Everyone did a great job on their posters this year (and congratulations to those of you who won at the conference)!
Please upload a .pdf of your poster to the site, using the “poster” category.
Category Archives: Announcements
Readings and Podcast for 12/12 class- Also bring Computers!
You have two readings (one longer and one very short) and a 20 minute podcast to listen to for next class.
This first reading is going to provide the basis for our last discussion on urban biodiversity đ in class. It is a new study on- you guessed it- arthropods!- Please at least read the abstract, the methods, and examine the figures (there are also some popular articles about it online). It also serves as a good model of the kind of scientific writing you all will be doing in the next couple of weeks for your projects. We will discuss what this study found, what they could have done differently, and what it means for urban sustainability.
The following pieces will be part of our class discussion on sustainability at the individual, city, and global levels.
Forget Shorter Showers, Orion Magazine. This is a short (2 page) piece basically saying that life changes at the individual level won’t make a difference in sustainability. We will discuss this idea, watch related videos, and examine your own footprint in class.
Finally, this is a 20 minute podcast on what we do and have done with all the poop generated here in NYC- an important component of urban sustainability- Enjoy!
Radiolab Podcast: NYC Poop Train
Reminder!! Register for Poster Presentations!
Hi all, it looks like only three of the groups from our class has signed up for a poster presentation slot. If you’re one of the stragglers, now’s the time to register! http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/seminar3presentations/
Shortened:: 11/7 Readings: two short attempts at finding common ground!
Hi Class- here are the two readings for this week, both 1-2 pages each. These were originally scheduled for next week, but I nixed the planned readings and moved these up, that way you can just concentrate on your project data next week.
Kareiva, P. 2014. New conservation: setting the record straight and finding common ground. Conservation Biology 28(3): 634-636
Soule, M. 2014. Also Seeking Common Ground in Conservation. Conservation Biology 28(3): 637-638
New York Times article from 10/31 on ‘New’ Conservation
Hi class, guess what?!? A great article in the NYTs on moving forward from the current debate in conservation was published yesterday, the same day we were discussing these issues! It was written by Emma Marris (the author of Rambunctious Garden) and a scientist at the Wilderness Society (i.e. people who protect ‘pristine’ nature). Check it out! Here is a quote:
“No matter which reason motivates you most, working together and using a diversity of approaches is far better than inaction or squabbling. With hard work, political support and lots of money, we can have the cherished landscapes, the most endangered species, and the comfort of knowing there is still wild nature left. We just canât expect to have them all in the same place.”
Instructions for 11/7 ‘debate’ prep (with chosen topics)
11/7 Debate
What should we do about certain issues in conservation?
Donât need to do too much extra research- just learn what it is, find example, and use what youâve read/learned to apply it to these scenarios:
- Invasive species- always eradicate or embrace? (Julia, Tahsin, Sarah, Jessica, Siena)
- How to do or should we do reforestation/restoration? (Makeba, Kyle, Michelle, Katherine, Tasnia)
- Should we work with corporations to achieve conservation goals? (Acadia, Sherry, Rose, Rya)
- How should we protect of big predators/ deal with human wildlife conflict? (Allegra, Sabeena, Devin, Phil, Jaspreet)
Potential examples:
-Wolves in the west
-Coyotes in NYC
-Australia marsupial conservation
-Restoration in of plants in HI
-Galapagos
-Kangaroos
-Jamaica Bay restoration
-New Orleans
-De-extinction
Plan:
Groups will get 20 mins to come together, chat
Individual responses– up to 5-minute thoughts/argument and then those with same ideas get together as a panel and answer questions
-Overview of topic (together)
-One Example- explain it
-Strategy they would take
-Why
-What thought of conservation it falls under, or along the spectrum
Then give the audience 10 minutes to ask questions
Urban Ecology Macaulay Video
Urban Ecology Module for 10/24
For class on 10/24 we will be taking on roles as we consider whether a city should accept a grant to enhance bee habitat in its urban parks. We will be discussing the social, ecological, and economic reasons why this might be a good or not so good decision. The following Module has two parts: the first is a background on general urban ecology and NYC Million Trees, with discussion questions that you should answer and bring to class. The first part also includes a table where you will fill in factors to consider in regards to NYC Million Trees initiative. Fill in Table 1 and bring it to class, as it will help you mentally prepare for the Urban Bees Part 2, that we will complete in class. You should read and complete up to page 8.
Bring your computers so that you can research your role (it will be assigned in class) and your acting abilities đ
Instructions: Is this science?
Find an article on a contentious scientific issue in the news- examples could be fracking, climate change/solutions, GMOs, species conservation, etc. Â While I prefer it to be environmental in nature, you can also chose a current topic that relates to social issues, and thus environmental issues, such as disease outbreaks, like the current concern over Ebola.
Once you have chosen your article, use the critical analysis handout (critical-thinking-kruse) to analyze the article for its evidence and biases. What is/are the main conclusion(s)?  Assumptions? What evidence does the author use? Is it scientific? Does the author or person referenced in the article show biases? Do they persuade the reader towards one conclusion or another? Is the evidence balanced? What are the consequences or implications of the article’s conclusions? When thinking about these questions, you can do some additional research and/or think about the course readings to back up what you conclude. The analysis should be 300-500 words.
Due: on blog before class on 10/17
Potential article sources for Is this/What is Science?
Potential resources for thinking about climate change in the news:Â http://environment.yale.edu/climate-communication/
New York Times coverage of Global Warming and Climate Change:Â http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html
The Ebola Files: Given the current Ebola outbreak, unprecedented in terms of number of people killed and rapid geographic spread, Science and Science Translational Medicine have made a collection of research and news articles on the viral disease freely available to researchers and the general public.
Here is a resource page on fracking:http://guides.law.csuohio.edu/content.php?pid=369417&sid=3025670
