senior seminar fall 2008 isp 4860 section 003 (bowen) class 5, october 1 course web site:

Senior Seminar Fall 2008ISP 4860

Section 003 (Bowen)

Class 5, October 1Course web site: www.is.wayne.edu/drbowen/SenSemF08

10/1/08 Senior Seminar F08, Class 5 2

Agenda

• Tonight in 79 Manogian Rest of semester, too

• Pictures• Late / returned / future assignments• Research

Searching research databases• Content:

The credit crunch Ecosystem services

• Writing: sentences and grammar


Late Assignments

• Still someone without a firm topic choice.• And someone without a Moodle account.• Reminder – a component of the course

grade comes for getting assignments in on time


New Course resources

• www.is.wayne.edu/drbowen/SenSemF08 Under “Other sites of interest” – links to:

• Article estimating $ value of Ecosystem Services• UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

(IPCC)

• Moodle Forum topic on searching – place to leave

(and get) tips, suggestions, etc.

http://www.is.wayne.edu/drbowen/SenSemF08


Finding the publication date

• We went over this last class, and I said I would write it down

• To find the publication or update date for any web page, View the page normally Right click in any empty space in the page On the pop-up menu, choose “Properties” or

“View Page Info” See “Date modified”


Assignments Coming Up

• For October 8 (next week) List of references

• In a word processing file, turned in via Moodle PLUS (new) Paper Planner for Draft of

Chapter 1• Copy of Section Planner passed out last week, or

go to the course website if you missed this• Bring a paper copy of this to class – do not turn in

via Moodle

• October 15 – draft of Chapter 1 (overview) Word processing file turned in via Moodle


Another word on overview

• Is there a “human footprint” crisis? We do have some time You can read commentators who say there is

no problem• If everyone in the world has ten feet by ten feet,

everyone will fit in Arizona• If everyone becomes a vegetarian, there is no food

problem

That’s my point – we can get through, but there will be BIG changes


Research portfolio

• Self-assessment will be repeated two more times during semester 10/29 12/3


Research - Searching

• Case-insensitive

• Boolean words: and, or, not Each database has its own rules, and they

are not easy to find Even the librarians find this confusing Watch what you get back – best way to see

what is going on Keep searches simple


Research - Searching• Boolean words: and, or, not

world and hunger: articles MUST have both words in it (not necessarily together or in that order)

world or hunger• Must have one or the other or both not necessarily

together “world hunger”: treated like one word world hunger: can be

• Same as and• Same as or• Same as “ “


Searching

• Not mentioned but on handout: * (wildcard) fish* would get fish, fishing, fisherman, fishery,

etc. May be able to use this anywhere in a word

• ? May replace a single character• Example: wom?n = woman or women


Searching• Next slide lists people by topic• All people on same topic go off together

and discuss searching on that topic – 20 min1. Have you been finding enough good

references?2. What searches have worked so far?3. Other keyword ideas, search ideas4. Do you need help on this? Describe what

help.• Turn in report with names, answering 1 - 4


People with same topic

Disease Kimberley, Patricia

Ecosystem Services Abdullah, Daralene

Energy Minyon, Scott, Gina

Food Meredith, Chemika, Martha, Louise, Yvonne

Population Jacob, Willie

Water Judith, Michael

Sustainability Connie, Valerie (consumption)

Go with group that interests you

Cardale, Androme

People with the same topic discuss and report.


Content: Economy/”Bailout”• US leadership finally got the words right

The bailout is not the point Keeping the money (credit) moving is Many citizens see it as bailing out specific

firms, and oppose it I think they do not understand what it would

be like, without credit Problem is not even consumer credit so much

(except for cars and houses) but credit for companies and government units – to finance payroll, for example


Credit Crunch

• There have been signs that credit is getting tighter for several years Auto loans approved for 83% two years ago,

63% last year Mortgages getting harder to get, even with

20% down and good income Governments delaying projects People in credit business saying that only the

central banks (like Fed) issuing credit now


Credit Crunch

• Companies do not keep cash on hand – often borrow to meet payroll, usually borrow to buy inventory

• Governments borrow in anticipation of taxes

• No one is to be sure how bad this will get, or how much time we have to fix it

• Public is now saying, “This stinks, and no one explains it to us, but get it done.”


Content: Consumption and Waste

• Money wheel spins one way• “Stuff” spins the other way

Packaging becomes waste immediately Some stuff is not used, becomes waste quickly

(food) Everything that was in the package also

becomes waste – just more slowly

• Running out of places to put the garbage• Can we find another way to spin the wheel?


Sovereign Wealth Funds

• Another effect of US economic unbalance• Sovereign Wealth Funds – the accounts

built up by our international creditors who are not market-based China Saudi Arabia Russia

• Will they use that wealth against us? Probably more subtle effects


Content: Ecosystem Services

• Ecosystem services In SOP, “Prospects for Biodiversity” E.S.: emphasize what the natural world does

for us and put a dollar value on it• Not 100% precise: do we include aesthetic values

such as beauty and relaxation, and what are they worth in $?

