chem 112 lecture notes for first year PDF

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chem 112 lecture notes for first year...

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ENSC 103 Environment & Sustainability Fall 2021- Syllabus Instructor: Dr. Kristen Lowitt

Email: [email protected]

Office Location: Biosciences 3240 Lectures: Monday 9:30-10:30 am and Wednesday 8:30 – 9:30 am in Stirling Hall Auditorium

Tel: 613-533-6000 ext. 77420 Office Hours: Wednesday 9:30 am – 11:30 am (on zoom) / by appointment Tutorials: Various times on Thursday. Teaching Assistant contact info and hours will be posted on onQ or provided in tutorials.

Course outline This introductory course in the Environmental Studies program provides a first look at an interdisciplinary approach to complex environmental problems, and the formulation of decisions relevant to environmental perception, management and conservation. The course emphasizes the diverse contributions of the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences regarding human/environment interactions, and the challenges of building interdisciplinary approaches.

Required texts E-text available from Bookstore: Environment and Sustainability. (ENSC103. Kristen Lowitt & Stephen Brown is on the cover) (Indicated as “ES” in the course schedule). Previous version of this text is acceptable. Web Readings: A number of readings are listed in the course schedule that you will access through the course onQ site. These are indicated in the reading schedule as WR1, WR2, WR3, etc. Student Resources: Students are encouraged to check the resources available through the Queen’s Learning Commons at: https://library.queensu.ca/help-services/queens-learning-commons

Intended student learning outcomes Upon course completion it is expected that students will be able to: • • • • • • • •

Explain key terms (e.g. sustainability, Indigeneity, etc.) Identify relative importance & verifiability of scientific and social aspects of environmental issues Adopt and make accurate use of disciplinary language to communicate on environmental issues with a variety of audiences Evaluate the impact of the intersection of scientific & social aspects of a variety of environmental issues Identify & explain the contested aspects of environmental knowledge (e.g. around climate change, scientific uncertainty, etc.) Explore personally the possibilities and/or limitations of individual actions in relation to sustainability Critique constructively the dominance of individualism & voluntary action as core social beliefs in mainstream society Apply concepts and practices of ecological citizenship

Grading scheme Assignment Glossary Critical response questions (choose 2 questions @ 5% each) Modules • Module 1

Weight 10% 10%

Due date Friday Oct 8 Monday Oct 18, Monday Oct 25, Monday Nov 15

5%

Monday Oct 18

•

Module 2

15%

Friday Nov 12

•

Module 3

15%

Friday Dec 3

Tutorial participation and attendance Final exam

10% 35%

See separate assignment documents for details.

Grading method We use the “Numbers in, Letters out” method for this course. All components of this course will receive numerical percentage marks. The final grade you receive for the course will be derived by converting your numerical course average to a letter grade according to Queen’s Official Grade Conversion Scale:

Queen’s Official Grade Conversion Scale Numerical Course Grade Average (Range) A+ 90-100 A 85-89 A80-84 B+ 77-79 B 73-76 B70-72 C+ 67-69 C 63-66 C60-62 D+ 57-59 D 53-56 D50-52 F 49 and below

Late policy Students are expected to hand in assignments on the required due date. Late submissions will be deducted at a rate of 5% per day. In the event of an injury, illness, or personal circumstances affecting deadlines, students must apply for academic consideration through the Faculty of Arts and Science academic accommodations

portal at: https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/accommodations.

Academic integrity Queen’s students, faculty, administrators and staff all have responsibilities for upholding the fundamental values of academic integrity; honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage. These values are central to the building, nurturing, and sustaining of an academic community in which all members of the community will thrive. Adherence to the values expressed through academic integrity forms a foundation for the "freedom of inquiry and exchange of ideas" essential to the intellectual life of the University (see the Senate Report on Principles and Priorities). Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the regulations concerning academic integrity and for ensuring that their assignments and their behaviour conform to the principles of academic integrity. Information on academic integrity is available in the Arts and Science Calendar (see Academic Regulation 1), on the Arts and Science website, and from the instructor of this course. Departures from academic integrity include plagiarism, use of unauthorized materials, facilitation, forgery and falsification, and are antithetical to the development of an academic community at Queen's. Given the seriousness of these matters, actions which contravene the regulation on academic integrity carry sanctions that can range from a warning or the loss of grades on an assignment to the failure of a course to a requirement to withdraw from the university. Please note that we have had issues in the past with unintended plagiarism in this course. Regardless of how and where you retrieve information, the principles of academic integrity apply. Please visit these helpful websites to help you make sure that you are able to write things in your own words: • https://www.queensu.ca/academicintegrity/students/avoiding-plagiarismcheating • https://integrity.mit.edu/handbook/academic-writing/avoiding-plagiarism-paraphrasing • http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase.html

