Course Description: How can the relationship between science and society be strengthened

COAS L222

~ The City as Ecosystem ~

Spring 2016

Course Readings (Available on Canvas)

1^st 8 weeks of Course

The City as Ecosystem?

Reading 1a

Cieslewicz D. 2001. A city ethic for ‘plain members and citizens.’ The Leopold Outlook. Summer.

Reading 1b Focus on pages 40-50

Miller GT Jr., Spoolman, SE. 2013. Chapter 3, Ecosystems: What are they and how do they work? In: Environmental Science, 14^th Edition. Brooks/Cole CENGAGE Learning, Belmont, CA.

For reference, see also: Chapter 2, sections 2-3, on matter and energy

Reading 1c

Wiland H, Bell D. 2006. The path to sustainability. pp. 1-19 In: Edens lost & found. How ordinary citizens are restoring our great American cities. Chelsea Green Publishing Company, White River Junction, VT.

Biodiverse-City: Human dependence on ecosystems

Reading 2a

Kronenberg J. 2012. Urban ecosystem services. Sustainable Development Applications 3:13-30. Accessed at: http://www.sendzimir.org.pl/en/journal3/1

Reading 2b

Louv R. 2012. Fountains of life. The Mind/body/nature connection. pp. 46-55 in: The nature principle. Reconnecting with life in a virtual age. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.

Reading 3

Tallamy D. 2009. Chapter 1: Restoring natives to suburbia: a call to action, Chapter 2: The vital new role of the suburban garden. pp. 11-25 In: Bringing nature home. How you can sustain wildlife with native plants. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Reading 4

Williamson KS. 2003. Growing with green infrastructure. Heritage Conservancy. Accessed at: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/ucmprd1/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_002286.pdf

Science & information literacy

Reading 5a

Miller GT Jr., Spoolman, SE. 2013. Chapter 2, Science. pp. 25-29 In: Environmental Science, 14^th Edition. Brooks/Cole CENGAGE Learning, Belmont, CA.

Reading 5b Read the text at the following url

Teaching & Learning Services, University of Maryland Libraries. 2014. Evaluating web sites. Accessed at: http://www.lib.umd.edu/tl/guides/evaluating-web

Global change: human domination of ecosystems

Reading 6a Read the text and view the photos at the following urls

Kolbert E. 2011. Enter the age of man. National Geographic 219:70-77. Accessed at: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/03/age-of-man/kolbert-text/1 (text) and http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/03/age-of-man/anthropocene-photography (photos)

Reading 6b Watch the 26 min video at the following url

National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council. 2012. Climate change: lines of evidence. Accessed at: http://nas-sites.org/americasclimatechoices/videos-multimedia/climate-change-lines-of-evidence-videos/

Reading 6c

Dallessio T. 2015. COP21 Agreements Are Essential to the Future of Cities and the New Urban Agenda. Accessed at: https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/cop21-agreements-future-of-cities-new-urban-agenda

Reading 7a

Wackernagel M, Rees WE. 1996. Ecological footprints for beginners. pp. 7-30 In: Our ecological footprint. reducing human impact on the earth. New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, B.C. Canada.

Reading 7b

Fodor E. 1999. The Endangered Landscape. Pp. 17-28 In: Better Not Bigger. New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, B.C. Canada.

Ereserve 7c

Engleman R. 2009. Population sustainability. Scientific American Earth 3.0 19:22-29.

Websites:

World Population

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BbkQiQyaYc

United States Census Bureau

http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html

United Nation Population Division

http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/unpp/panel_indicators.htm

Sustainability: Human alliance with ecosystems

Reading 8a

Daly HE. 2005. Economics in a full world. Scientific American 293:100-107.

Reading 8b

Rees WE. 1997. Is ‘sustainable city’ an Oxymoron? Local Environment 2:303-310.

Reading 8c

Newman P, Jennings I. 2008. Economy and society. pp. 32-62 In: Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems. Island Press, Washington.

Reading 8d OPTONAL

Heinberg R. 2011. The great balloon race. pp. 27-54 In: The end of growth. Adapting to our new economic reality. New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada.

2^nd 8 weeks of Course

Feeding the City

Reading 9a

Halweil B, Nierenberg D. 2004. Watching what we eat. pp. 68-85 In: L Starke (ed.) State of the world 2004. A Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society. Worldwatch Institute, Washington, D.C.

Reading 9b

Pollan M. 2006. No bar code. The next revolution in food is just around the corner. Mother Jones May/June 36-45.

Reading 10

Halweil B, Nierenberg D. 2007. Farming the cities. pp. 48-63 In: L Starke (ed.) State of the world 2007. Our urban future. A Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society. Worldwatch Institute, Washington, D.C.

Powering the City

Reading 11a

U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Energy Explained http://www.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/

Reading 11b

Rollo D, Bane P, Charbonneau G, Fuqua C, Glaser C, Kimball S, Silberstein J, Travis G, Rhoads SJ. 2009. Redefining prosperity: energy descent and community resilience. Report of the Bloomington Peak Oil Task Force. Introduction, pp. 1-12. Accessed at: http://bloomington.in.gov/peakoil

Reading 12a

Murphy P. 2008. Ch. 8 Plan C - Curtailment and Community. pp. 111-127 in Plan C. Community Survival Strategies for Peak Oil and Climate Change. New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, BC.

Reading 12b

Jacobson MZ, Delucchi MA. 2009. A path to sustainable energy. Scientific American 301:58-65.

Zero Waste City

Reading 13a

Story of Stuff. 2007, Official Version. Accessed at: http://storyofstuff.com/movies-all/story-of-stuff/

Environmental Protection Agency Toxic Release Inventory (EPA TRI), 2014. Accessed at: https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program