INTS 221
Sustainability At the Castle
Course Outline
If it’s business as usual, earth is going out of business.
Gunther Pauli is scornful in his new book The Blue Economy of the "do less bad" school of
environmentalism.
"A thief who tells a judge he is stealing less than before will receive no leniency. So why do companies get
environmental awards for polluting less - even though they are still polluting?"
"Humanity has fabricated the illusion that somehow we can get by without biodiversity or that it is
somehow peripheral to our contemporary world: the truth is we need it more than ever on a planet of 6
billion [people], heading to over 9 billion by 2050. Business as usual is no longer an option if we are to
avoid irreversible damage to the life-support systems of our planet."
Achim Steiner, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
The UN report can be read here
You are part of a grand experiment. This course has three contributors:
1. You
2. Prof. Moore
3. The Castle
Aims
1.
2.
3.
4.
Making the Castle more sustainable
Making society more sustainable
Questioning some unquestionable assumptions
Asking some tough questions: Is our current system sustainable?
This is no place for babbitts: A self-satisfied narrow-minded person who conforms to conventional ideals
of business and material success. (After the main character in Sinclair Lewis's 1922 novel Babbitt
<http://wordsmith.org/awad/archives/0508>)
Within the unique university context, the most crucial of all human rights are the rights of freedom of
speech, academic freedom, and freedom of research. And we affirm that these rights are meaningless
unless they entail the right to raise deeply disturbing questions and provocative challenges to the
cherished beliefs of society at large and of the university itself.
University of Toronto
INTS 221
BISC Summer 2011
Syllabus
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Process
Most courses focus down, we will open up.
Most courses look inward, we will look outward.
Readings, lectures, tours, projects
Reading Intensive: downloadable, most from website
Participation Intensive: 10% of grade on participation
Team Intensive: 27.5% of grade by peer evaluation
Instructor
Steven Moore
Email:
smoore@business.queensu.ca
Office:
Room 242
Office Hours: By appointment
Steven Moore earned his Masters Degree in Environmental Studies from York
University and has pursued interdisciplinary environmental and energy theories and
practices for over 25 years. He has taught at several post-secondary institutions and has
practiced sustainability for the last 11 years by producing solar power to live off-the-grid
and develop an organic farming business. He has recently built a sustainable earthsheltered home and installed 20 kW of solar-powered electricity generation. You can
follow his progress on his blog for Kingston Life or at Notes from the Underground.
At Queen’s, Steven teaches courses on Sustainability at the undergraduate, MBA, and Master of Global
Management level as well as the Credit Analyst Certification for the Saudi Industrial Development Fund.
Steven’s teaching experience also includes the Laurentian University, University of Toronto, Queen’s School
of English, and Loyalist Training and Development Centre.
He has over 125 popular publications to his credit in the fields of communication, environment, and energy.
He owns and operates Moore Partners, a marketing and communications company. He has consulted to
corporate and business clients such as RBC Funds, CI Funds, Toronto Dominion Bank, CBC Radio, AT&T,
Scotiabank, Canada Life, Empire Life, Bell Canada, Loyalist College, CIBC, Ontario Hydro, Lansing Buildall,
the Canadian Cancer Society, Conservation Ontario, the Nature Conservancy, and several of Ontario's
Stewardship Councils.
INTS 221
BISC Summer 2011
Syllabus
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Course Materials
Course Website
www.moorepartners.ca/sustainabilitycastle11
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Required readings for each session
Assignments
Announcements
Readings
1. World on the Edge
Download for free at http://www.earth-policy.org/books/wote
2. State of the World 2008
Download the following sections for free
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5984
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State of the World: A Year in Review by Lisa Mastny
A timeline of significant environmental news events from
October 2007 to September 2008.
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Chapter 1. The Perfect Storm, by Christopher Flavin and
Robert Engelman
The climate dilemma, in a nutshell.
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Chapter 2. A Safe Landing for the Climate, by W. L. Hare
Current climate science and the emissions path needed to glide
toward a safe landing.
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Climate Connections
22 essays by experts around the world on wide-ranging topics
relevant to climate change
INTS 221
BISC Summer 2011
Syllabus
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3. Follow at least one of the following:
Dominion (Canada, World)
http://www.dominionpaper.ca
Straight Goods News (Canada)
http://www.straightgoods.ca
Truthout Environment (U.S., World)
http://www.truthout.org/issues/environment
Common Dreams NewsCenter) (U.S., World)
http://www.democracyinaction.com
Alternet Environment (U.S., World)
http://www.alternet.org/environment
SEED Magazine (World)
http://seedmagazine.com
Environmental Leader (World)
http://www.environmentalleader.com/
Inhabitat (World)
http://inhabitat.com/
Please email Prof. Moore (moorepartners@gmail.com) to register your choice for INTS 221.
