WCWP 10B: The Writing Course B 

Climate Justice and Why it Matters

Professor Simrita Dhir

Session: SS1 & SS2

The world’s wealthiest one billion people are responsible for over 50% of the climate pollution, but it will be the bottom three billion, the most politically and economically vulnerable populations of the world, who will suffer the gravest consequences to climate change. Is it fair? In this writing course, students will think critically, read, and write about climate change and its impacts on the most politically and economically vulnerable populations of the world, to present climate hope.

Trash and the Ideology of Disposability

Professor Walter Merryman

Sections: SS1

Why do we make so much trash? And what should we be doing with it? This class will investigate the cultural practices and values that produce trash, and, importantly, make the disposal of trash seem necessary. Beyond that, we will problematize our trash storage and disposal, consider the effects of a consumerist “throwaway culture,” and propose ways forward that align with an ethics of sustainability, environmental justice, and globally connected citizens.

From the Classroom to the Community: Science Ethics & Education

Professor Jeff Gagnon, and TBA

Sections: SS2

Students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) require extensive training in technical knowledge and scientific skills. This training serves them well, especially when it comes to the job market after graduation. However, students working in artificial intelligence, big data, environmental engineering, and a host of other fields may someday work with products and problems that directly impact the health and safety of people and communities.

This tension raises important questions for this writing and research course. Should schools and universities train tomorrow's computer scientists and engineers to design, build and code for the public? Do colleges and universities have a responsibility to make STEM education more accessible and inclusive? And in an age of disinformation, should scientists and engineers learn how to communicate complex scientific and technical ideas to the public?

Waste, Stuff, and the Ideology of Disposability

Professor Walter Merryman

Sections: 003, 005, 006

Is it the destiny of everything humans produce to become to trash, to float in the oceans, to orbit our planet, to invade bodies as microplastics? This class will investigate the practices, values, and ideology that contribute to our generation of waste, our views of what is disposable, and the ongoing work of reducing waste in the context of climate change. In asking about what we throw away, we will also think about what we produce: why do we create so much stuff to buy, to use, to consume? Who benefits from the continuous production of stuff that is also the continuous production of trash? In this class we will investigate the effects of a consumerist “throwaway culture,” the ideology of disposability, and analyze what proposals make for viable and meaningful solutions to the production of trash.

Climate Justice and Why it Matters

Professor Simrita Dhir

Sections: 001, 002, 004

The world’s wealthiest one billion people are responsible for over 50% of the climate pollution, but it will be the bottom three billion, the most politically and economically vulnerable populations of the world, who will suffer the gravest consequences to climate change. Is it fair? In this writing course, students will think critically, read, and write about climate change and its impacts on the most politically and economically vulnerable populations of the world, to present climate hope.

From the Classroom to the Community: Science Ethics & Education

TBA

Sections: TBA

Students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) require extensive training in technical knowledge and scientific skills. This training serves them well, especially when it comes to the job market after graduation. However, students working in artificial intelligence, big data, environmental engineering, and a host of other fields may someday work with products and problems that directly impact the health and safety of people and communities.

This tension raises important questions for this writing and research course. Should schools and universities train tomorrow's computer scientists and engineers to design, build and code for the public? Do colleges and universities have a responsibility to make STEM education more accessible and inclusive? And in an age of disinformation, should scientists and engineers learn how to communicate complex scientific and technical ideas to the public?

Communicating Climate Justice

TBA
Sections: TBA

The climate crisis is real, and the impacts of climate disruption are already being felt here in San Diego and across California. However, those impacts are not being distributed equally. Furthermore, according to recent studies, only 43% of Californians talk about the climate crisis with others on a regular basis. In other words, the problem is big. It is real. We need solutions. And we need hope. But we don't know how to talk or write in ways that spur action or inspire hope. So, what should we do?

For students interested in the intersections of environmental science, justice and communication, this 10B is for you. Our course explores these topics and tensions by asking big questions. How will the climate crisis impact people we love and care about in our local communities? What solutions are most needed in our cities and towns? How should we teach about the solutions in our local schools? In our favorite majors and classes? And how can we communicate to inspire action, change, hope in the face of challenge