Written paper, Fall '99
web sites and further books (see below) see also the links for the course on course resources site. This assignment is instead of a final exam. It is an opportunity for you to explore an idea or topic in further depth. The paper will be evaluated on synthesis of information during the course, evidence of critical thinking, originality and writing (spelling, grammar, etc.)Essay assignments are due Wed. Dec. 8, in lecture. Essays should be typed.
For Lower Division students, this essay is to be 1000 words long (up to 1500).For Upper Division students, the essay is EITHER to be 2000 words long (up to 2, 500) or is to consist of TWO 1000 word long essays.
I recommend that you use the tool of mind mapping to help you explore your topic and to create a structure for your essay. These mind maps can be handed in as part of the essay if you wish. They are not mandatory. A well done mind map may be counted as the equivalent of 150 words of the essay.
I expect you to formulate an argument and explore it, showing evidence of your own thinking as well as of reading around the subject (there is a list of recommended readings, and many articles and links can be found from the web site for this course). Of course, you can also find your own readings. I am looking for a clear structure, a logical argument and evidence that you have thought about the subject in some depth. When reading other people's ideas, pay attention to the mental models which underlie that person's assumptions. In particular, look to see if research has been funded by groups with vested interests (for instance research on climate change funded by large oil companies may have a different interpretation of data, or may ask very different questions than research funded by the United Nations.)
You can look at two examples of essays that I wrote
during my undergraduate course (in Sociology) if you would like some ideas on what I mean
by using references to support your ideas, and what I mean by following an argument
through a paper. Note that these essay are longer than the ones I have asked you to write
(they are 3,000 and 5,000 word essays), and were completed in my final year at University,
so are more developed than I would expect from Lower Division students.
Are Symbols about Meaning ? By Joanne Tippett
Notes on referencing:
When quoting directly, you must place quotations marks around the quote.
e.g. Hardin Tibbs has described industrial ecology as a shift in industrial patterns which "takes the pattern of the natural environment as a model for solving environmental problems, creating a new paradigm for the industrial system, ...[which involves] designing industrial infrastructures as if they were a series of interlocking ecosystems." (Tibbs, 1992, pg. 5).
The reference for this quote goes in the bibliography, and looks like this:
Tibbs, H. (1992) Industrial Ecology, An Environmental Agenda for Industry, Whole Earth Review,Winter 1992 pp. 4-19
If you refer to a person's ideas, but do not quote that person directly, you should place the person's name after the idea, as below, and should also place a reference in the bibliography.
e.g. Design decisions depend on whether or not time is considered to be a commodity to be saved or a quality with many variables. (Whitelegg 1993).
(In the bibliography) Whitelegg, J. (1993) Transport for a Sustainable Future, The Case for Europe, Bellhaven Press, London
If quoting from the web, please look for author, date, name of the publication where the article was first published (if this is appropriate), the URL of the page you found the web site on, and if possible, the name of the organization which posted the web page, and the URL of the home page.
Essay questions :
Choose from the following:
Nattrass, Brian and Altomare, Mary The Natural Step for Business : Wealth, Ecology & the Evolutionary Corporation (Conscientious Commerce) http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/insider/april99/tns.cfm
Hawken, Paul, 1993, The Ecology of Commerce, Harper Business
Hawken, Paul, and Lovins, A and L., 1999, Natural Capitalism
1. Is ecological design a feasible possibility for creating a sustainable future?
Van der Ryn, Sim, and Cowan, Stuart, Ecological Design
Johnson, Huey, D., Green Plans, Greenprint for Sustainability, 1995, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Hawken, Paul and Lovins, A. and L. (1999), Natural Capitalism
Lyle, John Tillman, 1994, Regenerative Design for Sustainable Development, John Wiliey and Sons, New York
Lewis, Phillip H.,1996, Tomorrow by Design, Regional Design Process for Sustainability, John Wiliey and Sons, New York
McDonough, ecological designer
http://www.mcdonough.com/
2. Should the 'developed world' cancel debts to HIPC (Highly Indebted Poor Countries)?
Shiva, Vandana (1989) Staying Alive, Women, Ecology and Development, Zed Books, Bath
For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Towards Community, the Environment and a Sustainable Future, by Herman E. Daly and John B. Cobb Jr., Greenprint, London, 1990.