Other Key Websites
 Worldchanging Canada
http://www.worldchanging.ca/
Worldchanging was founded on the idea that real solutions already exist for building the future we want. it’s
just a matter of grabbing hold and getting moving.
•
350
http://www.350.org/
Our mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis--to create a new sense of
urgency and of possibility for our planet.
 Sourcewatch Climate Change
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Portal:Climate_Change
Welcome to the SourceWatch portal on climate change policy, the citizen’s encyclopedia on global climate
change policy that you can edit. The portal aims to build the best information resource investigating key
aspects of climate change policy and debate ahead of the November 2009 United Nations’ Climate Change
Convention in Copenhagen. The conference, referred to as COP15, aims to establish “an ambitious global
climate agreement for the period from 2012”.
INTS 221
BISC Summer 2011
Syllabus
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 WiserEarth
www.wiserearth.com
WiserEarth serves the people who are transforming the world. It is a community directory and networking
forum that maps and connects non-governmental organizations (NGOs), businesses, governments, and
individuals addressing the central issues of our day: climate change, poverty, the environment, peace, water,
hunger, social justice, conservation, human rights and more. Content is created and edited by people like
you.
 Natural Resources Defense Council
http://www.nrdc.org/greenbusiness/
NRDC is a U.S.-based environmental action group, combining the grassroots power of 1.2 million members
and online activists with the courtroom clout and expertise of more than 350 lawyers, scientists and other
professionals.
 Orion
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/list/C17/
“It is Orion‘s fundamental conviction that humans are morally responsible for the world in which we live,
and that the individual comes to sense this responsibility as he or she develops a personal bond with
nature.”
 Tar Sands Watch
http://www.tarsandswatch.org/
Tar Sands Watch is a part of the Polaris Institute. Polaris is designed to enable citizen movements to act for
democratic social change on major public policy issues in an age of corporate driven globalization.
 AASHE
http://www.aashe.org/about/about.php
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada working to create a sustainable
future. It was founded in 2006 with a mission to promote sustainability in all sectors of higher education from governance and operations to curriculum and outreach - through education, communication, research
and professional development. Businesses, NGO's, and government agencies can participate as AASHE
partner members.
5. Please observe the rules of professional engagement
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Attend class. If you don’t learn anything from me, you will learn something from your colleagues.
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Once you are here, please stay. I’m a fan of technology but not of disrespect. Turn your cell phones
off. Laptops are not required for this course but are very handy for instantaneous research. If you
have one, please bring it to class, but be prepared for me to bolt around behind you to see what you
are doing.
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Be prepared. I do my homework and I expect you to do yours. Be familiar with the required readings
for each session. I’ve reduced the assignments to put more emphasis on the readings so be prepared
to discuss them and your Updates. I’ll call on you to do so.
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Email is good. Send me your questions and comments. I am happy to discuss your evaluations with
you anytime but I do not negotiate marks. Please point out any math errors or obvious goof-ups and
I will correct them.
INTS 221
BISC Summer 2011
Syllabus
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Assignments
1. Individual Class Participation/Citizenship 20%
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Attendance and Class Card Comments
One Update per class – an article on sustainability that you will introduce
Quantity and quality of your in-class contributions
a) Relevance – on topic, on issue
c) Substance – reflect active listening to the comments of other class members, make a contribution
to the ideas being exchanged
c) Persuasiveness –well articulated, argued, and supported, so that others take note
d) Questioning –reasonably question or challenge comments of others or without disparaging the
person who made them
Clear evidence of preparation
Respect, good humour, and enthusiasm
2) Major Team Project 70%
Two person teams will be assigned to the following projects:
Project 1:
Developing a comprehensive plan for the establishment of solar generation capacity under the U.K. Feed-In
Tariff (FIT). How much should be done, where it should be done, who should do it, expected costs and
revenues, maintenance, permits required, funding sources, etc.
Department of Energy and Climate Change
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/feedin
_tariff/feedin_tariff.aspx
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has used powers in the Energy Act 2008 to
introduce a system of feed-in tariffs to incentivise small scale (less than 5MW), low carbon electricity
generation.