One estimate (link on course website) $16-54T, when world GDP was $18T

• Much of estimated value outside of markets


Ecosystem Services• One list (Ecological Society of America, Union of Concerned

Scientists): moderate weather extremes and their impacts disperse seeds mitigate drought and floods protect people from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays cycle and move nutrients protect stream and river channels and coastal shores from erosion detoxify and decompose wastes control agricultural pests maintain biodiversity generate and preserve soils and renew their fertility contribute to climate stability purify the air and water regulate disease carrying organisms pollinate crops and natural vegetation


Ecosystem Services• Another list (Science article)

Atmospheric gas regulation Climate regulation Disturbance regulation Water regulation Water supply: Storage and retention of water Erosion control and sediment retention Soil formation Nutrient cycling Waste treatment Pollination Biological regulations of populations Habitat for resident and transient populations Food production Raw materials (e.g. lumber) Genetic resources Recreation Cultural


Ecosystem Services

• Biodiversity Importance: indicates how reliable that

service is• If biodiversity decreases, extinction gets closer• Biodiversity is the raw material for adapting to

changes• Without biodiversity, cannot genetically adapt to

changes• Humans can adapt in other ways than genetic


Ecosystem Services

• Biodiversity We are in the midst of large wave of

extinctions – one of biggest ever• May be due to us• Deforestation pressures to gain farmland

o We don’t even know what most of the species are

• Fresh and saltwater overfishing, loss of diversity• Cropland - monoculture


Ecosystem Services

State of the World 2008


EcosystemServices• Not a food chain

but a food web• Many of the links

we don’t evenknow

• Yet increasingly,we are in chargebecause we areso dominant


Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

• UN project to do a comprehensive assessment of all ecosystems Years before and after 2000 Four areas of Ecosystem Services

• Provisioning (water, food, fiber, etc.)• Regulating (air and water purification, flood control,

etc.)• Cultural (Aesthetic, spiritual, recreational, etc.)• Supporting the other three (nutrient recycling, soil

formation, etc.)


Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

• General finding that are worse than previously thought Unfamiliar ecosystems in trouble also Interactions between ecosystems Unsustainable use

• Examples: overfishing, overgrazing, overlogging (Michigan)

Gap between world rich and poor is increasing


Biodiversity

• Pretty sure species are disappearing at a high rate

• Suspicion we might be a big cause (not that we are evil, but that we are ignorant) We can adapt to change quickly, and the

species we tend to we can help But wild species take millions of generations Forests, coral reefs, wetlands all shelter the

young of many species from predation


Biodiversity

• We need to become smarter about this

• Until then we probably need to be more cautious

• Is there a risk to us? We don’t know, but maybe


#1 Reason for Writing

• To organize your own thinking

#1 Way to Good Writing• Have something you want to say

Pretend if necessary – it works!

#1 Way to Find Mistakes• Read your Essay out loud to yourself, and

listen


• www.is.wayne.edu/olgt then link to Writing Guide, or use The Everyday Writer

• Writing Center in 2310 UGL 313-577-2544

• Many of you have heard this before, but the problem is applying this stuff

• More in the next slides

More Examples and Details


Common Writing Problems• Functional grammar

Rules of grammar have a purpose – to transmit meaning

Rules of grammar are always changing Different grammars for different groups Get too far from the group’s grammar and

you are not understood (must change with changes)

The further you get from the group’s grammar, the harder it is to understand you

Being able to use good standard grammar is like dressing well for a job interview


Organization

• Many possibilities for organization Historical Logical Specific to general, or general to specific Combination

• Signal transitions from one topic to another Paragraphs help here

• New topic new paragraph


Quick-and-Easy Organization

• Write body first

• One you have figured out what you are going to say (the Body), write the Introduction and Conclusion afterwards

• Body should have general statements and specific examples and quotes


Sentences

• A sentence: Verb (action) Subject (did the action) Complete thought (starts with capital, period at end)

• (Y/N) Because he hit the ball.

• (Y/N) John hit the ball.


Sentences

• Is it a sentence? Consider it all by itself. (Read it out loud)

• Common sentence problem #1: Sentence fragment – something that starts

with a capital and ends with a period but is not a sentence

• Because he hit the ball. John ran to first base.• Fix by joining to main thought with a comma (,)

o Because he hit the ball, John ran to first base.


Sentences

• Is it a sentence? Consider it all by itself.• Common sentence problem #2:

Run-on sentence – two or more sentences written as one

• John hit the ball he ran to first base.• Fix by breaking into two sentences

o John hit the ball. He ran to first base.

• Or by joining with semicolon (;) to show causalityo John hit the ball; he ran to first base


Number (singular/plural)

• Both subject and verb have number If these are not the same, signals conflict

• Members join the club• A member joins the club• “One s”

• Without a reason, do not change number from sentence to sentence (Bad) People should take care of their health.

You should take your vitamins.


Tense (past, present, future)

• Without a reason, do not change tense from sentence to sentence

Citations• “Scientific investigation is not, as many

people seem to suppose, some kind of modern black art.” (Huxley, 1)

• Cite the source even if you are paraphrasing


Punctuation

• Apostrophe (‘) Possession (‘s or s’)

• Some words inherently possessive, no ‘ (e.g. theirs)

Never for pluralization Contraction (don’t use contractions in the essay)

• “Should of gone” incorrect, from “Should’ve” for “Should have”

• Lists Separate list items with commas (last one is optional) If any list has a comma inside, separate items with

semicolon


Wrong Word

• Some words are commonly confused – memorize or use list or dictionary its Vs it’s whose Vs who’s their Vs there too Vs to accept Vs except Many, many more – see Online Writing

Tutor


Applying This

• Four small groups (earlier groups OK)

• Get a set of cards, go off together

• Make choices, decide why tht is the right choice

• Turn in group report: Names Choices Explanations

senior seminar fall 2008 isp 4860 section 003 (bowen) class 5, october 1 course web site:

Documents

web page

insensitiveboolean words

timenew course

course grade

course website

course web site

firm topic choice

draft of chapter