Geology 100:Ethnogeology

Tentative Syllabus, Block 3

 

Date                Topic                                                                    Readings

M Oct 27         Introductions, What is Ethnogeology?             

                      1:15 PM- Discussion of Environmental Racism            CER-Ch. 1

                      J: Personal knowledge of Environmental Injustice

                      START RESEARCH FOR HOME-TURF PROJECT!!

 

EARTH RESOURCES

T Oct 28          Energy Resources                                                    EG Ch. 11

                      The Power of Two                                                  

                      Oil- as a finite geological resource                              Youngquist

                      The End of a Way of Life; Who will never get to Participate

                      Oil as a political issue- The Mideast

                      The future for Africa, Asia, Latin America

Gas/ Coal (Native America)                 Baars Ch15, Grinde Ch 5L

                      Alternative Fuels? Native America (Uranium)Baars, Ch 16, Weaver Ch 2

                      J: How can you, as an individual, prepare for this future?

 

W Oct 29         Mineral Resources                                                   EG Ch. 2, 13

                      Limits to our Lifestyles (Who supplies us?)                

                      Mineral uses in Pre-colonial Cultures (Iron in Africa)Schmidt and Childs(L)

Copper and Salt (Africa),                                           Herbert, Alexander;

                      African-Americans as Blacksmiths and Miners

                      The Role of Geology in Apartheid in South Africa         (see Minter)

Discussions of Lead (inner-city U.S),                          CER Ch 5

Gold exploitation in Irian Jaya, Indonesia                  (file in office)

                      J: Role of Minerals in Government Policies

 

Th Oct 30        Mineral Identification Project

                      Continuation of Wednesday’s discussions

                      Group Discussion of Mineral/ Energy Policies

                      J: reflect on the role of local communities and resource distribution

 

SURFACE PROCESSES

F Oct 31          Field Trip- Colorado Springs Environmental Issues

                      (Bring lunch)

                      J: Where will you buy a home?

 

M Nov 3         Hydrology: Groundwater and Fluvial                           EG Ch. 8,15

                      The Colorado River Problem:

                                 Where are Native Americans and Mexico

                      San Luis Valley issues                                             CER- Ch.9

T Nov 4          The Nile Project                                                      Hillel Ch 12 (L)

                      China and Three Gorges Dam                                     (file in my office)

                      J: Impact of Dams, globally

 

W Nov 5         Soil- The Critical Environmental Issue                        EG Ch. 14,

                      Weathering of Rocks; Soil Profiles and Climate            CER-CH.8

                      Global Soil Desertification                                        Hillel Ch 24 (L)

                      Exercise on Identifying Soils                                     Bagby (L*)

J: Dirt in your home town?

 

WORLD VIEW AND PERSPECTIVE

Th Nov 6         Environmental Philosophies:    Kelly, Merchant Ch 8(L), Shiva (L)

                      Deep Ecology and Ecofeminism Merchant Ch 4 (L), Zimmerman (L*)

 

F Nov 7                     ***PRESENTATION OF HOME TURF POSTERS***

                                 Geology and Environmental Issues on your Turf

 

M Nov 10        Perspectives (cont’d)     What is Science?                     Chalmers

Role of Spiritual Systems                              McFague, Schorsch, Dalai Lama (all 3-L)

Weaver Ch 10,Gunn-Allen (L*), Starhawk (L*)

                      J: How does your world-view impact your response to the environment?

 

NATURAL DISASTERS (HUMAN     CATASTROPHES)

T Nov 11         Earthquakes and Faults                                              EG Ch. 3

                      Historical review of understanding

                      Western concepts of the stress cycle

                      Individual Presentations of Earthquake Cases

                      Prediction and Risk Assessment (who is at risk?)

                      J: Group Jigsaw- Research and Response to the LA earthquake

 

W Nov 12        Volcanos                                                                EG Ch. 4

                      Legends of Eruptions?

                      Western Concepts of Minerals and Eruptive Style

                      Eruption Types and Products

                      Individual Presentations of Volcano Cases

                      Prediction (who is at risk?)

                      J: Warnings for Communities of non-geologists?

 

POLLUTION AND WASTE: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Th Nov 13       Waste Management                                                  EG Ch. 16

                      Population Issues                                                    Hardin

                      Dumping Hazardous Waste                                        CER- CH. 6,7

                      J: Where do we dump it?

* in Diamond, Reweaving the World

F Nov 14         Japan-Recovering from Terrible Pollution

                      Pacific Women Speak                                               (file in my office)

                      Native America and Yucca Mountain                           Kuletz Ch 6,9 (L)

 

                ***JOURNAL SUMMARYDUE AT 3 PM***

 

RETURNING TO WISDOM

M Nov 17       New (Old) Paradigms/ Creation Stories                        Cajete (L)     

                      Gaia Paradigm (Is the Earth Alive?)                             Lovelock

                      Environmental Justice                                   CER 12, Churchill(L),

                                                                                                                                                   Laduke, Smil (L)

 

T Nov 18         Work on Final Projects- Community issue in Geology/Environment

 

W Nov 19                   ***FINAL PROJECTS DUE BY NOON***