MIDTERM 2 REVIEW

E8 – ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND DESIGNTA: NATHAN MAHAFFEY – SPRING 2017

Short Answer Essay Tips:

1. Remember to read the question carefully

2. Answer the question clearly with an introduction sentence

3. Then explain your answer briefly (your independent thought)

4. Give examples and detail when appropriate (from readings)

5. Finally, summarize your argument concisely

*These are suggested general guidelines to organize your response, but of course you cananswer in any way that works best for you.

THE STORY OF STUFF

CONCEPTS / ISSUES

• Where do all the things we buy come from? And where do they go when we throw it out?

• “Materials Economy”

• “Golden Arrow of Consumption”

• Planned obsolescence

• Perceived obsolescence

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

• Watch the video from thehomepage overview

• Midterm #1 study guide and powerpoint slides.

OBJECTIVE 2COLLAPSE OF CIVILIZATIONS

A c q u i re a n u n d e rsta n d i n g o f why s ome

of t h e most d i s t i n c t i ve , me mora b l e , a n d

a d va n c e d s oc i et i e s i n h u ma n h i s tor y

co l l a ps e d , a n d wh at mod e r n s oc i et i e s

s h ou l d l e a r n f rom t h e i r fate s .

OBJECTIVE 2Collapse of Civilizations

CONCEPTS / ISSUES

• 3 frameworks to explain why societies fail:

• Diamond

• Ferguson

• Wilson

• Lessons from failed civilizations

• Easter Island

• Maya

• Angkor

• Lessons for Southern CA

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

• Midterm 2 study guide

• Collapse study guide

• Case study guides (Easter, Maya,Angkor)

• Diamond (ch.14), Wilson, Ferguson framework guides

• Lourie “Why won’t we act?” video and powerpoint

• Diamond in Southern California

OBJECTIVE 2Collapse of Civilizations

**MAIN ESSAY QUESTION:

• One of the main essay questions for Midterm #2 will ask you to apply your knowledge, of the three frameworks and lessons from the course objectives, to the current problems in Southern California that Jared Diamond highlighted.

• The goal of the question is for you to give an informedresponse on the future of Southern California and how you think we can better protect the environment and society. You should use the three frameworks and examples from the course objectives to support your answer.

OBJECTIVE 3PLANET OF SLUMS

Understanding the forces in the

modern wor ld which have resu l ted in

one out of seven human be ings on the

p lanet l iv ing in the most inhumane

condit ions aff l i c t ing the res idents of

the wor ld 's 200,000 s lums. These

inhumane condit ions are accompanied

by the a lmost insurmountab le

obstac les to gett ing out of poverty,

and surmount ing the cumulat ive

effects of lack of access to c lean

dr ink ing water, modern sani tat ion,

and lack of qua l i ty educat ion and

hea l th care .

OBJECTIVE 3Planet of Slums

CONCEPTS / ISSUES

• Mike Davis concept of “Treason of the State” – 12 point list

• Slum ecology

• Why is it so difficult to create more healthy environments for women and children in slums?

• Do the video examples shown in class represent “treason of the state”? Why or why not?

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

• Midterm 2 study guide

• Planet of Slums study guide

• LA Skid Row (homelessness)

• Mumbai’s toilets (gender injustice)

• Slum Warfare, Brazil

• Toilets in Kenya

• Mission Impossible (Pakistan TB)

• Dharavi slum

• Water Woes in India

• China’s Yellow River

OBJECTIVE 4WATER CRISIS

Understanding why access to c lean

water i s so d i f f icu l t both g loba l ly and

loca l ly, and what can be done about

i t .

OBJECTIVE 4Water Crisis

CONCEPTS / ISSUES

• Why is it so difficult to get equal access to clean water in both local (Southern CA) and global contexts?

• Who owns the rain?

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

• Midterm 2 study guide

• Colorado River

• Mojave Water War

• Bolivia Water War – Cochabamba(Who owns the rain?)

• Other web links under Objective 4 have information on local water access

OBJECTIVE 6OVERCOMING NEGATIVE IMPACT OF CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

The goa l o f th is object ive i s to

increase understanding of the

Roodman idea of negat ive t rends , but

focused on the env ironmenta l

consequences of abrupt c l imate

warming. The organiz ing concept i s

Br ight ' s not ion of “Env ironmenta l

Surpr ise” descr ib ing how ord inary

changes can become “super

problems.” There are some para l le l s

in D iamond's f ramework of why some

soc iet ies fa i l .

OBJECTIVE 6Overcoming Negative Impact of Changing Environment

CONCEPTS / ISSUES

• How are three types of “Environmental Surprise” defined?

• Apply your knowledge ofEnvironmental Surprise to explain cause and effect in cases of Hurricanes Katrina, Pam, and Sandy

• Hurricane prediction

• Roodman’s claim that “the worldwe are heading toward is one noone wants.” What are the problems, and what are we doing about them?

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

• Midterm 2 study guide

• Environmental Surprise

• Katrina NOVA video

• Sandy NOVA video

Exam Format:

1. Similar to Midterm #1: there will be about 2 or 3 longer essay questions worth more points, and the rest of the questions will be shorter, more specific questions.

2. You do not need to memorize the 12 points on Davis’ “Treason of the State,” but you do need to understand them and be able to apply them to examples.

3. You will be provided some of the notes from the study guide on “Slum Ecology.” So you will need to already understand them and be able to refer to them to help answer any relevant question.

4. You will also be provided with several pages from Collapse,where Diamond discusses examples of environmental problemsin Southern California.