Harrison, Paul, 1992, The Third Revolution, Environment, Population and a Sustainable World, I.B. Tauris and Co. Ltd, London
Harrison, Paul, 1992, The Third Revolution, Environment, Population and a Sustainable World, I.B. Tauris and Co. Ltd, London
3. Should all people involved in foreign aid (funders, field workers and decision makers) be trained in The Natural Step?
Nattrass, Brian and Altomare, Mary The Natural Step for Business : Wealth, Ecology & the Evolutionary Corporation
Human Scale Development: Conception, Application and Further Reflections, by Manfred Max-Neef, E. Antonio and M. Hopenhayne, Apex Press, New York, 1991.
Harrison, Paul, 1992, The Third Revolution, Environment, Population and a Sustainable World, I.B. Tauris and Co. Ltd, London
Postman, Neil and Weingartner, Charles, 1969, Teaching as a Subversive Activity, Delacorte Press, New York
4. The World Trade Organization's approach to free trade poses serious threats to ecological, economic and social sustainability. Discuss.
Shiva, Vandana (1989) Staying Alive, Women, Ecology and Development, Zed Books, Bath
Real Life Economics: Understanding Wealth Creation, edited by Paul Ekins and Manfred-Max-Neef, 1992.
Human Scale Development: Conception, Application and Further Reflections, by Manfred Max-Neef, E. Antonio and M. Hopenhayne, Apex Press, New York, 1991.
For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Towards Community, the Environment and a Sustainable Future, by Herman E. Daly and John B. Cobb Jr., Greenprint, London, 1990.
Getting Down to Earth: Practical Applications of Ecologial Economics, edited by R. Costanza, O. Segura, and J. Martinez-Alier. Washington D.C.: Island Press.
Galbraith, John Kenneth, and Salinger, Nicole, 1978, Almost Everyone's Guide to Economics, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston
5. Is ecological planning on a regional scale necessary?
Johnson, Huey, D., Green Plans, Greenprint for Sustainability, 1995, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
McHarg, Ian (1967) Design with Nature, The Natural History Press, USA
Bookchin, Murray, 1987, The Rise of Urbanization and the Decline of Citizenship, Sierra Club Books, San Francisco
Lewis, Phillip H.,1996, Tomorrow by Design, Regional Design Process for Sustainability, John Wiliey and Sons, New York
6. Theories of natural selection (Darwinism) have been used to justify many economic and social decisions. Discuss the relationship between mental models of evolution and economics, exploring how a view of Gaian evolution, - interaction between organisms and environment, and symbiosis, or co-operation among species, could change our view of economics.
Capra, Fritjof (1996) The Web of Life, Anchor Books, New York
Goldsmith, Edward, (1993) The Way, An Ecological World View, Shambhala Publications, Boston
Lovelock, James, 1991, Gaia, The Practical Science of Planetary Medicine, Gaia Books, Ltd. UK
Margulis, Lynn, and Sagan, Dorion, 1987, Microcosmos, Allen and Unwin, London
Ornstein, Robert and Ehrlich, Robert , 1989, New World New Mind, Doubleday, NY
7. Carbohydrate based chemistry offers a huge potential for sustainable development. Discuss.
Wann, David (1996) Deep Design - DesignWays to a Livable Future, Island Press, USA
Biomimicry, Janine Benyus (book)
review of book
The Next industrial Revolution
THe McDonough and Braungart Web Site
Renewable Raw Material for Chemical Technical Products
http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/go/sinan/biomass-article1.html?
Auro Paints USA
http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/go/sinan/
Growing your own ink - the ink garden
http://eyelid.ukonline.co.uk/print/growink7.htm
8. Explore the role of a particular species in a wetland environment, with reference to the wetland's function within the ecosystem of which it is a part.
9. How could urban agriculture be encouraged, and what are the potential effects of a great increase in urban agriculture?
Register, Richard, 1987, Ecocity Berkeley, Building Cities for a Healthy Future, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California
10. The potential effects of the Y2K bug demonstrate the fragility of an economy based on centralized production and heavy dependence on technology. Discuss.
Real Life Economics: Understanding Wealth Creation, edited by Paul Ekins and Manfred-Max-Neef, 1992.
Human Scale Development: Conception, Application and Further Reflections, by Manfred Max-Neef, E. Antonio and M. Hopenhayne, Apex Press, New York, 1991.
For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Towards Community, the Environment and a Sustainable Future, by Herman E. Daly and John B. Cobb Jr., Greenprint, London, 1990.