Report: Global Crisis and Disabling Analysis

The course syllabus defines an essay that synthesizes your learning on Part One of ENST209:  The Global Crisis Essay will unite the three parts of the first section, discussing the shift from Economic Globalization toward Sustainability. Please clearly define and use the concept of sustainability, explaining how the sustainability has emerged from the global ecological crisis, as well as interconnected social and economic crises. In doing so, you will clearly describe examples of disabling. That is, you will try to answer the nagging question of why humans have allowed their home planet to be destroyed and acquiesced to the inequities and ideology involved in our economic system. How could we do that? Disabling explains how we have entered a system that deprives us of choice and power and where our abilities become irrelevant. Experts decide for us. Draw heavily upon your course readings, lectures, movies and discussions, citing in your text and in a bibliography. The resulting paper should be around 8 pages.

Your assignment is to show how the global crisis and the disabling analysis interconnects with its constituent social, economic, and ecological components. This demonstrates your learning in the first part of ENST209. The essay is due on or before October 27.

We will discuss the essay in class. We try to frame an assignment that both focuses your study and learning and provides a reliable grading instrument. By giving the assignment early, we intend to guide your note-taking and your learning as you encounter the material. 

I have provided a sample of this assignment from recent offerings of World Sustainability: sample. You are asked to provide your synopsis of this section of the course through the assignments found in the schedule for global crisis and disabling analysis. As indicated below, you must include at least six references. One way to frame the essay is to imagine how you would explain the global crisis as depicted in the course material to the next generation. 

The essay on the first half of the course challenges you to integrate your learning within an essay of 8 double-spaced pages with 12-point font. Key points to consider in the essay are these:

• Describe the nature of the contemporary global crisis as an interconnection of ecological, social, and economic aspects. Provide specific information where and when you can, including facts from Brown, Plan B 4.0, and references from the class readings and discussion.
• Explain how the sustainability crisis we now face has emerged from the global ecological crisis, as well as interconnected social and economic crises.
• In your response, try to answer the underlying question of why humans have allowed their home planet to be destroyed and have acquiesced to the inequities and ideology involved in our economic system. That is, explain how we have entered a system that deprives us of choice and power and where our abilities become irrelevant -- the disabling analysis. The framework and analysis in Professor Edelstein's Contaminated Communities should guide your thinking.

The essay draws upon these topics from the syllabus and the schedule: World Sustainability, the global crisis, and the disabling analysis. This assignment counts as 30% of your final grade and is evaluated on these three criteria, 10 points each:

1. Depth, creativity and critical thinking: The papers should analyze the topic so as to reveal depth of understanding and your ability to think through the essential issues pertaining to the topic.
2. Integration: The paper should weave together various sources, including reading and observations/experience, into a tight, logical outline.
3. Content and sources: Source material from books, journals, government documents, selective web sites and other appropriate sources shall be utilized to support your conclusions and demonstrate your grasp of the topic. All sources shall be properly cited in the text and provide a bibliography using either MLA or APA format, consistently applied. 

We will comment on your writing style. Your paper should avoid spelling and grammatical errors and generally be well written. 

This assignment challenges you to engage in the literature of World Sustainability. Your task is to think all this through, including your critical reflection on your own preconceptions. The result should be a demonstration of learning unique to yourself but consistent with the goals of the course. Your essay must draw heavily upon your course readings, lectures, movies and discussions, citing in your text and in a bibliography. Aim at six or more references. Incorporate your knowledge of the relevant facts and the trends as found in the course material.

This essay will take time and effort. You must digest the course material and integrate the basic concepts. You must not conjure this material out of thin air, but draw upon course content. Your goal is to demonstrate learning, thought, and critical analysis.