Part 1 : A World Out of Balance: The Crisis of Empire, Environment and Economy
Vermont Public Interest Research
September 7: Introduction to the course/Housekeeping
September 9: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature /Listen to John Bellamy Foster on the 3 E’s
September 14 – 16: Continuation of above + Bill McKibben, The End of Nature
September 21- 23: read Mirror on America and a quick read, further updated news article, Leaving the Trailer /First Writing Assignment Due (Alex, Zoe, John)
Note: 23-25, Thurs.-Sat.: Clifford Symposium
Part 2 : The Struggle: Capitalism, (In)Justice and the Environment:
September 28-30: Bill McKibben says we’re stuffed and “The Struggle for Ecological Democracy and Environmental Justice,” by Daniel Faber, in The Struggle for Ecological Democracy, pages 1-17 (Emily, Michael)October 5 – 7: “Street Farmer” and Watch Steward Brand proclaims 4 environmental ‘heresies’
Note: 8-10, Fri.-Sun.: Fall Family Weekend
October 12-14: Chris Hedges, Empire of Illusion / Second Writing Assignment Due (Cooper, Fred, Charlotte, Sonam)
Note: 18-19, Mon.-Tues.: Midterm recess
October 21 – 26: Chapter 1(“The Political Ecology of American Capitalism”) and Chapter 2 (“Dying for a Living: Workers, Production, and the Environment”) , pages 27 – 80, in The Struggle for Ecological Democracy (Nicholas, Cire)
Part 3 : Cooperation, Collaboration and Grassroots Development
October 28: Watch Marjora Carter fights for environmental justice in her hometown of New York’s South Bronx and Climate and Health in Africa and Global Cooperation and Sustainable Development; read “Ain’t I an Environmentalist,” by Ludovic Blain / The Soul of Environmentalism
October 30: Chapter 3 (“Risk and Justice: Capitalist Production and the Environment”) and Chapter 4 (“Environmental Justice from the Grassroots: Reflections on History, Gender, and Expertise”), pages 81 in The Struggle for Ecological Democracy– 136 (Joseph, Dorrie, Andrew)/ Third Writing Assignment Due
Part 4: Considering The Struggle for Ecological Democracy and Re-Visioning the World
November 5: Chapter 10 (“Racism and Resource Colonization”), pages 272 – 311 in The Struggle for Ecological Democracy / “China Tightens Grip on Rare Minerals” (Liam, Hig)
November 12 – 14: Bill McKibben, Eaarth
November 19 – 21: Watch Michael Pollan on Bill Moyers Journal / Michael Pollan’s “Farmer in Chief” / Beginning of the Fourth and Final Writing Assignment/Installment
Note: 23, Tuesday: Thanksgiving recess begins (4:15 p.m.)/ Classes Resume Nov 29
December 2 -3: Finishing Touches/Classes END December 5