Final Questions – Short Essay Answers

You should answer each of the questions using your readings, in-class notes, and in-class hand-outs. You may not look online or use outside sources in helping you to support your answers.

All answers should be in your own words—you may not use direct quotations from the readings or from class. However, in your answers you may paraphrase both your readings and course notes in which case you should cite them by either referencing the author in your writing (“In the first chapter of Wessles he…”) or as an in-paper citation such as–(Wessles 2006). You may of course add any figures you wish (a drawing, flow chart, map), but figures are not required.

Question 1: Progress, Worldviews, and Sustainability. Answer one of the following questions. In your answer cite at least two course readings or lectures and include at least two of the following terms: positive feedback, negative feedback, ideologies, strong sustainability, community participation, and cooperative or solidarity economics.  Choose only one of the following questions:

1A. Discuss how progress is currently measured. Looking forward to a more sustainable future, how should progress be redefined?

1B. How can we change peoples’ worldviews about “the American Dream” and change that dream into a more sustainable one?

Question 2: Urban Agriculture, Climate Change, Housing and Complex Systems. In your answers please cite three course readings and include at least three terms from complex systems: positive feedback, negative feedback, emergent properties, self-organization, nestedness, bifurcation or tipping point, resilience, or the adaptive cycle. Choose only one of the following questions:

2A. How is urban agriculture related to cooperative economies and climate change? Or How may home gardens/community gardens help alleviate climate change and boost community economy?

2B. Discuss how urban development, housing affordability, transportation, energy use, and urban agriculture interconnected and can either increase or decrease ecological footprint?

Question 3: Community Participation, Consumption, Worldviews, & Sustainability. Choose only one of the following questions:

3A. What are some ways that a local government can achieve their zero waste goals and/or reducing the cities ecological footprint? In your answer use at least address three of the following: Co-operatives, community participation, zero-waste, structure, climate change, or housing.

3B. How might our worldviews on sustainability help create systems that may promote community participation, decrease ecological footprints and greenhouse gas emissions?

3C. If you were to initiate a community garden what would it look like? Include: Community participation, policy & regulation, and worldviews.

3D.What actions can you or your community take to lower your ecological footprint? Please include at least three areas: zero-waste, urban agriculture, housing, transportation, economics, community participation, policy.

Question 4: Visioning Sustainable Futures. Choose only one of the following questions:

4A. Write a letter to Chancellor Yeigh of UWB asking him to address a campus sustainability issue around transportation, agriculture, or zero waste. In your letter use course material to demonstrate the problem(s) and the benefits of the solution(s) you propose (you should cite at least two course readings). Finally, argue how incorporating the solution is tied to other facets of sustainability (you should cite at least one course reading or lecture). Optional: send the letter to the Chancellor.

4B. In week 10 we read Annie Leonard’s new world vision of a sustainable community. Write your own “new vision” of a sustainable society. In your new vision make sure to 1) cite at least three course readings or lectures and 2) incorporate at least these areas: policy changes, community participation, climate change, and sustainable economic practices.