Technology onQ performs best when using the most recent version of the web browsers, Chrome or Firefox. The browsers Safari and Edge are strongly discouraged as these web browsers are known to cause issues with onQ. For technology support ranging from setting up your device, issues with onQ to installing software, contact ITS Support Centre https://www.queensu.ca/its/itsc

Copyright of course materials Course materials created by the course instructor, including all slides, presentations, handouts, tests, exams, and other similar course materials, are the intellectual property of the instructor. It is a departure from academic integrity to distribute, publicly post, sell or otherwise disseminate an instructor’s course materials or to provide an instructor’s course materials to anyone else for distribution, posting, sale or other means of dissemination, without the instructor’s express consent. A student who engages in such conduct may be subject to penalty for a departure from academic integrity and may also face adverse legal consequences for infringement of intellectual property rights.

Ac Accommodations commodations Queen's University is committed to achieving full accessibility for people with disabilities. Part of this commitment includes arranging academic accommodations for students with disabilities to ensure they have an equitable opportunity to participate in all their academic activities. The Senate Policy for Accommodations for Students with Disabilities was approved at Senate in November 2016. If you are a student with a disability and think you may need academic accommodations, you are strongly encouraged to contact the Queen's Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) and register as early as possible.  For more information, including important deadlines, please visit the QSAS website.

Academic considerations for students in extenuating circumstances Queen’s University is committed to providing academic consideration to students experiencing extenuating circumstances. For more information, please see the Senate Policy on Academic Consideration for Students in Extenuating Circumstances.    Each Faculty has developed a protocol to provide a consistent and equitable approach in dealing with requests for academic consideration for students facing extenuating circumstances.  Arts and Science undergraduate students can find the Faculty of Arts and Science protocol and the portal where a request can be submitted. Students in other Faculties and Schools who are enrolled in this course should refer to the protocol for their home Faculty. If you need to request academic consideration for this course, you will be required to provide the name and email address of the instructor/coordinator. Please use the following contact information: o Instructor/Course Coordinator Name: Dr. Kristen Lowitt o Instructor/Course Coordinator email address: [email protected] Students are encouraged to submit requests as soon as the need becomes apparent and to contact their Professors/Course Coordinators as soon as possible once Consideration has been granted. Any delay in contact may limit the Consideration options available. For more information on the Academic Consideration process, what is and is not an extenuating circumstance, and to submit an Academic Consideration request, please visit website.

Discussion guidelines University is a place to share, question and challenge ideas. Each student brings a different lived experience from which to draw upon. To help one another learn the most we can from this experience please consider the following guidelines. 1. Make a personal commitment to learn about, understand, and support your peers. 2. Assume the best of others and expect the best of them. 3. Acknowledge the impact of oppression on the lives of other people and make sure your writing is respectful and inclusive. 4. Recognize and value the experiences, abilities, and knowledge each person brings. 5. Pay close attention to what your peers write before you respond. Think through and re-read your writings before you post or send them to others. 6. It’s ok to disagree with ideas, but do not make personal attacks. 7. Be open to being challenged or confronted on your ideas and to challenging others with the intent of facilitating growth. Do not demean or embarrass others.

8. Encourage others to develop and share their ideas.

Course schedule May be subject to minor changes; please follow the weekly course schedule on onQ for the most up to date version. WEEK

LECTURE

READINGS (read prior to lectures each week)

TUTORIAL

Introduction and overview of environmental studies and sustainability Course overview. What is environmental studies? Sustainability, knowledge, and paradigms What is sustainability?

ES: Towards sustainable development

No tutorial this week.

WR1: The story of Silent Spring WR2: Excerpt from “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson WR3: Pahares on Thomas Kuhn

Tutorial #1 Introduction to your TA and tutorial group and discussion of assignments.

Section I: Background: Paradigms and “ways of knowing” Sept 6-10

Sept 13-17

Discussion and reflection on the question: “What changes do we have to make for sustainability?” Save your answer. We will return to this in Tutorial #11.

