11.004, STS.033 – Peopleand thePlanet: Environmental Historiesand Engineering

12 units (3-3-6), HASS-E, no prerequisites, MW 11-12:30 and Th 1-4:00 Lab

quantitative modeling • historical and cultural analysis • engineering solutions • complex systems • fieldwork

A cross-disciplinary class combining engineering, history, and policy with hands-on projects deployed in the field (river) and the lab. Taught by these instructors:

Brian Anthony - Course 2, Mechanical Engineering, IMES, and MIT.nano

Janelle Knox-Hayes - Course 11, Urban Studies and Planning

Jessika Trancik – Course IDSS, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society

Robin Wolfe Scheffler – Program in Science, Technology, and Society

And by these guest instructors:

Morgan Edwards, Course IDSS, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society

Jonathan Fincke – Course 2, IMES

TAs: Karthik Rao-Cavale (Course 11)

Robin Singh (Course 2)

Mystic River | Urban planning | Climate adaptation | Community resilience | Resource management | Pollution and public health | Valuation of natural systems | Cultural use and understanding of nature

Course Description

This course examines historical and socio-economicaspects of complex environmental problems and engineering approaches to sustainable solutions. Students will study interactions between humans and natural systems in a variety of environmental contexts and through a case study of the Mystic Valley Watershed. Through the case study, students will: (1) investigate the history of area, the evolution ofeconomy and industry, and the politics and planning of various sites and (2) develop tools and skills to assess various aspects of water quality along Mystic and Malden watercourses. For the final project students will use existing environmental data;develop, refine and deploy a sensor system;and/or collect data on a specific aspect (historical, economic, political) of the watershed. They will analyze the data and write a report reflecting on how the data relate to the history, economics, politics and planning of the site, as well as how the data could be improved to meet community needs. Throughout the course, students will build an understanding of how scientific knowledge draws from and influences human engagement with the natural environment in the Mystic Valley Watershed andmore broadly.

Course Objectives

  1. Introducesthe diversity of disciplinary traditions that have been used to understand complex environmental issues that have both human and natural components.
  2. Introduces students to the historical evolution of human engagements with nature as well as policy debates surrounding contemporary challenges (such as sea level rise).
  3. Builds writing, quantitative modeling, and analytical skills necessary for assessing the nature and scale of emerging environmental systems problems and developing policy or engineering solutions.
  4. Through environmental data gathering and analysis, engages students with the difficult relationship between scientific knowledge and practical interventionin complex, interacting systems.

Course Components

Seminar:

The seminar will cover environmental problems and their solutions from historical, political, and engineering perspectives, with a particular focus on water and significant extensions to other environmental issues. Active participation in the seminar is expected. You should be prepared to discuss the main points of the readings, ask questions, provide constructive feedback, and generate and share critical perspectives. The seminar and weekly blog (see below) will prepare students to undertake the broader context component of the class project.

Lab:

The lab component of the course will give students hands-on experience with deploying sensorsand sensor systems, analyzing sensor data in order to extraction actionable information, and applying obtained insightto address environmental problems, with an emphasis on water. The lab exercises will focus primarily on the Mystic and Malden waterways and include a visit to the study site at the beginning of the semester.

Weekly Blog:

This assignment is designed to help you apply concepts from the readings and discussions to your research interests. You will write weekly reflections (2 paragraphs to 1page in length) comparing and synthesizing the works we read and discussing how they apply to the Mystic and Malden waterways. The short assignments give you an opportunity to enhance your written communication skills, and to reflect on the readings before class discussion. The weekly reflections or blogs should be submitted each week (beginning in week two) before class on Monday.

Weekly Lab Assignment:

Each lab will be followed by a short lab assignment where students apply and extend the techniques they learn in the lab. The lab assignments give you an opportunity to develop your engineering and quantitative analysis skills and reflect on their application to a local environmental problem. The weekly lab assignments will be made available immediately following the lab session (beginning in week 1) and should be submitted before class on Wednesday of the following week.

Class Project:

The class project combines learning from the seminar and lab portion of the class to answer an environmental question of importance in the Mystic and Malden waterways. Students will work in small groups (2 to 3 students) to identify and begin answering a broad and substantive question by combining the different disciplinary approaches introduced in the class. Groups may either choose one of the sample topics circulated or develop a proposal of their own (and approved by the instructors).

  • The first deliverable for the class project will be a short project proposal, 1 page maximum. The proposal initiates a discussion with course staff. Course staff will help you, as necessary, to further define or constrain the proposed project scope.
  • The second deliverable for the class project will be a final report where students reflect on the connections between the data collected on the Mystic and Malden watercourses and the topics studied in the class. You will be given a template that will guide the structuring of your final report, which will build on your reflections in the weekly blog and lab assignments. The report must be 5 to 10 pages in length (excluding figures and references), showcase the independent research you have conducted, and reference class readings, lectures and laboratory experiences.
  • The third deliverable for the class project will be two presentations. The first is a 15 to 20 minutes presentation where project groups present the results of their research to their peers, with time for open discussion. The class presentations will be preparation for a second, public presentation. The grade for the presentations will also include the student’s attentiveness during other’s presentations and the quality of questions asked.

