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