Whoever's
read, The Tipping Point (Little, Brown and Company, 2002) by
Malcolm Gladwell will be familiar with the discussion surrounding the point
'when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.' Interest in Environment,
Climate Change, Sustainable Living and so on, seems to be reaching such a point. Understanding
our role in maintaining a healthy planet is an important topic, which is finally reaching critical mass with the
general public... It is possible that Al Gore's documentary, An
Inconvenient Truth (Paramount Classics, 2006) has been part of the tipping point for opening the eyes
of the public to possible futures for our planet and our civilization. For many this film has been the
wake-up call that we needed to make some serious changes in order to protect our earth.
In a course which is about planning for the future it is necessary to consider planning for our planet of course!
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A smorgasbord of topics will be presented to you in the form of readings [e-mail Heather
to get these: hdcoey@gmail.com and things to watch (usually on YouTube).
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Keep a response
journal (just a page on the computer is fine with headings), where you can record your thoughts and answer the questions posed. You will e-mail this to me when you are done.
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If you would like,
you may do an alternative assignment that is more hands-on. For example,
you could watch, “No Impact Man” and try your own “No Impact” Experiment for a week. I have many other choices as well. Please e-mail me if you
would like the option of doing something else.
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