All written assignments should be submitted in 12 point Times Roman font, 8.5 x 11 paper, 1-inch margins all around. The assignments should conform to the page limits specified, with all text being single-spaced unless otherwise noted. You should submit your work via the assignment section of the Stellar site for the course.

Grading

Class Participation (including
Weekly Blog) – 30% / Weekly Lab and Lab Assignment - 30% / Final Project and Presentations – 40%

Final grades are based on a weighted average for the term. Grade cutoff points are as follows:

A =93-100% B+ =87-89% B- =80-82% C =73-76% D+ =67-69% D =63-66%

A- = 90-92% B = 83-86% C+ = 77-79% C- = 70-72% D- = 60-62% F = <60

Course Policies

Attendance: You are required to attend all class and lab sessions. If you will miss a session, be courteous and let the TAknow in advance. Keep in mind that you need to be present to get a good participation grade.It is disruptive when you arrive late or leave early, so be mindful of the time and the impact your behavior has on your instructor and colleagues.

Late submissions/non-submissions: In general, late submissions of assignments will be penalized. We understand that things happen in people’s lives and thereforeexceptions will be made in extraordinary circumstances. If you are granted an extension for any of the assignments, you will be given an alternate deadline for submission. If you need to arrange in advance to receive an incomplete for the semester, you will be given an alternate date by which you will need to submit outstanding work (by email). Work not received by the date agreed upon will receive a zero/ no credit and will be used in computing your final grade for the course.

Writing: It is important that you have the ability to effectively communicate your ideas in writing. If you have difficulty writing in English, you should seek assistance at the MIT Writing and Communication Center. The WCC at MIT (Writing and Communication Center) offers free one-on-one professional advice from experts in communication and rhetorical theory (MIT lecturers who all have advanced degrees and who are all are published scholars and writers). The WCC works with undergraduate students, graduate students, post-docs, faculty and staff members.

The WCC helps you strategize about all types of academic, creative, job-related, and professional writing as well as about all aspects of oral presentations (including practicing your presentations & designing slides). No matter what department or discipline you are in, they help you think your way more deeply into your topic, help you see new implications in your data, research and ideas. The WCC also helps with all English as Second Language issues, from writing and grammar to pronunciation and conversation practice, from understanding genre conventions to analyzing what particular journals require.

The WCC is located in Kendall Square (E18-233B, 50 Ames Street). To register with our online scheduler and to make appointments, go to . To access the WCC’s many pages of advice about writing and oral presentations, go to The Center’s core hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; check the online scheduler for up-to-date hours.

Disabilities: We are dedicated to making your class experience accessible. If you have a documented disability or other problem that may affect your abilityto perform in class, please see one of the TAs or instructorsearly in the semester so we can work together to accommodate your needs.

Academic Misconduct:Plagiarism and cheating are both academic crimes. Never turn in an assignment that you did not write yourself, that you previously turned in for another class, or are submitting in whole or in part for another class during the same semester. If you do so, it may result in a failing grade for the class, and possibly even suspension. Please see one of the TAsif you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism. Anyone caught cheating or plagiarizing will be reported to the provost in line with recognized university procedures.

Helpful Links

MIT Libraries productivity page and references page:

Course Outline

Week 1: Introduction to the site/project/subject matter

Feb 5 | No Class

Feb 7 | Introduction and Course Themes: History, Technology, Planning

  • Introduction: We will ask you to do a blog post
  • Talking through the syllabus

Readings:

  • Latour, Bruno. 1999. "Circulating reference: Sampling the soil in the Amazon forest." Pandora's hope: essays on the reality of science studies. Harvard university press, pp. 24-79.

Feb 8 | (LAB A) Lab introduction. Engineering Themes. From Sensors, to Data, to Information. Matlab Intro. “Clean Water or Dirty Water? How Dirty?”

Week 2:

February 12 | Europeans Approach the Environment of New England

Early New England colonists arrived in a landscape that was both like and unlike the European climates that they had known. The climate and weather in New England were not only important for their practical implications for agriculture and economic growth but for how these colonists understood the ability of Europeans to live in the Americas. In turn, the success of European efforts to settle in North America was closely tied to broader trends associated with global climatological history.

Readings

Kupperman, Karen Ordahl. “The Puzzle of the American Climate in the Early Colonial Period.” The American Historical Review 87, no. 5 (December 1982): 1262–89.

White, Sam. A Cold Welcome: The Little Ice Age and Europe’s Encounter with North America (HUP, 2017), ch.7

Smith, John, and Paul Royster. “A Description of New England (1616): An Online Electronic Text Edition.” Electronic Texts in American Studies, January 1, 1616.

February 14| S1: Changes in the Land

The encounter between English colonists and Native Americans in the seventeenth century was more than a confrontation of different peoples but of different ways of understanding the nature of property and the purpose of nature. Colonists sought to recreate their traditional patterns of agriculture and land use while adapting to the circumstances of New England.

