Univ 349 Week 15a Dec 3, 2018 Last Week!!
Final Ideas Health impacts it s pretty amazing how we got so sick See The Intercept interview (on the home page). Immigrant situation on the border How is the uptick in racism related to climate change? (Again see The Intercept interview) Possible solutions for climate change Stop harvesting and burning fossil fuels phase in a ban Ishmael reflection Ancient Futures reflection How does what we reviewed throughout this class help us in the outside world? Contribute to our personal growth?
Final Ideas How do we individually contribute to climate disruption? How can we reduce our CO2 footprint? What are we willing to do to reduce it? The power of technology and its side effects (e.g., wizard and prophet) Interconnect climate change with transportation and energy
Peer Review I got a very insightful peer review, While aspects of the culture seemed to make sense for the students academically, the true spirit of such a culture as a whole was a challenge because it contrasted diametrically with twentieth-first-century (e.g. polyandry, gender roles, non-commoditized land). This difficulty in understanding may have accounted for the indifferent attention paid to such a different culture. Nonetheless, the content was appropriate for a 300-level class. I hoped Ishmael opened your mind to the unconventional after all, is there anything conventional about telepathic gorillas?
Mother Culture Mother Culture vigorously defends itself (if it didn t, it wouldn t be here as it is). We are programmed, encouraged, to ignore and discredit challenging ideas; people who look like very different from us; etc. Mother Culture tells us our civilization is as good as it gets, it will fix its problems, don t worry, consume, If that were true, why so much suicide, depression, drug abuse, violence,? If that were true, why have we killed over ½ of the world s wildlife in the last 2 generations? If that were true, why is the climate disrupted?
Mother Culture So there are problems, but they re too complicated for you to worry about too hard to fix That s BULLSHIT! We worked out the math showing how trillion dollar investments in solar and wind power would radically reduce our CO2 emissions Shutting down Koch Industries would significantly reduce USA s CO2 emissions Most of us could live without cars if society offered mass transit (like New York City, San Francisco, Paris,... and Los Angeles ~1950). Many European countries have 1/3 our CO2 emissions per capita Representatives of the world are now meeting in Poland to define actions and ways to measure their effects to meet the Paris Accords A few rich and powerful people and corporations don t want to fix these problems because they will lose some of their wealth and power in a more just, democratic, ecological and sustainable world
Final Prompt It s 30 years from now, November 2048. There are more than 1 billion refugees displaced from their homes by sea level rise and heat waves (how does that number compare to current refuge crises on our southern border, or from Syria and Yemen BTW the later have deep roots in energy, fossil fuels, and climate disruption?). Write a letter to your teenager (or grandkid) who asks you why your generation let this disaster happen. You reply, 30 years ago I took a University 349 class... Finish the letter. I suggest you include the following points: (a) Where are you living now? What is the climate (not weather) there like now? (b) What are some of the biggest changes in society? (I m asking for science fiction, not fantasy, so your scenario must be plausible.) (c) Describe in detail a major event that had a profound effect on our (future) history. (d) Include references to justify plausibility or any other claims not obvious to your peers. Grading will be based on the plausibility of your scenario and the Quality of your Writing.
University Rubric A: Excellent writing Not only develops a logical, consistent thesis, but recognizes implications and articulates reasons for choices made. Extends a novel or unique idea, question, format or product to create new knowledge or knowledge that crosses boundaries. Explores issues raised in paper thoughtfully and in depth. Tightly focused, coherently organized, richly developed with supporting ideas, examples, and factual details including relevant references. Effective, fluent style marked by syntactic variety and precise language throughout. Generally free from errors (not more than 1 per page). B: Strong writing Addresses topic clearly, but may respond to some aspects more effectively than others. Has a thesis, but not as clearly stated as in an A paper. Develops a logical, consistent, unique, thesis not seriously impeded by omissions. Explores issues, though not as thoughtfully or deeply as it might. Clearly focused and organized, some supported ideas, examples, and details; lacking references. Effective style with some syntactic variety and frequently precise language. Few errors, rarely interfere with communication (not more than 2 per page). C: Adequate writing Addresses topic, slights or neglects some aspects. Coherent thesis may be implied, but not explicit. Experiments with creating a novel or unique idea, question, or format, but is simplistic or repetitive. Thesis is stated but description leaves key terms undefined, ambiguities unexplored, boundaries undetermined, and/or backgrounds unknown or unsupported. Clear style with limited syntactic variety, some errors, but generally demonstrates control. D: Weak or Marginal writing Distorts significant aspects of the topic or demonstrates confusion about the prompt. Lacks a coherent thesis. Repeatedly simplistic in its thinking, occasionally confused, fails to communicate ideas. Loosely focused and organized, with marginally supported generalizations. Syntax and diction marred by problems, occasionally impeding comprehension. Errors frequently interfere with communication. F: Incompetent writing Does not comprehend prompt or respond meaningfully. Lacking a thesis. Illogical or incoherent. Unfocused, disorganized, undeveloped, and lacking any support. Syntax and diction make comprehension difficult if not impossible. Serious and persistent errors rendering comprehension extremely difficult.
Our Future 1. Temperature and climate? 2. Geography? 3. Diet? 4. Jobs? 5. Technology? 6. Population and wealth distribution? 7. Government? 8. (what other questions might we answer)??