Tuesday, August 11, 2009

INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS

SYLLABUS Fall 2009

INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS
ENVMT 2, Code 42044 3 units

Team Contact: Robin Freeman M.A., 434-3840, robinf5713@aol.com, Office hrs (call first) @ SRH; Melinda Downing M.S., L. Bruce Douglas P.E.,
Teresa Williams M.S., M.A., Jennifer Shanoski PhD

Wednesday 6:30-9:30PM at the Environmental Center, Self Reliant House
Text: Miller, G. Tyler. Living in the Environment, 14th Edition
(Note: You are welcome to use other editions if you can find them used. The chapter numbers here are for Edition14; read the chapters with similar titles in earlier editions. I have the correlations for some other Editions.)

8/26 Environmental Problems, Their Causes, Sustainability and History:
Edition 14:Chapters 1, 2; Robin Freeman M.A.
9/2 Aug 27 Science, Matter and Energy, Ecosystems: Chapters 3, 4; R. Freeman
9/9 Climate, Water, and Geologic Cycles: Chapters 6 Sections-1, 2, Chapters
15, 16; Teresa Williams M.S, M.A.
9/16 Energy: Chapters 17, 18; Bruce Douglas P.E.
9/23 Politics, Sustainability – discussion; Chapters 27, 28; Freeman
9/30 Risk, Toxicology, Air, H2O Pollution; Environmental Chemistry: Chapters 19,20, 22; Jennifer Shanoski
10/7 Environmental Chemistry continued; Chapters 24-7,8,9 Shanoski
10/14 Populations, Communities, Aquatic Zones: Chapters 8, 9,10 Downing
10/21 Forest Resources, Restoration, Global Warming: Chapters 11-3 through
11-10, 21 Freeman
10/28 Minerals, Soil, Water Pollution; Chapters 14-3&4, Williams
11/4 Urban Land Use, Economics; Chapters 25, 26; Freeman
11/11 HOLIDAY Solid Waste, Economics TBA; Chapter 24-1 24-6, 24-10 Freeman (video can be viewed at an arranged time)
11/18 Population, Biodiversity, Restoration: Chapters 5, 6 -.3-7, 11-1,2& 7-10 Downing
11/25 No Class
12/2 Pesticides, IPM, Extinctions, Conservation Biology, Chapters 11
(remaining sections) 12,13, 23 Downing
12/9 PROJECT REPORTS DUE Food Resources: Chapter 14 (remaining
sections); Freeman
12/16 Sustainable Planning Discussion, Class presentations, evaluations,
grades;.Freeman
Course Requirements:
• Weekly Assignment: Each week turn in one brief paragraph for each chapter about how the subject of that chapter affects your life in some way, or, if you do not think it does, why not.
• Semester Project: Choose one of the chapter subjects from anywhere in the text and either volunteer a minimum of 8 hours on a project related to that issue, or research how that subject affects the human (or other species) immune system and also the quality of life of young children. Focus your thoughts and investigation as locally, or as much within your experience as possible. If you choose the volunteer option, write briefly where you volunteered, what you did, and what was most and least useful to you about the experience and how, or if that particular area of effort affects, or could affect the human (or other species) immune system and also the quality of life of young children. If you choose the research and writing project, begin your research with the phone book. Does your subject appear there? Then follow up on the web or the library. Use the bibliography in the text and search for key words there and in the glossary. Describe how easy or difficult it was to make the connection. Use your own judgment. This is part of a research project at the Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies. Since it is research, there is no right answer. The research goal is to learn how people from diverse positions think about sustainable activities in a complex world, much of which may appear outside of our control.

You will grade yourself based on attendance, completion of weekly reading and writing assignments, and completion of your final project. This course is required for all of the Environmental majors. Environmental Studies 11 satisfies certain UC, CSU Social Sciences requirements.

On campus or Merritt related volunteer opportunities:
• Sustainable Peralta Colleges Initiative
• Construction or installation of Green Building and energy materials at the Environmental Center or fire/native vegetation management trail maintenance and signs.
• Creek related and community projects at the Watershed Center
• Form a student Environmental organization
• Catalogue and file environmental publications at the Environ. Center
• Research Group; Brower Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies

Environmental Writing

Every environmental field includes writing! In this introductory course you will explore writing about place, your own experience, personal essay, report, technical, publicity and informational or interpretive writing. You will receive valuable feedback from your fellow writers. Past students have published in the college newspaper, the Economist, and one published a novel. No experience is necessary, and writers with experience are welcome. This course satisfies major and certificate requirements.

