GLOBAL STUDIES 490

Week 8

Housekeeping Items►As part of the Worldbridger film series, the movie “11th

Hour” is being shown tonight at 7 p.m. in Building 356, Room 109 (there is also a Parksville date). I highly recommend seeing it. It was pulled together by Leonardo DeCaprio to illustrate the current global eco-crisis and some of the sustainable solutions. There will also be a panel of local sustainability experts afterwards.

►Also tonight, in the same building (6:00-8:15 in Room 336) is a panel discussion on eco-psychology.

►As per Sarah's presentation, there's a new book on Darfur by a woman doctor from the region: Tears of the Desert.

►We have a new batch of presentations today, but first I want to raise some points for discussion.

Housekeeping Items

►I would like to invite discussion of three main issues:

the tool presentations (what is expected and how to find topics);

timing (how we regulate the length of presentations in class); and

workload (whether we are trying to cover too much material in the class, and whether I am expecting too much from you).

“Planetariat” article

►I would like your thoughts on the planetariat article. It makes three key assertions. Do you believe they are correct?

that cultures can be divided into domesticated and autonomous;

that autonomous cultures can categorized in terms of indigenous, folk, or counter-culture, and

that such cultures are much more place-centred and concerned with defending ecosystems and the planet as a whole.

Presentations for Today

Zita Janet Kaelan Rebecca Does that cover everybody? The first tool

presentations will be next week (on the 28th), and I will give an overview of themes from my book on Thursday. From now on, all presentations must be a maximum of 15 minutes, and I will give you a five-minute warning.

Re tool topics, the place-making practices in my book chapter offer additional ideas.

Placemaking Practices Ecological (greenbelts/greenways/naturalization

projects, “ecological plumbing,” green buildings and site design/ smart growth/new urbanism)

Functional (traffic calming/street reclaiming, community gardens, co-housing/ecovillages/ co-ops)

Aesthetic (participatory evaluation of environments, co-design/ community architecture, community and public art)

Civic (community/ green mapping, grassroots heritage preservation and interpretation, community involvement at the neighbourhood scale).