Summary: This is the schedule for ENST305, Ecology, Economics, and Ethics, offered at Ramapo College by Professor Wayne Hayes in the fall 2014 semester. This page will guide the sequence of events in ENST305.
The Academic Calendar for the Fall 2014 semester displays important dates to keep in mind. Please note the due dates for ENST305 below, listed in chronological order. All documents must be submitted as attachments to whayes@ramapo.edu. The documents are due on Wednesdays by class time.
September 24: Please send me an email message before class defining your focus for the Course Enrichment Component, the experiential learning log, and provide a sample of your writing done in a course within the last academic year. I encourage you to propose a topic for the term paper. We will discuss how to frame these assignments in class on September 17.
October 15: A proposal of the term research paper counts 10 points. This is due by class time.
November 5: A report on The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard, my supplementary notes and links, and additional material indicated in the schedule counts 16 points. See the definition of this assignment for details. This is due by class time.
November 19 by 5:00 P.M.: The preliminary draft of your research paper counts 16 points. I intend to browse the papers prior to class.
December 10: Your oral presentation of your research paper to the class counts 10 points.
December 17: A log demonstrating experiential learning counts 6 points.
December 18: The final draft of your research project counts 32 points.
This section initiates the course and introduces each other and the material of the course. Expectations and time lines are established early.
September 3: We will confirm the class roster. I will introduce and explain Ecology, Economics, and Ethics, ENST30501. I will suggest how to do well here. I will distribute the Hitana Bay simulation game, a significant learning exercise that initiates the course. We will do in class:
To help introduce the important themes of ecological economics, we will peruse these essential web sites. Please follow-up our class discussion with perhaps an hour breezing through these sites:
September 10: Our class joined the screening of the film, Disruption, and subsequent discussion.
We will form teams to play the Hitana Bay role-playing simulation game on sustainable development. The class will report on a sustainable development plan for Hitana Bay and discuss the results. Study closely the Hitana Bay narrative, distributed on September 3.
September 10: Last day for Schedule Adjustments (drop/add). Last day to withdraw with 100% tuition refund.
Tip: For your Course Enrichment Component, consider adopting a theme from either the Anthropocene or The Story of Stuff that continues into the present, unfolding around us. The material of Ecology, Economics, and Ethics provides a dynamic insight into how sustainability unfolds around us. Supplement this material through your Course Enrichment Component.
September 17, Part I: We will hold a workshop on framing the term paper proposal, based on the explanation of the term project and its preliminary draft.
We will review the seminal article by Steffen, Will & Paul J. Crutzen & John R. McNeill. 2007: The Anthropocene: Are Humans Now Overwhelming the Great Forces of Nature?, Ambio v36n8 (December 2007): 614-621. This helps to historically frame how economics intersects with sustainability. We will visit the Living in the Anthropocene web site. Note the video. See my PowerPoint presentation.
Tip: The Anthropocene provides a foundation and the context for how we will approach Ecology, Economics, and Ethics. You must grasp the concept and the Age of Acceleration. I strongly encourage you to use the theme of the Anthropocene throughout the course.
Note: September 30 is the last day to submit applications for January graduation.
October 1: The Brundtland Commission Report and the sustainable development process. This U.N. report provided the seminal grounding of sustainable development. The language of the report lives on but its concrete response to the prevailing orthodoxy of neoliberalism has been lost. We will recover the perspective of the original text.
The following will be discussed in class. They are recommended but not required for you to read in advance of our class:
October 8 & 15: We review Annie Leonard, The Story of Stuff. We will set up the discussion of The Story of Stuff with the companion video. A new video on game-changing economics will also provide context.
I have prepared extensive supplementary notes to guide a class discussion. Use these notes to amplify and extend the substance of the text. Please see my presentations on the Introduction, Extraction, and the rest of the materials cycle. My method is to expand on themes of sustainability as we review and discuss the chapters of the book.
We will engage and discuss this provocative and straightforward book, The Story of Stuff. The book is a readily available and highly accessible explanation of substantive aspects of the intersection of economics and sustainability. Be prepared for a lively discussion in class. We will also view the Story of Stuff video. Note that this book encompasses the life cycle of the production of goods (less so services), introduces in context many important concepts, and includes but surpasses the simplistic focus on markets. The book is grounded on the materials cycle. Consumers may be regarded as co-producers --- I will explain why.
October 15: Term paper proposal is due by class time.
October 22, Part I: We will end The Story of Stuff. We will discuss what the book and the support material has meant to us, what you find significant, perhaps deficient, and how the materials cycle perspective enriches our grasp of the world around us. We will review how each of your chosen Course Enrichment Component themes relate to Ecology, Economics, and Ethics.
October 22, Part II: We will review the term paper proposals and plan how to implement the first draft.
I will distribute print copies of my article, Economic Strategies for Sustainability, in class on October 22.
Note: October 23 is the last day to withdraw from courses with a "W" grade. Students considering withdrawing should consult with the instructor in advance.
October 22 & 29: Economic Strategies for Sustainability. My article on Economic Strategies for Sustainability provides an overview of economic theory for sustainers. You must study this article closely. I will supplement the article with lecture notes and web pages.
November 5: Report on Annie Leonard, The Story of Stuff, and the accompanying support materials and assignments is due by class time.
November 5 & 12: Economic globalization:
Part II November 12: Class will include a workshop in seminar format devoted to the preparation of your preliminary draft of the term paper. Please be prepared to present a five-minute overview of your progress. You are encouraged to pose questions concerning your preliminary draft.
November 19 by 5:00 P.M.: The preliminary draft of your research paper counts 16 points. I intend to browse the papers prior to class.
November 19: We will hold an organizational meeting to discuss closure of ENST30501. At this point, Ecology, Economics and Ethics pivots to the implementation of your term paper and its oral presentation. We will assess your progress and set up for the implementation of your project and its presentation.
Part B: Workshop on term papers. Please be prepared to offer a five-minute overview of the highlights of your project. Indicate in your presentation your concerns and gaps. Use of presentation tools, such as PowerPoint, is encouraged.
November 26: No class. Thanksgiving break provides a great opportunity to work on the term research paper. Class time after the Thanksgiving break will be devoted to finalizing the students' papers and preparation for the final presentations.
December 3: Workshop on term research papers and presentations. Review of progress reports on drafts of term paper: tips and traps. Your term paper drafts will be reviewed. In seminar format, we will discuss each student's project and the theory and substance contained within it to draw out its potential. The discussion provides a group learning opportunity.
Part B: Each student will orally rehearse a preliminary presentation of the final work. PowerPoint slide shows are welcome but not required. We will constructively critique each others' work.
December 10: Presentations of term paper.
December 17: The experiential learning log is due.
December 18: Term paper due by the end of the day. This is a firm deadline. Points will be deducted for late papers.
