Readings schedule

required texts

academic calendar 2005-06

Note: Dates and reading assignments may be subject to change--you'll receive ample notice and justification if changes are made.

Week 1  (4/3-4/7)  Humans and the environment, part I

Readings:

• Paul Harrison. 1992. The third revolution (chapter 2). On electronic reserve (download pp 34-35 here)
• Jared Diamond. 2005. Collapse: How societies choose to fail or succeed. New York: Penguin.
  (pp 1 - 15)
• Marvin Harris. 1977. Cannibals and Kings: The origins of cultures (Chapter 7). On electronic reserve

Citations:

• Paul Harrison. 1992. The third revolution. London: Penguin Books (chapter 2, 'The o'ergrowth of some complexion: three billion years of environmental crisis, pp 21-37) (download pp 34-35 here)
• Jared Diamond. 2005. Collapse: How societies choose to fail or succeed. New York: Penguin.
  (pp 1 - 15)
• Marvin Harris. 1977. Cannibals and Kings: The origins of cultures. New York: Random House (Chapter 7, 'The origins of pristine states,' pp 101-23)
• Optional: Robert Kates, B.L. Turner II, William Clark. 1990. The great transformation. Pp 1-15 in The earth as transformed by human action (edited by B.L. Turner II, W. Clark, R. Kates, J. Richards, J. Mathews, W. Meyer). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  

Week 2  (4/10-4/14)  Humans and the environment, part II

Readings:

• Allan Schnaiberg and Kenneth Gould. 1994. Environment and society: The enduring conflict. (chptrs 1-3). On reserve in the library if you don't have the book yet and need to photocopy it.

Citations:

• Allan Schnaiberg and Kenneth Gould. 1994. Environment and society: The enduring conflict. New York: St. Martin's Press. (chptrs 1-3, pp. 3 - 66)

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Week 3 (4/17-4/21)  Energy and ecology

Readings:

• Michael Little, George Morren. 1976. Ecology, energetics and human variability. (chapter 2) On electronic reserve
• Amory Lovins and Hunter Lovins. 2002. Mobilizing energy solutions. In American Prospect 13(2), Jan 28. Online at http://www.prospect.org/print/V13/2/lovins-a.html
• Eugene Odum. 1993. Ecology and our endangered life support systems (chapter 4). On electronic reserve

Citations

• Michael Little, George Morren. 1976. Ecology, energetics and human variability. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown (chapter 2, 'fundamentals of ecology, pp 7-17)
• Amory Lovins and Hunter Lovins. 2002. Mobilizing energy solutions. In American Prospect 13(2), Jan 28. Online at http://www.prospect.org/print/V13/2/lovins-a.html
• Eugene Odum. 1993. Ecology and our endangered life support systems. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates (chapter 4, 'Energetics,' pp 67-91).

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Week 4  (4/24-4/28)  Ethics

Readings:

• Jared Diamond. 2005. Collapse. Chapter 2, pp 27-75.
• Wendell Berry. 1995. Another turn of the crank. ('Farming and the global economy').
• Ron Arnold. 1996. Overcoming ideology. In A Wolf in the Garden : The Land Rights Movement and the New Environmental Debate.
• Edward Abbey. 1968. Desert Solitaire. New York: Ballantine (author's introduction, pp 45-67). On electronic reserve.

Citations

• Jared Diamond. 2005. Collapse. Chapter 2, pp 27-75.
• Wendell Berry. 1995. Another turn of the crank. Boulder, CO: Counterpoint Press. (chapter 1, 'Farming and the global economy'). Online at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/another.htm.
• Ron Arnold. 1996. Overcoming ideology. In A Wolf in the Garden : The Land Rights Movement and the New Environmental Debate. (Edited by P. Brick R. McGreggor Cawley). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Online at http://www.cdfe.org/wiseuse.htm.
• Optional: David Orr. 1992. Ecological literacy. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. (chapter 5, 'Ecological literacy,' pp 85-95). On electronic reserve.

   

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Week 5  (5/1-5-5)  Technology

Readings:

• Kenneth Jackson. 1989. The baby boom and the age of the subdivision (Pp 148-61). On electronic reserve
• Wendell Berry. 1987. Why I am not going to buy a computer.
• Ernst Schumacher. 1973. Small is beautiful: Economics as if people mattered. New York: Harper Colophon (pp 161-79). On electronic reserve
• Langdon Winner. 1987. The Whale and the reactor (chapter 4, pp 61-84). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. On electronic reserve

Citations

• Kenneth Jackson. 1989. The baby boom and the age of the subdivision. Pp 148-61 in (R. Stross, editor) Technology and society in twentieth century America. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. On electronic reserve
• Wendell Berry. 1987. Why I am not going to buy a computer. Online at http://www.tipiglen.dircon.co.uk/berrynot.html.
• Ernst Schumacher. 1973. Small is beautiful: Economics as if people mattered. New York: Harper Colophon (pp 161-79, 'Social and economic problems calling for the development of intermediate technology). On electronic reserve reserve
• Langdon Winner. 1987. The Whale and the reactor (chapter 4, 'Building the better mousetrap,' pp 61-84). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. On electronic reserve

Small Group Discussion: Public Lands debates (for Thursday in class)

