GEOG 304--04: Environmental Issues
Spring, 2014
Monday/Wednesday: 4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m., Holt 298
Jeremy Miller: Instructor
Office: Holt 144 (530) 898-4550
Office Hours: M 2:15-3:45pm/W 12:15-3:45pm
e-mail: jsmiller@csuchico.edu
A. Course Description (taken from the University Catalog):
Geographic analysis of humanity's interaction with the environment. Examines natural and human systems,
resources, population, energy, and pollution. Develops an appreciation of the beauty, balance, and complexity
of natural systems and human success in attaining harmony with them. Enhances awareness and perception
of each individual's role in and with the environment.
B. Course Objectives/Goals:
1. To enhance the students' appreciation of our planet and the value of practicing sustainability.
2. To explore environmental issues implementing the basic themes of geography.
3. To use the arena of Environmental Issues as a medium for the extension of reasoning, speaking, and
writing skills.
4. Introduce students to the geographic study of "human/environment relationships."
5. Introduce students to concepts underpinning modern sustainability.
6. Provide an active model of connection with environmental issues.
7. Provide students with points of entry to discuss sustainability with their peers and the opportunity to
find their own voice on the issues.
C.
Required Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Miller, Jr., G. Tyler. Sustaining the Earth (9th, 10th, or 11th edition)
Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael
Selected readings linked on class website (Blackboard Learn)
Basic quad-lined notebook, 10.25" x 7.875". These are available in the campus bookstore.
D. Course Requirements:
(Elements of the course are weighted in the following manner, actual points will vary)
4 Quizzes
28% of course total
Comprehensive Final
25%
Notebook entries
15%
Participation (self-assess)
12%
Ishmael Essay
12%
“Coffee Talk” Presentation
8%
_____
100%
E. Grading:
1. Grades will be determined by simple percentages, as follows:
93 - 100% = A
77 - 79% = C+
90 - 92% = A73 - 76% = C
87 - 89% = B+
70 - 72% = C-
83 - 86% = B
60 - 69% = D
80 - 82% = B0 - 59% = F
F. Late Assignments: Assignments turned in after the due date will be accepted for ½ credit for up to one week past
the due date, unless prior arrangement has been made. Late assignments will not be accepted past one week.
G. Attendance: Attendance will be taken via sign-in sheet. 2 excused absences are allowed (example: family
emergency, sick with note from doctor). A request for an excused absence must be made via email no later than
the same day as class. Additional absences may result in a deduction of 0.6% of your course grade for each
absence. Please note that quizzes may not be made up unless prior arrangements are made with the instructor.
See you in class!
Add/Drop: Students not attending class the first week of school will be automatically dropped from the course,
unless they give prior notice to the instructor.
H. Weekly Schedule (tentative):
FOOD, HEALTH
WATER
ECOLOGY
OUTSIDE! = Unless otherwise noted, meet on the lawn by the creek across from Holt Hall, Bring a blanket or chair!
UNIT
DATE TOPIC/ACTIVITY
READING/HOMEWORK DUE
1/22 Review of Syllabus and Course Logistics
Course Syllabus
What are the Issues?
Browse Course Website
Sign-up for Student Presentations
Lecture: Revealing, Connecting, Personalizing
Where Are You At? Bioregional Quiz
1/27 Footprints
(website)
Where Are You At?
California’s Ecology
Miller 2-4, 2-5, 2-6
1/29 Lecture: Captivity
Ishmael Part 1
Guest Speaker: Susan Mason, Friends of Bidwell
Park
OUTSIDE!
2/3
Miller 3-4, 3-5, 4-1, 4-3
Ecology Each One Teach One
OUTSIDE!
“Dihydrogen Monoxide”
2/5
(browse the website)
Student Presentation Work Day
Miller 2-1
2/10 Lecture: Water in a Nutshell
Ishmael Parts 2 - 5
Coffee Talk 1
Miller 8-1, 8-2
“Water: Adapting to a New Normal”
2/12 QUIZ #1
(website)
Guest Speaker: Robyn DiFalco, Executive Director
Butte Environmental Council
Miller 8-3
“Fertilized World” (website)
2/17 Lecture: Our Fertilized World
Ishmael Parts 6 – 8
Coffee Talk 2, 3
Miller 7-1, 8-6, 2-7 (nitrogen cycle)
“Getting Fossil Fuels off Our Plate”
2/19 What is a Sustainable Meal?
