senior seminar fall 2008 isp 4860 section 003 (bowen) class 6, october 8 course web site:

Senior Seminar Fall 2008ISP 4860

Section 003 (Bowen)

Class 6, October 8Course web site: www.is.wayne.edu/drbowen/SenSemF08

10/8/08 Senior Seminar F08, Class 6 2

Agenda

• Pictures• New on course website• Late / returned / future assignments• Research: MLA, people with same topic• Content:

The credit crunch and the Ecosystem are both complex systems

Food / fish• Writing

Organizer for Chapter 1 Paragraphs


New Course resources

• Internet jack in this room is dead, wiring in wall will need to be replaced

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

• Articles organized on paper topics, although some cross over topics

• Moodle Forum topic on searching – place to leave

(and get) tips, suggestions, etc. How to upload your picture in News Forum

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


Assignments Coming Up• For tonight

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 Also Section Planner, in class


Assignments Coming Up

• October 22: drafts of Chapter 2 (status in your area of focus) Chapter 3 (trends in your area of focus) Both are word processing files turned in via

Moodle

• October 29: revised Chapter 1 I should have it returned with comments by

October 22 (grade?) Further revisions possible up until 12/3


Research portfolio

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


Late Assignments

• Still someone without a Moodle account.• Only four lists of references turned in at

2:30 today• Reminder – a component of the course

grade comes for getting assignments in on time


Credit Crunch

• Credit crunch spreading to rest of world, including less-developed

• US credit tightening – states asking for emergency loans

• Rescue plan will take months to get going

• Federal Reserve (“Fed”) says it will loan directly into the “commercial paper” market

• Can the developed countries act together?


Biodiversity

• New study of mammals, or at least several thousand mammals for which we have detailed information “Red List” 25% could become extinct Full study to be published in Science

• Advance story on course website


Complex Systems

• Two very complex systems: Ecosystem World financial system

• We (humans) are not very good yet at understanding or managing such complex system Particularly when systems change rapidly We need to get better at this “Complex Systems” as a field of study


Research: MLA

• Discussion in Moodle Forum

• Point I want to repeat: MLA citation style is to minimize disruption to

reader Citation is “in-line” – not a footnote, for

example Minimum length to identify the item in Works

Cited• E.g. author’s last name and page (Kennedy 35)


Research: People with same topic

Disease Kimberley, Patricia

Ecosystem Services Abdullah, Daralene, Androme

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

People with the same topic discuss and report.


Research – Planning Chapter 1

• You should have a completed “Section Planner” for your draft of your chapter 1

• Small groups, everyone reads and discusses each Planner

• Make notes on Planner for changes you would like to make

• New forms available if you want to redo yours

• Turn original in next week


Content: Food / Fish

• Fish Pp 29 - 36

• Food: (Security) Pp 108 – 110 (Security) Pp 154 - 159


Fish

• Much overfishing around the world US has relatively good control here Keep fishing allowances down so that stock is

replenished

• Countries where fish is more important in diet often overfish as population and prosperity grow Subsidies to fishermen – can make little sense “Factory” Trawlers – full processing plants


Fish

• Coastal fish more numerous but overfished

• Trend is to have to fish further from shore, deeper waters, for fish that were once rejected (Figure 3 Pg 42)


Factory Trawlers


Food

• Issue today is Food Security – we have enough food, but many people do not have a reliable supply Pests, spoilage, pilfering

• However, recent gains are stalling, food no longer rising as fast as population

• For ~ 10,000 years, farmers selected best of local crop Much more productive of food for humans

than original wild versions


Green Revolution

• 1980s “Green Revolution” Government-financed research centers for

major grains Found best rice genes from around world, put

them in one type Done for all major grains Done through normal plant breeding, just

select the breeds and put them together Came to require many resources: irrigation,

fertilizer, pesticides (monoculture)


Green Revolution GMOs

• 1980s “Green Revolution” Often too expensive for poor farmers

• Now, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Private commercial development Select genes from across species, even

between plants and animals Transfer directly, without breeding Can decrease need for resources but seed is

expensive


GMOs• Genes make proteins, so plant has

proteins from different species Can tailor crops to type of farmland, etc.

• But proteins are from foods, so known to be safe for human consumption: “Frankenfood” DB: “like chewing strawberries and hamburger

together” Still, controversial in much of developed world Because of resource savings, poor farmers

have little choice, but still expensive


Food Supply• Biggest need for more food will come from

prosperity, if this leads to “eating higher on the food chain/web.” Factory farms generate large amounts of

animal waste, can be an environmental and aesthetic hazard

• Climate Change can disrupt agriculture• HIV/AIDS disrupting populations, killing

adults• Education needed to apply modern

methods


Food and Trade Policy

• US subsidizes food exports US farmers well organized, dependent US Food aid often requires purchase of food

from US

• Local farmers in poor countries often cannot compete with these subsidized prices


World Controversy

• Modern mechanized agriculture Vs improved earlier methods, e.g. less plowing (just make a slit)

• Arguments: Ecosystem can’t take increase requirements

for water, fertilizer, pesticides, plus do not like GMOs

Earlier methods, even improved, can’t produce enough food


Writing

• Paragraphs A major new topic needs a new paragraph

• Signal to the reader

Some people like more paragraphs, some fewer

Academic writing usually tends to fewer (appropriate for complex topics)

Be consistent Often can correspond to outline levels


Paragraph

• Handouts Two original article with paragraphs removed:

one long paragraph Break it into paragraphs at topic changes

• Small groups, group report on each

• You can leave when your group turns in its two reports

senior seminar fall 2008 isp 4860 section 003 (bowen) class 6, october 8 course web site:

Documents

draft of chapter

course grade

drafts of chapter

revised chapter

research planning chapter

copy of section planner

course websitelate

moodlealso section planner