• Brian Faler. 2005. Park Service's tourism job posting eyed with mistrust. Feb 14, Washington Post. Online at www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21553-2005Feb13.html?referrer=emailarticle
• Mark Clayton. 2006. America's National Parks: No longer ad-free zones? Mar 31, Christian Science Monitor. Online at www.truthout.org/issues_06/033106EC.shtml
• Elaine Sevy. 2006. Talking points on park operations. Apr 7, National Park Service (memo). Online at www.peer.org/docs/nps/06_17_4_talkingpoints.pdf
• Matthew Daly. 2006. Bush Administration details $1 billion land sales. Feb 10, Associated Press. Online at www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/47/17631
• CBS News. 2003. New anti-environmental tack by Bush? Apr 19, CBS News. Online at www.truthout.org/docs_03/042203G.shtml
• Henry Weinstein. 2004. Recasting wilderness as open for business. Oct 24, Los Angeles Times. Online at www.truthout.org/docs_04/printer_102604G.shtml
• Kelpie Wilson. 2006. Good riddance to Gale Norton. Mar 22, Alternet. Online at www.alternet.org/envirohealth/33802/

Write an abstract of 200-250 words, summarizing the article and analyzing the issues. To be turned in in class.

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• Garrett Hardin. 1968. The tragedy of the commons. Science 162: 1243-1248.
• Eugene Odum. 1993. Ecology and our endangered life support systems. (chapter 6, pp 150-59). On electronic reserve.
• Jared Diamond. 2005. Collapse. Chapter 4, 'The Anasazi and their neighbors', pp 136-56.
• William Catton. 1998. Malthus: Now more relevant than ever. npg.org.
  

Citations

• Garrett Hardin. 1968. The tragedy of the commons. Science 162: 1243-1248. Online at http://dieoff.org/page95.htm
• Eugene Odum. 1993. Ecology and our endangered life support systems. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates (chapter 6, 'Population ecology,' pp 150-59). On electronic reserve.
• Jared Diamond. 2005. Collapse. Chapter 4, 'The Anasazi and their neighbors', pp 136-56.
• William Catton. 1998. Malthus: Now more relevant than ever. npg.org, forum series, Online at http://www.npg.org/forum_series/catton_malthus.htm
• Optional: S. Ciriacy-Wantrup and Richard Bishop. 1975. 'Common property' as a concept in natural resources policy. Natural Resources Journal 15: 713-27. On electronic reserve.
• Optional: American Museum of Natural History. 2002. Per capita resource consumption. Online at http://research.amnh.org/biodiversity/crisis/resconpercap.html

Week 8  (5/22-5/26)  Economic growth

Readings

• David Korten. 1995. When corporations rule the world. ('The Growth Illusion,' pp 37-50). On electronic reserve
• Ernst Schumacher. 1973. Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered. ('Buddhist Economics,' pp. 50-58). On electronic reserve
• James O'Connor. 1993. Is sustainable capitalism possible? (Pp 125-37) On electronic reserve
• Schnaiberg and Gould, chapter 4 (pp 68-91).

Citations

• David Korten. 1995. When corporations rule the world. West Hartford, CT: Kumarian Press. (Chapter 3, 'The Growth Illusion,' pp 37-50). On electronic reserve
• Ernst Schumacher. 1973. Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered. New York: Harper Colophon Books. (chapter 4, 'Buddhist Economics,' pp. 50-58). On electronic reserve
• James O'Connor. 1993. Is sustainable capitalism possible? Pp 125-37 in Food for the Future (editor Patricia Allen). New York: John Wiley & Sons. On electronic reserve
• Schnaiberg and Gould, chapter 4 ('treadmill predispositions and social responses: Population, consumption, and technological change,' pp 68-91).

Optional:

• Robert Brulle. 2001. Environmental discourse and social movement organizations: A historical and rhetorical perspective on the development of U.S. environmental organizations. (Pp 217-37) On electronic reserve

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Week 9 (5/29-6/2) What to do?

Readings

• J. Timmons Roberts. 2003. Global inequality and climate change. (Pp 254-62) On electronic reserve
• Schnaiberg and Gould, chapters 6 and 7 (119-84)
• Envirolink. 2003. Actions you can take. (spend 30 minutes perusing this site)
• Global Stewards. 2003. Current petitions.

Discussion:

Citations

• J. Timmons Roberts. 2003. Global inequality and climate change. (Pp 254-62) On electronic reserve
• Schnaiberg and Gould, chapters 6 and 7 (119-84)
• Envirolink. 2003. Actions you can take. Online at http://www.envirolink.org/categories.html?catid=8
• Global Stewards. 2003. Current petitions. Online at http://www.globalstewards.org/petitions.htm
  

Discussion: Global warming in the media

• Chris Mooney. 2005. Global warming and the categorical imperative. Open Democracy, Jul 6. Online at www.opendemocracy.net/conflict-climate_change_debate/2579.jsp
• Stephen Milloy. 2005. Wilma is not global warming. Oct 20, Fox News. Online at www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,172949,00.html
• Richard Lindzen. 2006. Climate of fear. Apr 12, Opinion Journal. Online at www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110008220
• Simon Retallak. 2006. Ankelohe and beyond: Communicating climate change. May 17, Open Democracy. Online at www.truthout.org/issues_06/051906EA.shtml
• Bill McKibben. 2005. Climate of denial. May/June, Mother Jones. Online at www.motherjones.com/cgi-bin/print_article.pl?url=http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2005/05/mckibben_introduction.html
• Oliver Burkeman. 2003. Memo exposes Bush's new green strategy. The Guardian, Mar 4. Online at www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,906978,00.html

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Week 10 (6/5 - 6/9) Presentations (on biofuels projects)

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Final Exam (Wed, June 14, 8:00 am)