(website)
Lecture: I Am What I Eat
2/24 Video: DIRT! The Movie
Miller 7-2, 7-3, 7-4, 7-5
Ishmael Part 9
“Is Local Food Better?” (website)
2/26 QUIZ #2
“The Inefficiency of Local Food” (website)
“Three Reasons Why Freakonomics
Video: DIRT! The Movie
is Wrong” (website)
3/3
3/24
Guest Speaker: Francine Stuelpnagel
GRUB Farm
Coffee Talk 4, 5
OUTSIDE!
Ishmael Discussion
Share Ishmael Rough Drafts
Coffee Talk 6, 7, 8
Lecture: Fire and Forestry
Coffee Talk 9, 10
Lecture: Energy Made Personal
3/26
Coffee Talk 11
Energy Round Robin
3/5
NATURAL RESOURCES AND
ENERGY
3/10
3/12
Notebooks due!
Ishmael Parts 10 - 11
Ishmael Parts 12 – 13
Ishmael Essay Rough Draft Due
(bring 2 hard copies to class)
Ishmael Essay Due 1 p.m. Friday 3/14 in
Holt 101 (my box) or Holt 144 (my office)
Miller 10-1, 10-8
“Estimated U.S. Energy Use 2012”
(website diagram—single page)
Miller Ch 9, 10: Energy Pro/Con
(See website for assignment)
WASTE MANAGEMENT AND
POLLUTION
CLIMATE CHANGE
LEAVER SOCIETY
AND THE FUTURE
4/2
Guest Speaker: Robin Trenda,
Chico Green Builders
TEDxRainier Amory Lovins,
Reinventing Fire (video on website)
4/7
QUIZ #3
Lecture: Municipal Solid Waste in the U.S.
Discussion: 24 Hours of Waste
Coffee Talk 12
Guest Speaker: Kinley Deller, Project Manager
Recycling and Environmental Services, King
County (Seattle)
Video: Story of Stuff
Coffee Talk 13
Lecture: The Carbon Cycle
Coffee Talk 14, 15
Lecture: California and Global Climate Change
Coffee Talk 16
24 Hours of Waste
(See website for assignment)
4/9
4/14
4/16
4/21
Coffee Talk 17, 18, 19, 20
4/23
4/28
POTLUCK! (location tbd)
QUIZ #4
4/30
Coffee Talk 21, 22
Lecture: Transition Towns
5/5
5/7
5/12
Coffee Talk 23, 24
Lecture: Tapestries
Coffee Talk 25
Final Project Practice
Final Project Due, 6 p.m.
“The World’s Largest Dump:
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch”
(website)
Miller 12-2, 13-4, 13-5
Miller 2-7 (carbon cycle)
“Sierra a ‘living lab’ for climate change”
(website)
Miller 12-6, 12-7
“The International Response to
Climate Change” (website)
Miller 13-1, 13-2, 13-3
“The Death of Sprawl” (website)
“Local Government in a Time of Peak Oil”
(website)
Miller 13-7, 14-4
“What is Education For” (website)
Miller 14-8
Notebooks due!
Final Project Due 6 p.m.
in Holt 101 (my box)
or Holt 144 (my office)
I. Notebook:
Your notebook will include responses to designated readings (as noted in BOLD in the syllabus) as well as
personal notes from lectures, videos, guest presenters, additional reading assignments, and student
presentations. Each note-taking session should be legible, on its own page, and with a heading and date. Your
notebook will be your “open-note” resource for all quizzes, your Ishmael essay, and the final.
