Expo – Sustainability Studies tabling volunteer

            September 20 & 21                 NMSEA Solar Fiesta tabling event

            TBA                                         La Montanita Harvest event

            Others TBA