Sustainability
Fall 2023

***Schedule last updated 12/05/23***

Skip to October

Assignments/ Readings Due

August

8/22

Course syllabus

If you're interested, a fascinating article about water issues in Amman, Jordan

Reading:

• Fetishism of Commodities

* Remember Respose 1 is due next class

If you're interested, more on countries' Ecological Footprints and Earth Overshoot  Personal Impact

Assignments

• Discussion Questions for the semester
• About Plastic (18 pp.)***This--(18 pp.)--is the total number of pages of the reading so you have an idea ahead of time what to expect with these linked readings. If nothing is listed, it's a linked media article

*Note: PLA means polylactic acid, a plant-based, 'biodegradable' plastic
• Personal Impact

• MNCs & Sustainability
• The Cost of Fast Fashion
• On Quitting Fast fashion & Stuff
• Alternative leather
• Personal Impact study
• The Garbage Patch
• On Becoming an Islander (article and first video)

If you're interested, more on sustainable shopping, more alternative leathers, MNC social responsibility, how to get rid of stuff

Complete Response 2 due Friday, 9/14 at 11 pm

-This is your response to the virtual tour, so you might want to check R 2 questions before class (TBP)

.5 penalty for 'briefly' late submission until 11:15 pm
 -Latest accepted submission at 11:59 pm with a 1-point penalty.  No papers will be accepted after this time.

If you're interested, more on the Cedi Bead Factory

9/14
TH

• About Fair Trade (13 pp.)
• A Surprising Fair Trade Product
• Cappuccino Trail (53 min.)

9/19
T

• Elder, et al: "Big Retail and Sustainable Coffee: A New Development Studies Research Agenda" (9 pp.)

Class not meeting- instead, submit video assignment

Response 3 due today, 9/21, by 3:00 pm

9/26
T

Food Supply & Demand: Conventional v. Organic

Discuss readings and video

• GMOs & Policy
• Rice
• Is Organic More Nutritious?
• Productivity Comparisons
• Are GMOS Good or Bad (9 min.)

Assignments  

• Livestock industry & Climate Change
• WB on livestock
• The Meat on Your Plate
• Should We Eat Bugs?

If you're interested: a documentary on the impact of the livestock industry, FAO info on livestock, The Future of Meat, Dutch Cows, menu messaging, If Everyone Ate Beans Instead of Beef

October
10/3
T

 10/5
TH

10/10
T

10/17
T

Fall Break

10/19
TH

Readings:

• The Debate (17 pp.)

• Eating Locally

• Crop Diversity

If you're interested- Foodprint Tool food waste

Assignments

Discussion Questions for the semester

• Water (32 pp.)
• Water scarcity (8 pp.)
• Water in US
• Playpumps
• Water quiz
 

If you're interested- Cincinnati's Glenway Park, Lima's MOF water billboard, UNEP MOF project, more about MOF, and Virtual Water, Where is the Water?

November

11/2
TH

If you're interested:

• Ocean clean-up and here, but not without problems and some argue pointless, but others plead for our help (sad video warning)

• Plant-based resources: VegNews

• Entirely different news- plant-based milk made from potatoes

• More on plastic roads

• More on bags: 2020 ban in NYC, in Rwanda, and in India; but please stop banning bags!

  Earth week series challenge: Replace eggs, replace dairy, replace chicken, replace fish

11/9
TH

Assignments

Discussion Questions for the semester

• Food Waste in the US (and ugly food)
• Reduce Food Waste
• Fish waste

If you're interested- USDA,  food waste, UNEP Glenway Park

11/14
T

• Global Recycling System (10 pp.)
• GN v. GS Waste Issues (4 pp.)
• EEs & Waste (5 pp.)

If you're interested:   How recycling works, The Recycling Lie, Christmas tree lights,  recycling in China, China's import ban, waste recommendations, e-waste in Eastern Europe, global toilet paper usage, Impact of China's policy in the US, ReGrained

Class not meeting- complete & submit video assignment

Response 8 due by today, 11/16, by 3:00 pm (remember to refresh the pdf for the most recent version)

• Circular waste (4 pp.)
• Circular Economy (4 pp.)
• Repairing (4 pp.) and more on repairing
• The Unintended Consequences of Right to Repair (2 pp.)
• Choose two of the following to read/view:
  • Food Packaging
  • Plastic Containers
  • Edible Rings
  • Living Bee Fences
  • Roads
  • Houses
  • Light bulbs

If you're interested: China's next 5-year (plant-based inclusion) plan , Adam Minter interview on Sustainability & Waste, EU's Action Plan or a Circular Economy, Automotive right to repair and CA's new 11/7/23 law (Maine also just passed this law)

December

12/5
T

•  Degrowth (27 pp.)

If you're interested: Outside Oath- place to send (for free) used outdoor gear they can repair, sell, and give the proceeds to do good stuff

Garbage problems in Liberia

12/7
TH 

Critical Thought Paper questions day

TH 12/14