Hello students of ENV 200 – Living in the Environment.
You can find slides of the class here, as well as additional class info.
Interesting websites and news-sites for you
- Al-Akhbar – environment page (Arabic) http://www.al-akhbar.com/environment
- Green Area – (Arabic and English) – http://greenarea.me/en/
- Planet Ark – http://www.planetark.com/
- Grist – http://grist.org/
- Food First – https://foodfirst.org/
Syllabus: ENV200 Syllabus Fall 2017
Final Grades
Chapter 1
- Full slides for Chapter 1 – chapter 1 full pdf
- Assignment 1 is in the slides 🙂
- Extra credit reading for Chapter 1:
- —> Environmental Tipping Points: A New Paradigm for Restoring Ecological Security environmental tipping points For pictures, see: http://www.ecotippingpoints.org/photo-gallery/philippines-apo-marine-sanctuary-coral-reef-fishery.html
- –> Governing the Commons (1) The Victory of the Commons (http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/the-victory-of-the-commons) and (2) The Solution to the Tragedy of the Commons (http://www.aei.org/publication/elinor-ostrom-and-the-solution-to-the-tragedy-of-the-commons/)
Chapter 2
- Full slides for Chapter 2 from the book – chapter 2 pdf
- Chapter 2 energy slides (also on the exam) – chapter 2 continued – energy pdf
- Chapter 2 energy slides – continued (also on the exam) – chapter 2 energy – continued
- Reading (not extra credit) – Naomi Klein: Let them Drown –https://www.lrb.co.uk/v38/n11/naomi-klein/let-them-drown
- Extra credit reading for Chapter 2:
- Easter Island: (1) What happened on Easter Island? (2) Easter Island civilization was not destroyed by war — https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/02/new-evidence-easter-island-civilization-was-not-destroyed-by-war/ and (3) More on the myth – and – Jared Diamond responds
- Extra credit reading: (1) Panda and their habitat; and (2) Sixth mass extinction of wildlife also threatens global food supplies
If you’re interested, read more from Naomi Klein on climate change, capitalism and justice: http://www.resilience.org/stories/2014-12-28/heft-notes-naomi-klein-s-this-changes-everything/
- Assignment 2: Answer questions 1 to 3, in the data analysis (page 52) by Thursday September 28 (midnight) No late assignments accepted, no exception.
- Extra credit: Submit a question – that you write – that would be suitable for the exam. If chosen, you get 2 extra points on the exam. Deadline: Friday midnight
Chapter 3:
- Story of Stuff video: see it on your own time – http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff/ and you can read the script here – http://storyofstuff.org/wp-content/uploads/movies/scripts/Story%20of%20Stuff.pdf
- Story of Solutions video: shown in class – http://storyofstuff.org/movies/the-story-of-solutions/ and the script is available here http://storyofstuff.org/wp-content/uploads/movies/scripts/SoSolutions_Annotated_Script.pdf
- Chapter 3A slides – chapter 3A
- Climate change focus – climate change-focus
- Climate change short video – Inside the Experiment
- Chapter 3 slides – chapter 3 continued
- More on food – slides – more on food
slides – (not in pdf form) – more on food ; and chapter 3 continued
- Rewilding Ted talk by George Monbiot – https://www.ted.com/talks/george_monbiot_for_more_wonder_rewild_the_world
- How wolves change rivers – video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q and – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNeog47ZN5s
Extra readings: [Note, you are responsible for all the links above. The readings below are extra credit.]
- Climate change and food nutrition: (1) Climate change making food crops less nutritious, research finds; (2) The challenge of our lifetime: How to ensure nutrition for everyone under climate change or New Report: Climate Change Affects Every Step of the Food Value Chain; (3) Vast animal-feed crops to satisfy our meat needs are destroying planet
Homework #3 – due October 17. No late assignments accepted.
