SUSTAINABLE DESIGN CAPSTONE SEMINAR WEEK 4

READING

Simon Lewis and Mark Maslin, The Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocene (2018): Chapters 4-6. (Course text)

SUGGESTED RESPONSE TOPICS

  • Discuss sustainable design strategies related to farming and food production today. What strategies might alleviate some of the high carbon emissions resulting from industrialized agriculture?

  • What are some advantages and disadvantages of globalization? Do you believe sustainable design strategies can and should be deployed at a global scale to combat climate change? If not, what scales do you believe would be more effective?

  • The authors describe fossil fuels in Chapter 6 as a “progress trap,” similar to other advancements made in human history—activities that seem beneficial in the short term but hinder progress in the long term. Several alternate fuel sources are available, but humans do not yet take full advantage of all of them. Of the alternatives available, which do you think would be the most effective at the regional and continental scales?

ASSIGNMENT C

Select an overall topic for your capstone project study. This should be very broad, like Waste, Housing, Reforestation, Commerce, Public Policy, and so on. The topic should be something you have significant interest, as you will be focusing on it from now through the capstone studio in the spring.

Present 3 possible research questions on this topic, focusing on different aspects of the issues in relation to sustainable design. They should be precisely worded, but can remain broad in terms of possible methods and trajectories. For instance, if your topic is Public Policy, one question might be, “What are the opportunities the Green New Deal affords for sustainability in the United States, and how can they be expanded upon for greatest positive impact?” Another example: “How has the Paris Agreement has succeeded and failed so far, and what might some global-scale alternatives be?”

Include relevant context and/or images in your presentation. Try to stay within 5 minutes so we have enough time for feedback.