Transcript Intro
ES118 Environment and Society ES 118 Environment and Society Setting the Context: What are the Trends? Diminishing Availability of Water and Agricultural Land The Oil Peak Collapsing Fisheries Shrinking Forests Loss of Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change: The Evidence Today is Colby’s “ Focus the Nation” day The latest IPCC report states that the evidence is now clear that the climate is changing and humans are responsible. Some evidence of warming is already evident (glaciers melting, earlier ice outs, ecosystem changes). Climate Change: the Implications The fossil-fuel energy sources that currently drive our economy emit greenhouse gases (primarily carbon) when combusted. The models that estimate future impacts suggest the likelihood of very large negative impacts (sea level rise, storm surges, spread of disease, ecosystem changes, etc) Changing those outcomes means changing the way we have historically improved well-being. This makes climate change politically very controversial. An Alternative View • • “We ought not punish ourselves in shame. We ought to be pleased that we have thrown off so many of humanity’s yokes and made possible fantastic progress in terms of prosperity. And we ought to face the facts - that on the whole we have no reason to expect that progress will not continue. This is the real state of the world.” • Bjørn Lomberg (p. 330) A Sense of History How did we get into this predicament? Hunter/Gatherers The First Agricultural Revolution The Industrial Revolution The Second Agricultural Revolution The Consequences Environment and Society Why “Environment and Society”? Behavioral Sources of Degradation Mark Hertsgaard’s “Earth Odyssey” The Dilemma Need to increase the standard of living among the poorest nations and people. Yet the traditional model of development puts excessive stress on the environment, thereby undermining the process. As described by Thomas Friedman in his new book the meteoric rise of India and China are the testing grounds for these concerns. How can this dilemma be resolved? Sustainable Development: The Origins Our Common Future (1987) Nations must work together to solve global environmental problems. This new approach, which involves raising living standards for the poor while protecting and enhancing the environment, is called sustainable development. Sustainable Development: The Definition “Sustainable development seeks to meet the aspirations and the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Overarching Questions Is the predominant economic system (capitalism) compatible with sustainable development? Is democracy compatible with sustainable development? What role does globalization play in the quest for sustainable development? Elizabeth Kolbert concluded her series in the New Yorker magazine on climate change with: "It may seem impossible to imagine that a technologically advanced society could choose, in essence, to destroy itself, but that is what we are now in the process of doing.” Is she right? Societal Resilience Diamond’s focal question: Why did some societies overcome resource scarcity while others succumbed? His approach: case study method using historical examples His findings: (1) Information (2) Incentives (3) Values The Course Overarching Themes Evidence over opinion. Behavioral Sources of Environmental Degradation: Values Information Incentives The Computer Connection ES 118 Web page Download syllabus Download lecture outlines Announcements Web sources http://www.colby.edu/environ/ES118/ES118.html Meet the Faculty Prof. Kabiri Ngeta, Government and Environmental Studies Prof. Philip Nyhus, Environmental Studies Prof. Tom Tietenberg, Economics and former Director of Environmental Studies Characteristics of the Course Introductory Solutions Oriented Multiple Perspectives Survey Active Learning Writing and Speaking Components Course Format Mondays and Wednesdays we will have all-course lectures in this room. Thursday nights we will have presentations on research methods in this same room. On Fridays in the individual section rooms we will have small group discussions. These sessions will be an opportunity for you to clarify issues, to raise alternative points of view, and to delve into some of the leading questions that the faculty will put before you. Research Projects Designed to allow you to be actively involved in learning about a specific topic. Thursday night sessions will lead you step-by-step through the research process. We will discuss finding researchable topics, formulating testable hypotheses, analytical approaches, research design, how to use evidence, etc. These session are generally timed to help you with the next step in your research process. Some work sessions. (Good time for group to meet.) Presentations during the last week. Run like a professional conference. Four days of presentations. Your group presents on one day and you attend presentations by others on the other three days. You choose the session you want to hear. The Syllabus Readings Grading Deadlines Content Download it from the web http://www.colby.edu/environ/courses/ES118/ES118.html The Readings The Text Used for basic background Note Glossary in back The E-Reader Selected readings from the literature to enrich the text and lectures. Electronically available from the web. Type “ES118” into the reserves search box on http://www.colby.edu/library/ Issues for Discussion Controversial issues with two opposing experts Useful point of departure for some class discussions on Friday Some Final Details Please make sure you have signed the attendance sheet. If you would like to be placed our the weekly email list for the ES program (speakers, internships, job opportunities), please email Beth Kopp at [email protected] and ask to be put on the ES Newsletter list. Can get daily environmental news from around the world if interested for free from any Colby computer, for example: http://www.greenwire.com