Reading Responses: Heading should include the title of the reading and the name of the author. Unless
otherwise noted, reading responses will be 1 – 2 notebook pages in length. Approximately ½ of the response
should be a brief summary of the key points in the reading, and ½ should be 1 – 2 paragraphs consisting any
combination of the following:
 Key points that stand out for you and why
 Areas where you agree/disagree and why
 Questions, ideas, or thoughts that were triggered by the reading
Personal Notes: In addition to serving as your key resource for quizzes and the final, credit will be given to legible,
cohesive note-taking sessions of over ½ page in length that have a clear heading and date.
J. “Coffee Talk” Presentations:
One of the best ways to gain understanding of an issue is to explain it to someone else. Coffee Talks will be done
in pairs, and will serve to provide the class with a more focused understanding of current environmental issues.
Presentations will be 10 minutes in length, and may be in the form of a lecture, class activity, song, theatrical
performance, power-point presentation, etc. The presentation is worth 8% of the course grade.
General Guidelines:
Length: 10 minutes (8 minutes minimum, 12 minutes maximum)
Format: Lecture, class activity, song, live theatrical performance, powerpoint presentation, other (ask Jeremy).
Content:
1. Provide us with enough background (8th grade level) to understand the issue and the various
perspectives (pros/cons).
2. Why should we care? How are CSU Chico students connected to this issue?
3. What is the future of this issue?
4. Share with us your personal take on the issue and the reasons behind your thoughts
3
2
Content was lacking
0
Explanation was
Presentation lacked organization,
Minimal
satisfactory. Presentation was
was confusing at times.
effort
less than 8 minutes or
Presentation was too short
more than 12 minutes
(less than 5 min) or too long
(more than 15 min)
Missing
Satisfactory
1
Minimal
effort
Missing
Scoring Rubric for Presentations
4
Appropriate content was
Content
provided to gain a clear
picture of the issue (background, differing points
of view, etc.)
Content was clearly
explained, was about 10
minutes in length
Engagement
Presentation was engaging
Presentation was good,
and conducted with confidence but lacked polish
Presentation showed lack of
preparation and confidence,
was boring.
Minimal
effort
Opinion
Presenters provided their
own commentary/opinion
about the issue
Some commentary
was provided
Minimal
effort
Resources
Presentation notes, visual
Satisfactory
aids, and bibliography/sources are
provided, either electronically
or as a hard copy. Wikipedia is not
used as a source.
Lacking
Minimal
effort
Good commentary
was provided, but
lacked depth
Coffee Talks Topics and Dates:
1. (Feb 2) The Peripheral Canal (Peripheral Tunnels) p
2. (Feb 17) Drought in California!
3. (Feb 17) TBA
4. (Mar 3) GMO Food
5. (Mar 3) Bee Colony Collapse Disorder
6. (Mar 10) What is Biofuel all about?
7. (Mar 10) Fracking (“Induced Hydrolic Fracturing”)
8. (Mar 10) Keystone XL Pipeline
9. (Mar 12) Little bits of metal, big impact: Tungsten
and Neodymium Mining
10. (Mar 12) TBA
11. (Mar 24) Residential Solar: When is it worth the
investment?
12. (Apr 7) Waste Management and Recology: Where
do my recycling and garbage really go?
13. (Apr 9) TBA
14. (Apr 14) Ban Nature? Don’t volcanoes and forest
contribute to CO2 levels and climate change?
15. (Apr 14) What is the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change?
16. (Apr 16) California Assembly Bill 32
17. (Apr 21) What is Cap and Trade? Does it work?
18. (Apr 21) Sea Star Wasting Syndrome
19. (Apr 21) California High Speed Rail
20. (Apr 21) Organized Religion and the Environment:
A crusade for a healthier planet, or an undertapped
resource?
21. (Apr 28) Ecolabeling: Valuable tool, or marketing
gimmick?
22. (Apr 28) Can Eating Bugs Save the World?
23. (Apr 30) Our Wireless World: Do instant
information, social media, apps, etc aid us in solving
environmental problems by connecting people together,
or does it hamper efforts by distancing us from the
natural world?
24. (Apr 30) Local Issue: What is Chico’s Greenline?
25. (May 5) Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
Missing Missing Missing
Clarity/
Organization