Introduction to Environmental Studies

The Evergreen State College

Winter 2003

Faculty:

Faculty: Sharon Anthony Lin Nelson Martha Rosemeyer

Office: Lab I 2003 Lab I 2010 Lab I 1012

Phone: x6654 x6056 x6646

Mailbox: Lab I Lab I Lab I

E-mail: anthonys@evergreen.edu Nelsonl@evergreen.edu rosemeyerm@evergreen.edu

Office Hours

by appt. and Tues. 8-9 a.m. Thurs. 3-4 p.m. Thurs. 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Tutor and program aide:

We have a chemistry tutor available.

Lena Sutten sutlen28@evergreen.edu

Mondays 3:30—4:30 in Lab II 2211

Wednesdays 1:30-2:30 in Lab II 2211

And by appointment

Tiffiny Suitts is still our program aide. She will put information on the program website as appropriate. You can contact her at suitif03@evergreen.edu.

Brief Course Description:

This is the second part of a two-quarter program designed to orient and invite students into the broad area of Environmental Studies. In fall quarter we focused on the question:

“What should we do about global warming?”. We examined the broad areas of population, consumption, energy use and sustainable development, as we drew on work in the fields of chemistry, biology, ecology, environmental health and social science.

During the Winter Quarter we will be focusing on the ecological and social features of modern agriculture; our attention will range across broad issues of history, current controversies regarding the use of fertilizers and pesticides, genetic engineering, analyses of food system impacts on the environment and public health, living and working conditions in farming communities, and the development of ecologic alternatives. We will also be exploring current conditions in and alternatives to systems of industrial production. Finally, we will be looking at efforts to transform community, agriculture and industry toward more ecologically healthy conditions.

We will be taking local fieldtrips to learn about the region; tentatively, these sites are Tacoma’s Commencement Bay, a regional composting facility and local communities and businesses working toward environmental change. Our work will be enhanced by presentations/consultations of environmental experts and advocates, as well as visits to the Washington State Legislature.

All students will participate in general sessions involving lectures, workshops, book seminars, fieldtrips and foundations in chemistry. All students will use general chemistry labs to investigate issues of pH, solubility and artificial fragrances.

Students will also choose between two options: (1) advanced chemistry lab and projects or (2) projects focusing on environmental policy, ecological impact, advocacy and community impacts.

Students choosing the chemistry project option (beyond the basic chemistry that all students will participate in) will design and carry out a laboratory experiment testing lead in soil, water, plant tissue or (potentially) hair.

Students choosing the Policy/Social Science/Ecology option will likely focus on a topic related to the following: analysis of legislative, regulatory and judicial approaches to our issues of interest; examination of international to local efforts (regulatory to voluntary) regarding selected contaminants (ex., mercury, lead); the sale and use of fertilizers, with a focus on the public’s right-to-know; additional ecological or agroecological problems involving other heavy metals or toxics; the movement toward “safe and slow” food in community systems (for example, public schools); and exploration of environmental advocacy strategies to prevent or remedy the problems we’re examining.

Program Structure

· Seminars, labs, lectures, field trips, workshops and films… - The format of class time will vary considerably.

· Group Activities – Much of this quarter learning will be collaborative. The success of this work depends on clear communication, good planning and regular constructive feedback. Your colleagues are depending on your hard work, so take your group activities seriously.

· Writing - There will be more writing this quarter including 4 seminar papers and writing to accompany your project.

Learning Goals:

We have articulated several learning goals for Introduction to Environmental Studies. In steps throughout the year, we will provide you with the opportunities to learn these skills. We also plan to work closely with you to help you articulate and work toward your personal learning goals.

By the end of the program, we expect that you will have begun to develop skills for...

· Working collaboratively.

· Communicating clearly through writing, speaking, and poster presentations.

· Critical and integrative thinking as demonstrated through written work and discussions.

· Utilizing quantitative techniques including graphing, unit conversions, and introductory chemistry.

· Develop and strengthen research principles and methodologies.

…as well as a good fundamental understanding of:

· The environmental and ecological implications of pesticides, fertilizers, and other agricultural contaminants.

· The health implications of modern agricultural processes.

· Public policy process.

Academic Standards

· Late Work Policy

This program requires self-discipline, individual work and teamwork. Please follow the schedule closely and punctually attend all seminars, workshops, lectures and team meetings. It will be hard to achieve the program goals of working collaboratively and communicating clearly without actively attending and contributing to class.

We expect all work to be submitted on time. Late submittals communicate to us that you are not keeping up with your work. In all but the most extenuating of circumstances, work that is submitted past its due date will not be read by faculty and your evaluation will state that your work was not submitted in a timely fashion. Failure to attend all program meetings, or to submit all work could result in a loss of credit.

· Credit Policy

Students should recognize from the outset that faculty will evaluate their work, not by comparison to the work of other students, but by looking for evidence of growth in skills, creativity, discipline, and commitment from the beginning of the quarter or year to the end within each individual student. That is, you are not evaluated in competition with your peers. You are judged in terms of your own intellectual development. Faculty will award each student 16 credits per quarter for doing work to their best capabilities, for good attendance at all program events, and for completing all assignments. Faculty may award less than sixteen credits for work which fails to meet these criteria, but they will do so only after consultation with each other.

Credit is not the same thing as high quality work. Full credit is given when students fulfill the minimum requirements and standards of the program. The evaluation is used to describe the QUALITY of the student's work. Thus, a student could actually receive credit, but also receive evaluations that reflect poor quality work. On the flip side, a student could attend regularly but receive partial or no credit because of poor quality or missing work.

· Honesty

In an academic community, sharing and taking responsibility for our own ideas is vital. At the same time, acknowledging our use of other people's ideas is equally important. The work we submit must reflect our own ideas. When we are incorporating the views of others, be those published authors or our seminar mates, we must acknowledge our sources. Since much of the work in this program will be collaborative and the ensuing ideas will reflect the contributions of more than one person, we must get into the habit of acknowledging the people and ideas that have influenced us. There will be many times when we will be asked to take individual positions--in essays, research projects, and seminar discussions--and we must assert our own distinctive interpretations and judgments. The final work we do must reflect our own judgment and analysis while also recognizing the contributions of people who have influenced our learning. Failure to make such acknowledgments or to present the work of others as our own is plagiarism. Any student who plagiarizes material could lose credit, be asked to leave the program and may be required to leave the college. Ask your faculty members if you have any questions.

· Alcohol and Drug Policy

Absolutely no use of alcohol or drugs will be allowed in any class activity or field trip. Attending class events under the influence or using these substances during program activities or field trips could result in loss of credit, expulsion from the program, and possibly expulsion from the College.

Readings:

The key texts for the quarter will be (in the order to be read):

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (Houghton Mifflin, 1994)

Fateful Harvest: The True Story of a Small Town, A Global Industry and a Toxic Secret by Duff Wilson (Harper Collins, 2001)

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser

(Perennial, Harper Collins, 2002)

Our Stolen Future: Are We Threatening Our Fertility, Intelligence and Survival? A Science Detective Story by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski & John Peterson Myers (Dutton, 1996)

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough & Michael Braungart (North Point Press, 2002).

Chapters selected from Taking Sides, by Theodore Goldfarb, McGraw-Hill, 2001, ISBN 0-07-243097-4.

These core readings will be augmented by selected articles, “gray literature”, government documents, newsletters and library and internet research. See your weekly schedule and listen in class for other assignments and suggestions.