Sustainability Freshman Inquiry

Nov. 2, 2010

Jeff Fletcher

Logistics• New Reading due Nov. 2

– Sell the rain: How the privatization of water caused riots in Cochabamba, Bolivia Connie Watson, CBC Radio (Feb. 4, 2003)

– Water Revolt (Timeline): Cochabamba, Bolivia, Frontline, Public Broadcasting System (PBS) (June 2002)

– Who Will Bring Water to the Bolivian Poor? New York Times (Dec. 15, 2005)– (optional): What's in Your Water Bottle? Frontline, Public Broadcasting System

(PBS) (June 2002)– (optional): Letter From Bolivia: Leasing the Rain, The New Yorker William

Finnegan (April 8, 2002)• No exams or class meetings during finals week

– Final reflection paper due, but can be submitted online • Students host series of events for PSU Sustainability Education Week Nov.

6-12– http://ecowiki.pdx.edu/news/view/students-host-series-events-psu-sustainability-

education-week • Group project topics

– Sustainability on campus, around Portland

Early Term Feedback: Main Themes

• Helpful:– Group and class discussions, Omnivore’s Dilemma,

mentor labs, field trips, hands-on activities, quizzes• Challenges:

– Seating arrangement, chatter, cliques– Not covering material in more depth, clearer

expectations (what to take notes on), more students involved in discussions, wording on test

• PowerPoint slides plus/minus• My explanations plus/minus

Suggested Remedies

• Change seating arrangements– Sit on outside facing front– Sit by someone new, more random groups

• Don’t tolerate side conversations, texting– Michelia and Zak will assist– Seating charts if necessary– Asked to leave class (absence for day)

• Need to talk to me before returning

• You: Ask questions– Note taking, key points,

• Me: clearer expectations– Recap main points, more study guide review, more discussion

and hands-on

Midterm

• Mean: 40.9 / 50 = 81.8%• Median: 42.5 / 50 = 85%

Midterm Score Distribution

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

95 -100 90-94.9 85-89.9 80-84.9 75-79.9 70-74.9 < 70

% correct

Count

Food Inc.• Veil between us and food (e.g. labeling)• A Farm vs. A Factory

– Who works on each?• Consolidation of Farms and food businesses• Chicken Counsel Spokesman:

– “A lot of food, little land, affordable prices: some one explain what’s wrong with that.”

• Social Change– Revolving Door (Lobbyists and Gov. Officials)– Who controls crops (Farmers vs. Agribusinesses)

• Hidden Costs– Hemorrhagic E. Coli (157:147)– Working Conditions– Environmental Costs– Health Costs (antibiotics)

Social Engineering Leverage Points

• Policy: Legislation, regulation, standards & guidance.

• Economic or Financial Stimulus: Subsidies, creating markets, pricing, grants and loans, investments.

• Technology: Encouraging inventions, adoption of new technology, implementation on a wide scale.

Social Engineering in AgricultureA mini - exercise

Write down one of each of the following:

• Examples of Agriculture Policies

• Examples of Technologies in Agriculture

• Examples of Financing in Agriculture

Social Engineering in Agriculture

• Examples of agriculture policies– Industrial agriculture (Butz)– USDA definitions & certifications of organic foods

• Examples of technologies– Plant 1 acre in 18 min (King Corn)– GM crops– GPS/Satellite auto-steering (fertilizer, fuel costs)– Soil, nutrient sensors– Feedlots, antibiotics

• Examples of Financing– Public funds make the difference for a corn farmer– Private/ventures in biotech, – agribusiness (Cargill, ADM, Unilever)

Discussion Questions

• Do we have effective social engineering targeted to increase production and consumption of Organic food? Should we?

• Do we have social engineering targeted to increase production and consumption of Local foods? Should we?

• What about water & energy needs?• What about land use?• Who will do the work of local farming?

Omnivore’s Dilemma• Ch 10: Thirteen Ways of Looking at a

Pasture

• Ch 11: The Animals: Practicing Complexity

• Ch 12: Slaughter: In a Glass Abattoir

• Reconciling Livestock and the Environment

Debate (next class)

• Local Food?

• Eating Meat?

• No-Till Chemical Farming?

• Can we give up Nitrogen Fertilizers?

• GMOs + Organic?