Chapter 4:
- slides on biodiversity and biomes (not in pdf form) – chapter 4-biodiversity and biodiversity – continued
- slides on evolution – evolution
- Isn’t evolution just a theory? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85diEXbJBIk
- 7 strange and surprising ways that humans have recently evolved – http://www.businessinsider.com/recent-human-evolution-traits-2016-8/#1-drinking-milk-as-adults-1
- The story about the fish that jumps away from water is from here: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/oct/24/like-running-a-marathon-with-100-sharks-on-your-tail-behind-the-scenes-of-blue-planet-2-david-attenborough
- Readings (not extra credit)
- Mass extinction – https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/10/earths-sixth-mass-extinction-event-already-underway-scientists-warn
- 6 things to know about this 6th mass extinction – https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/6-things-to-know-about-earths-6th-mass-extinction
- Warning of ‘ecological Armageddon’ after dramatic plunge in insect numbers (Oct 18, 2017) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/18/warning-of-ecological-armageddon-after-dramatic-plunge-in-insect-numbers
- Climate change could wipe out a third of parasite species, study finds (Sept 2017) – https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/06/climate-change-could-wipe-out-a-third-of-parasite-species-study-finds
==> شجرة اللزاب بين الموت والحياة على قمم جبال لبنان – http://al-akhbar.com/node/284638
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==> Shocking image of black rhino killed by poachers wins Wildlife Photograph of the Year – http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/photography/black-rhino-photo-wildlife-photographer-year-2017-win-poachers-natural-history-museum-killed-south-a8006871.html
- to see beautiful pictures — > http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/photography/black-rhino-photo-wildlife-photographer-year-2017-win-poachers-natural-history-museum-killed-south-a8006871.html#gallery
Homework #4 – due October 30. No late assignments accepted. No exception. Submit the assignment via email by midnight October 30.
Chapter 5
- Slides: chapter 5
- the Mother Tree – and how trees talk to each other — https://www.ted.com/talks/suzanne_simard_how_trees_talk_to_each_other/transcript
- And this YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8SORM4dYG8
Exam 2 (24%): Students voted, and the date of the exam is Monday Nov 6
For the exam, one review: exam review
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Chapter 6: Population –
Slides: chapter 6
- extra credit reading: https://anthropoceneblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/have-we-reached-the-limits-to-growth/
Next chapter: Cities and Sustainability!
Readings:
- Poverty in Lebanon. Since we’ve talking about poverty in Lebanon, here is some information: “Back in August 2008, the Ministry of Social Affairs and UNDP conducted a study entitled “Poverty, Growth, and Income Distribution in Lebanon”. According to this assessment, 28.5% of the Lebanese population (or 1.07 million individuals) were estimated to be poor, living on less than $4 per day. About 300,000 individuals were considered as extremely poor, living on less than $2.4 per day, and unable to meet their most basic food needs. In fact, regional disparities were also striking. Whereas poverty rates were insignificant in Beirut, they were very high in the North. In December 2015, the Central Administration of Statistics has released figures for poverty in Lebanon pertaining to 2011, prior to the presence of Syrian refugees. According to this assessment, poverty in Lebanon was estimated at 27%, with the rate in Beirut and Mount Lebanon being the lowest and the highest rates recorded in the Bekaa and the North.”
Chapter 22
- Indicators for sustainable city – indicators_for_sustainable_cities_IR12_en
- Development threatens Beirut’s largest swath of public parkland –
- For powerful infographics on public spaces in Beirut – https://attheedgeofthecity.wordpress.com/infographics/
- Green City Index – gci_report_summary
- cities
Chapter 12:
Regeneration Issue – The Regneration Issue No1 – Digital – Spreads
— 8th homework assignment will be given on December 4 and will be due December 5th. Quite simple. No worries.
Chapter 25:
- Slides for Chapter 25chap 25
- also read: http://climateandcapitalism.com/2012/04/02/four-laws/
Green Resistance (teaching, organizing, and eco-thinking) 