Project 2:
Developing a comprehensive plan to reduce organic and inorganic cafeteria waste, and to vermi-compost
the organic waste. Required capacity, site, materials, cost, maintenance, funding sources, etc.
The Worm Research Centre
http://www.wormresearchcentre.co.uk/initiative.htm
The Worm Research Centre was initially set up to provide objective information about the use of worms to
the benefit of the environment, investigating their scientific and technical performance. However, over the
years considerable insight has been gained into whole recycling arena with more and more people making
contact for information about any way their waste stream can be diverted to meet the new legislative drivers.
INTS 221
BISC Summer 2011
Syllabus
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Project 3:
Based on the Castle field trip and the potential resources of the grounds, suggest other sustainability
projects that may prove to be successful: gardening, fruit trees, lumbering, tourism, farming, whatever
might allow a sustainable use of Castle buildings and grounds. Include a detailed description of the
project(s) plus all benefits, costs, revenues, funding sources, etc.
Deliverables:
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Project scope and outline 10%
Preliminary Report 20%
Final Report to BISC Executive 40%
Individual Peer Evaluation 10%
At the end of the term you will be asked to anonymously and honestly evaluate the contributions and
cooperation of the other member of your team.
Date
Topic
Required Readings
June
15
Intro & Assignments
Growth, Obsolescence
Consumerism, Economics
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Story of Stuff
Story of Bottled Water
The Infinite Economy - The Creation of Money
The Infinite Economy – Obsolescence
What Would a No Growth Economy Actually Look Like
June
16
What Is Sustainability?
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Sustainability Theories and Frameworks
Brussels Wants Wider Measure of Well-Being Than GDP
Economists Appraise Bhutan
Largest Economic Entities
23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism
Youth in a Suspect Society
June
20
Report Outlines Due
10%
McDonough
Meatle
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The Delusion Revolution
The Revolution Will Begin with a Textbook
Here's 14 ways to help save planet
10 Ways to Change Your Life
9 Ways to Recycle Your Gadgets
June
22
Review of Report
Outlines
Pawlyn
Benyus
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10 Species You Can Kiss Goodbye
Vertebrate Risks from Electricity Generation
Wind Turbines, For the Birds
What is biomimicry
The 15 Coolest Cases of Biomimicry
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Canadian climate scientists muzzled
Comment on the Stern Report on climate change
Funding of climate change deniers
Huge Methane Leak in Arctic Ocean
Biomimicry
June
23
Climate Change 1
INTS 221
BISC Summer 2011
Syllabus
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June
27
Preliminary Report
Due
Climate Change 2
June
29
June
30
Emotional Responses to
Collapse
Review of Preliminary
Reports
Jeremy
Jackson
Oceans
Dianna
Cohen
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Humans Are Too Stupid to Prevent Climate Change
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Why Climate Change Is So Threatening to Right-Wingers
United Nations ranks Calgary among worst carbon emitters
Ice-Free Arctic- Part 1 - China's Growing Interest
Ice-Free Arctic- Part 2 - The Commercial Lure of Melting Ice
Ice-Free Arctic- Part 3 - Charting Political Waters
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Bright-Sided
Citizens of the Empire
The Anguish of the Age- Emotional Reactions to Collapse
Reports on coping with anguish for a world in collapse
Honest talk about economics, empire, and energy
Getting rid of hope and faith
Only a Massive Uprising Will Change Our Politics
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On Restoring the Oceans
The Ocean’s SOS
Growing Dead Zones in the Ocean
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
July
4
The Commons and
Inequality
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In the Shadow of the Dragon
Reclaiming the Commons
Rewriting the "Tragedy of the Commons"
The Victory of the Commons
The World Has Divided into Rich and Poor
The Spirit Level
July
6
Final Report Due
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In the Face of This Truth
The resilient city
Transition Towns or Bright Green Cities
Stop Hand-Wringing and Do Something
What can I do
Saving Civilization Is Not A Spectator Sport
51 Ways to Spark a Commons Revolution
What Would You Live and Die to Protect
Taking Shorter Showers Doesn’t Cut It
Resilience
What Can You Do
Earth-Sheltered House
July
7
Practice
Presentations
July
11
Final Presentations
INTS 221
BISC Summer 2011
Red State
Road Trip
Happy
Birthday
Transition
Heathrow
Syllabus
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