Books, videos, media on environmentalism, environmental issues

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

I have been roped into teaching a class on this topic. Actually, I was given a choice, but I want to teach a new class for some added variety (also taught a new upper-division microbio class last semester). Also, the department was at a loss and asked me--never hurts to help out your dept chair.

It is an upper-division elective for majors and non-majors. Although I care deeply about these issues, and am a bit of a tree-hugger, I really am behind the curve for teaching this class. I worked in environmental consulting nearly 20 years ago, but it is not really my area of expertise. We have a text, and I have slides from the previous instructor, but I want some reading materials beside these, and a variety of videos to show in class--this in addition to the peer-reviewed scientific literature of course. THe course is a lecture/discussion, so I do not plan to lecture more than 50% of the time. Field trips, group discussions, presentations, and the like will figure in prominently.

Anything on:

Climate change, deforestation/habitat loss, coral reef bleaching, ocean acidification the National park system, overpopulation, war, pollution (plastics, eutrophication, heavy metals, nuclear and chemical waste, etc), Clean Air/Water Acts, NEPA, CEQA, Paris Climate Accord, U.N. efforts, etc, etc, are all of interest.

Who is interested in these issues and what do you recommend? Thanks (you freakin' environmental nazi tree-hugger commie scum!)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Shocked to read watch this video (short) today about 65,000 salmon dying in a river trying to get back to where they were spawned.  Apparently this was due to the drought that many areas have had to deal with including in Canada:

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-63136680

PD

[Todd]

Can't help much on books, but I tend to rely on the IPCC for source articles (https://www.ipcc.ch/) and I rely on Inside Climate News (https://insideclimatenews.org/) for climate-specific reporting.  These may be able to offer some useful information in a class setting.  I also rely on standard corporate press outlets like the NYT and The Economist for current articles on the topic.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I have been roped into teaching a class on this topic. Actually, I was given a choice, but I want to teach a new class for some added variety (also taught a new upper-division microbio class last semester). Also, the department was at a loss and asked me--never hurts to help out your dept chair.

It is an upper-division elective for majors and non-majors. Although I care deeply about these issues, and am a bit of a tree-hugger, I really am behind the curve for teaching this class. I worked in environmental consulting nearly 20 years ago, but it is not really my area of expertise. We have a text, and I have slides from the previous instructor, but I want some reading materials beside these, and a variety of videos to show in class--this in addition to the peer-reviewed scientific literature of course. THe course is a lecture/discussion, so I do not plan to lecture more than 50% of the time. Field trips, group discussions, presentations, and the like will figure in prominently.

Anything on:

Climate change, deforestation/habitat loss, coral reef bleaching, ocean acidification the National park system, overpopulation, war, pollution (plastics, eutrophication, heavy metals, nuclear and chemical waste, etc), Clean Air/Water Acts, NEPA, CEQA, Paris Climate Accord, U.N. efforts, etc, etc, are all of interest.

Who is interested in these issues and what do you recommend? Thanks (you freakin' environmental nazi tree-hugger commie scum!)

Are you still teaching this class?  If so, how is it going?

PD

[foxandpeng]

I did some modules on a history postgrad that covered Environmental History - particularly Stalin's 5 year plans and his approach to the Taiga, and differing views of wilderness in the USA, Germany and Britain. Fascinating stuff.

I'm not a huge climate change follower (too interested in paleo-climatology for that), but feel some sympathy with those flagging up our Shifting Baseline Syndrome. Monbiot rubs me up the wrong way, but he writes well. Naomi Klein, obviously, also.