Robin M. Freeman, Coordinator of the Environmental Management & Technology Program and Co-Director of the Brower Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies, is an editor with Conservation Press, has published in environmental journals, written textbooks, and co-authored the Sierra Club Yodeler series of interviews which include Linus Pauling, Pete Seegar, Daniel Ellsberg, Ronald V Dellums, Carl Anthony, David Brower, Hazel Henderson, and Dr. Helen Caldicott.



Mondays 6:30-9:30pm (9/14-12/7), 3 Saturdays 10am-4:30pm (8/29, 9/5, 9/26), and 2 Sundays 10am-4:30pm (10/4, 10/11).
1st class is Saturday 8/29, late enrollment OK!

Register and Enroll at www.peralta.edu with code: 44609*
Course is 2.5 units, $50, fee waivers available *When enrolling in multiple courses, the computer may show a false schedule conflict. Please contact us and we will help you enroll.

Visit www.ecomerritt.org for contact info, directions and map

GLOBAL WARMING, Wildfires, storms, melting ice…What is happening and can we repair it???

GET A GREEN EDUCATION & GREEN JOB TRAINING IN:

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT & TECHNOLOGY
GREEN BUILDING & ENERGY MANAGEMENT
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION & WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
URBAN FARMING & AGRO ECOLOGY
HUMAN ECOLOGY, POLICY, PLANNING & ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
RANGER NATURALIST OUTDOOR EDUCATION


MERRITT COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT & TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
12500 Campus Drive, Oakland
35th off 580, Redwood Road or Carson off 13; 54 Bus from Fruitvale BART

Register at: www.peralta.edu

www.ecomerritt.org for more info, maps and directions
510.434.3840 (msg only) or email ecomerritt@yahoo.com

Controversial “Green” Environmental Topics at Merritt College

Controversial “Green” Environmental Topics at Merritt College

Will the Bay Area get flooded, go broke, lose a generation to jails, burn again, or become green and sustainable? Merritt College’s Environmental Management and Technology faculty will be addressing these questions beginning August 26 at the Oakland hills campus. “There are indeed serious problems, but there are also substantial solutions to them.” Says Robin Freeman. Coordinator of the Program’s free and low cost courses, lectures and workshops

How do you find a “green” job? How dangerous is global warming and how does it affect the Bay Area? What in human nature allows civilizations to repeatedly collapse and what will give hope a plan? Will the Bay Area be able to plan its way out of social, economic and environmental crisis?

“Most in the new rush towards green products and jobs are relative newcomers. Merritt College, with the state’s oldest Community College environmental program has 47 years of experience. Our Adjunct Professors are practicing professionals and know the difference between greenwashing bubbles and what will last.” Freeman points out.

“Politics rewards aggression”, says Professor Freeman. Can the skills which make winners solve our social, financial and environmental problems? Urban Planners, Green Builders, Social Psychologists and Philosophers, Tree Experts, Environmental Scientists, and Educators take these questions on in lectures and hands-on projects.

Research Released on Civilization’s Impact
Informed by the newly to be released research findings of the David R. Brower, Ronald V. Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies, upcoming courses explore how bad these problems are. “Workshops and field trips will discuss the solutions that we have, and how to connect the dots to put it all together.” Freeman continues “For example, how can our East Bay trees be managed as an urban forest for beauty, increase calm, reduce fire threat, increase clean water and air, provide beautiful wood and recreation and biodiversity? Do we know how to and have the organizations and experts? Yes. Can we create jobs and money flow? Yes. Are we doing these things? Only on a very limited basis.”

The city is civilization’s largest artifact. How does human nature affect the world? Is the social and environmental collapse of urban empires inevitable? Explore with a learning theorist and an urban planner how civilizations collapse and how to plan our way out of this cycle.

Faculty include Green building designer Leslie Geathers, Urban Planner David Ralston PhD, Fire Ecologist Maria Morales, Watershed restorationist, Martha Berthelsen, Environmental Justice expert Nehanda Imara, Natural Historian Ron Felzer among others.

Environmental Writing Course Starts September 5
Every environmental field includes writing. In this introductory course you will explore writing about place, your own experience, personal essay, report, technical, publicity and informational or interpretive writing. You will receive valuable feedback from your fellow writers. Past students have published in the college newspaper, the Economist, and a published a novel. No experience is necessary, and writers with experience are welcome. The course satisfies major and certificate requirements.

The course is taught by Freeman, who is Co-Director of the Brower Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies, is an editor with Conservation Press, has published in environmental journals, written textbooks, and co-authored the Sierra Club Yodeler series of interviews which include Linus Pauling, Pete Seegar, Daniel Ellsberg, Ronald V Dellums, Carl Anthony, David Brower, Hazel Henderson, and Dr. Helen Caldicott.

For schedules and information contact www.ecomerritt.org

END