Readings:

Cronon, William.Changes in the Land, chapters 3, 4 and 5

Donahue, Brian. “Environmental Stewardship and Decline in Old New England.” Journal of the Early Republic 24 (Summer 2004): 234-241.

February 15 |(LAB B) Site Visit. Organized with Patrick. “Let’s try to collect some data.”

Week 3:

February 20 |The Science of Working Water (Holiday on Monday/Monday Classes Held Tuesday)

Water plays an inescapable part in the development of New England, especially its early industrialization. However, for industrialization to begin, the legal meaning of nature and the relationship between upstream and downstream users of river resources needed to change, and the process of this change was deeply contentious because it entailed thinking of a natural resource—water—in an entirely new way that many of those touched by this change were unwilling to accept. With time, the importance of water also drew the attention of scientific and engineering experts, whose decisions shaped the contours of the city of Boston. This unit explores these developments in reference to the growth of mill towns and the effort to regulate tidal “scour” in Boston harbor.

Readings:

“The Transformation of Water,” “Control of Water,” and “Company Waters, ” in Theodore Steinberg, Nature Incorporated: Industrialization and the Waters of New England (Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press, 1991), 21-49, 50-76, & 77-98.

Rawson, Michael. “What Lies Beneath,” in Remaking Boston

February 21 |Brian

February 22 |(LAB C) Topics:Temporal sampling, spatial sampling, resolution. Cameras and optics – big scale to small scale. “What can we see in the water, where is it (upstream, downstream) what is on the bottom?”

Week 4:

February 26 | Science, Sewage and Health

Water served as a key site not only for fostering urban growth, but for disposing of the waste generated as Boston expanded in size. For many historians of environment and technology, water thus embodies the complex dynamic of problems and solutions, as the provision of more clean water to the city via a number of infrastructure improvements also produced rivers of wastewater.

Readings:

Rawson, Michael. Eden on the Charles (HUP,2010). Chapter 2: Constructing Water

February 28 | Building Nature in the City

As Bostonians succeeded in fostering an urban environment, a competing discourse arose surrounding the benefits of living with nature. These beliefs drove two important movements: first, the expansion of “streetcar” suburbs which allowed the better off to enjoy the healthy conditions of country living while still maintaining access to the economic life of the city and the construction of parks intended to bring the benefits of nature to those living in urban environments—although these new forms of nature embodied the “second nature” of human culture rather than the wilderness that development had replaced.

Readings:

Remaking Boston, How Metropolitan Parks Shaped Greater Boston

Lowell Offering, excerpts

A Weekend on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, excerpts.

March 1 |(LAB C Part II) Topics: Temporal sampling, spatial sampling, resolution. Cameras and optics – big scale to small scale. “What can we see in the water, where is it (upstream, downstream) what is on the bottom?”

Week 5:

March 5 |Brian

March 7 | The Toxic Legacy of Industry

As the communities around Boston expanded to enclose industrial sites, they were forced to contend with the problem of pollution beneath their feet, the long legacy of decades of industrial waste. While a threat to the health of many communities, there was no one strategy that all used to secure environmental justice or the removal of the original hazards.

Readings:

Kiechle, Melanie. The Smell Detectives, ch. 7.

Brown, Phil. “Popular Epidemiology: Community Response to Toxic Waste-Induced Disease in Woburn, Massachusetts.” Science, Technology, & Human Values 12, no. 3/4 (July 1, 1987): 78–85.

Faber, Daniel R, and Eric J Krieg. “Unequal Exposure to Ecological Hazards: Environmental Injustices in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Environmental Health Perspectives 110, no. Suppl 2 (April 2002): 277–88.

Woburn Trial Simulation:

March 8 |(LAB D) Water Quality sensing – traditional to optical. Water characterization. Comparing bodies of water. Data logging.

Week 6:

March 12 |Examination of the use and implications historic and present of the Boston Harbor Watershed

Boston has expanded in relation to its watershed. The planning and development of the city reflects a lack of long-term planning. The composition of the water courses tells a unique history of how the city expanded in response to the needs of a growing city, and how the landscape was transformed to secure the resources needed and to sink industrial wastes. We consider the legacy of this transformation and how better planning decisions could be taken for the furture.

Readings:

  • Alberti, M., Marzluff, J. M., Shulenberger, E., Bradley, G., Ryan, C., & Zumbrunnen, C. (2003). Integrating humans into ecology: opportunities and challenges for studying urban ecosystems. AIBS Bulletin, 53(12), 1169-1179.
  • Alberti, Marina. "The effects of urban patterns on ecosystem function." International regional science review 28.2 (2005): 168-192.

March 14 | The Ecology of Nature in the City (Guest Lecture by Peter Del Tredici)

Readings:

  • Del Tredici, Peter. Flora of the Future. Projective Ecologies (Stellar Site)
  • Del Tredici, Peter. Urban Nature/ Human Nature (stellar Site)

March 15 |(LAB D Part II) Water Quality sensing – traditional to optical. Water characterization. Comparing bodies of water. Data logging.