Sept 20-24

The dominant social paradigm.

ES: The historical roots of our ecological crisis ; The tragedy of the commons

Sustainability, knowledge, and paradigms continued Challenges to the dominant social paradigm from within and beyond the West.

ES: Man and nature; Hetch Hetchy Valley; Principles of conservation; A Sand County Almanac

Tutorial #2 Overview of all Modules and Module 1 workshop.

ASSIGNMENTS

WEEK

LECTURE

Sept 27-Oct 1

Western environmental histories: Preservation vs. conservation. Indigenous knowledge Guest contributor Dr. Lovelace on Indigenous epistemologies.

READINGS (read prior to lectures each week)

TUTORIAL

Web Readings TBC

Tutorial #3 Glossary assignment: Complete definition of term assigned to tutorial group.

ES: The morality of population control WR6: Too many people, too much consumption WR7: Environmental citizenship: Towards sustainable development

Tutorial #4 Before your tutorial, view film Mother: Caring for 7 Billion (70 mins). Available for viewing through the Queen’s Library. Link on onQ. Review posted questions to guide your viewing.

ASSIGNMENTS

Indigenous knowledge continued Guest contributor Dr. Lovelace.

Section 2: Environmental issues and interdisciplinary solutions Oct 4-8

Technology and population Major environmental problems and relationship to technology and consumption.

Come prepared to discuss the film and questions, and other issues around population and environment. Technology and population continued Greening consumption and the environment. Oct 11-15

Fall Break

Glossary assignment due Friday Oct. 8

READINGS (read prior to lectures each week) ES: Summary for policy makers: Climate change 2007; Redrawing the energy-climate map WR8: Climate consensus handbook WR9: Tackling climate change in Canada requires global action

TUTORIAL

ASSIGNMENTS

Tutorial #5 Critical response 1: What should we do about population and consumption?

Module 1 due Monday Oct. 18

Energy policy Guest contributor TBA.

ES: A path to sustainable energy by 2030

Tutorial #6 Critical Response 2: What should we do about climate change?

Critical Response 2 due Monday Oct. 25

Biodiversity The web of life.

ES: Executive summary from Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity ES: Putting a value on nature’s “free” services WR10: McCauley critique of ecosystem valuation

WEEK

LECTURE

Oct 18-22

Global climate change The scientific consensus on climate change?

Critical Response 1 due Monday Oct 18

Global climate change Fossil fuels and pipelines . Guest contributor TBA. Oct 25-29

Nov 1-5

Nov 8-12

Sustainable solutions Ecosystem valuation and approaches to conservation.

Sustainable solutions continued Environment, pollution and health. Guest contributor TBA.

WR11: Sustainability and ecohealth by Rapport

Food and sustainability Global food systems.

ES: Could food shortages bring down civilization?; Radically rethinking agriculture for the 21st century; The law of the seed WR12: Will climate smart agriculture serve the public interest? WR13: Will fish be part of future healthy and sustainable diets?

Tutorial #7 Module 2 workshop.

Tutorial #8 Discussion of film, Fresh.

Module 2 due Friday Nov 12

WEEK

Nov 15-19

LECTURE Food and sustainability continued Film: Fresh: New thinking about what we’re eating Water resources Water issues and water quality.

READINGS (read prior to lectures each week)

TUTORIAL

ASSIGNMENTS

WR14: Zehnder: review of water resources (sections 1-4) WR15: World Water Council

Tutorial #9 Critical Response 3: How can food systems be more sustainable?

Critical Response 3 due Monday Nov 15

ES: Environmental justice for all WR16: Honouring our relations

Tutorial #10

Water resources continued Guest contributor TBA.

Section 3: Moving forward: Environmental movements, activism, and advocacy Nov 22-26

Activism and advocacy Environmental justice.

Module #3 workshop.

Nov 29 – Dec 3

Activism and advocacy continued Environmental justice case studies. Activism and advocacy continued Community action for climate justice.

WR17: Too late for Indigenous climate justice

Tutorial #11 Preparation for final exam. Review personal writing in first week—What changes do we need to make for sustainability?

WEEK

LECTURE Moving forward Environmental movements past and present. Sustainability going forward. Course wrap up.

READINGS (read prior to lectures each week)

TUTORIAL

ASSIGNMENTS Module 3 due Friday Dec 3...