EE 80S: Sustainability Engineering and Practice (Fall 2008)
Time: MWF 12:30-1:40pm, Baskin Engineering 152
Instructors: Ben Crow (BC, Soc.; ) , Melanie DuPuis (MD, Soc.; ), Steve Gliessman (SG, Env. Studies; ), Ronnie Lipschutz (RDL, Politics; ), Ali Shakouri (AS, Elec. Engineering; )
Course manager: Dustin Mulvaney ()
TA: Victoria Breece ()
Course assistant: Lara Hale ()
Course web site:
Reports from LoCal RE(Lolland California Renewable Energy Summer Program):
Please consult the website for the current and complete syllabus.
Course description. This course is a topical introduction to principles and practices of sustainability engineering and ecological design (SEED) defined here as the planning, development and deployment of technological and social systems and institutions that can protect the earth’s ecological systems for this and future generations. The course provides students with an understanding of basic scientific, engineering and social principles in the design, deployment, and operation of resource-based human systems, and how they can be maintained for this and future generations. No specialized background in engineering, sciences or social sciences is required, and the course is open to all students. It is a gateway course to the curriculum in Sustainability Engineering and Ecological Design (SEED).
Course organization and requirements. The course consists of six parts: 1. A series of required lectures on topics relevant to sustainable engineering and design; 2. Weekly discussion sections (required); 3. Required and optional readings linked to topics; 4.B Br Brief weekly quizzes on lecture topics and content; 5. A group research/grant proposal to address a specific problem studied in class; and 6. An optional final exam.
Examples of EPA grant winning projects can be found at:
Friday, 9/26: Introduction to the class
William C. Clark & Nancy M. Dickson, “Sustainability Science,” PNAS 100, #14 (July 8, 2003):8059-61, at:
John Robinson, “Squaring the Circle? Some Thoughts on the Idea of Sustainable Development,”Ecological Economics 48 (2004):369-84, at:doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2003.10.017
Week 1: Concepts, impacts, assessments
9/29: Concepts of sustainability: technological, individual, social; Introduction to Class Projects(faculty; Dustin Mulvaney)
Julianne Lutz Newton & Eric T. Freyfogle, “Sustainability: a Dissent,” Conservation Biology 19, #1 (2005): 23–32, at:
David Eherenfeld, “Sustainability: Living with the Imperfections,” Conservation Biology 19, #1 (2005):33–35, at:
Christine Padoch & Robin R. Sears,“Conserving Concepts: in Praise of Sustainability,” Conservation Biology 19, #1 (2005): 39–41, at:
Julianne Lutz Newton & Eric T. Freyfogle, “All About Nature,” Conservation Biology 19, #1 (2005):42–44 at:
10/1: The Ecosystem Concept(SG)
Odum, E.P. 1969. The strategy of ecosystem development.Science 164:262-270.
10/3: Production, consumption, impacts(RDL)
Ken Conca, “Consumption and Environment in a Global Economy,” Global Environmental Politics 1, #3 (2001): 53-71, at:
Juliet Schor, “Prices and Quantities” Ecological Economics, doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2005.07.030
Gert Spaargaren, “Sustainable Consumption: A Theoretical and Environmental Policy Perspective,” Society & Natural Resources 16 (2003): 687-701, at:
Discussion section: Course Projects; organization of project groups
Week 2-3: Energy and Sustainability
10/6: How we use, waste & conserve energy (RDL; AS)
Ivan Illich, “Energy and Equity,” Toward a History of Needs (New York: Pantheon, 1978), at:
John Byrne and Noah Toly, "Energy as a Social Project: Recovering a Discourse," pp. 1-32, in: John Byrne, Noah Toly and Leigh Glover (eds.), Transforming Power--Energy, Environment and Society in Conflict (Transaction Pub., 2006), at:
Paul Allen, “How Disney Saves Energy (Hint: It’s Not Magic!),” at:
10/8: The Global Energy Picture (RDL; AS)
Vaclav Smil, “Energy in the 20th Century,”Annual Review of Energy and the Environment 25 (2000): 21-51, at
Nathan S. Lewis, “Powering the Planet,” MRS Bulletin 32 (Oct. 2007): 808-20, at:
Ayhan Demirbas, Ayse Sahin-Demirbas and A. Hilal Demirbas,“Global Energy Sources, Energy Usage, and Future Developments,”Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects 26, #3 (2004): 191 – 204, at:
Nonna Gorilovskaya, “The End of Oil,” Mother Jones, 6/8/2004, at:
10/10:California energy policy (RDL)
Carl Pechman, “California’s Electricity Market,” California Economic Policy 3, #1 (Jan. 2007), at:
Jan Hamrin, et al, “Renewable Energy for California,” REPP, March 2002, at:
California Solar Initiative, at:
California Energy Commission, Executive Summary: 2007 Integrated Energy Policy Report,
Discussion section: Understanding energy concepts & measuring your ecological impact
“Urban and Ecological Footprints, at:
10/13: Renewable Energy (AS)
Richard L. Ottinger and Rebecca Williams, "Renewable Energy Sources for Development," Pace University School of Law (2002), at:
Union of Concerned Scientists, “Renewable Energy Basics,”
10/15: Biomass & Biofuels: Policy & Practice(Sean Gillon, UCSC)
Matti Parikka, “Global Biomass Fuel Resources,”Biomass and Bioenergy 27 (2004) 613–620,doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2003.07.005
Arthur J. Ragauskas, et al.The Path Forward for Biofuels and Biomaterials, Science 311 (2006) 484-89 (2006);
C. Ford Runge & Benjamin Senauer, “How Biofuels Could Starve the Poor,” Foreign Affairs 86, #3 (May/Jun 2007):41-53
10/17: Making renewable biofuels; Photovoltaic system installation (Paul Liebenberg; Joel Kubby)
Bernadette Del Chiaro and Timothy Telleen-Lawton, “Solar Water Heating, Environment California, 2007, at: ; California Energy Commission, “A Guide to Photovoltaic System Design and Installation,” June 2001, at:
Practical Action, “Biomass,” 2006, at: ; Biomass Energy Foundation,
Gerry Barron, “A Small-Scale Biodigester Designed and Built in the Philippines, at:
R.L. Crosby, “Design and Build Your Own Small Scale Digester,” Borealis Systems, at:
Lab: Making biofuels
Week 4-5: Sustainability and the Built Environment
10/20: Cities & planning in/as ecosystems(RDL & SG)
Peter W. G. Newman, “Sustainability and Cities: Extending the Metabolism Model,”Landscape and Urban Planning 44, #4 (September 1999):219-26, at:doi:10.1016/S0169-2046(99)00009-2
Browse the Urban Environmental Management web site at: at:
“Understanding the Scale of Urban Environmental Problems, at:
10/22: Sustainable cities(Corina McKendry, PhD candidate, UCSC Politics Dept.)
Corina McKendry, “Competing for Green: Neoliberalism and the Rise of Sustainable Cities,” at:
Kent Portney,“Civic Engagement and SustainableCities in the United States,”
Public Administration Review 65,#5(2005): 579–591, at:
Eric Andersson, “Urban Landscapes and SustainableCities,”Ecology and Society 11, #1(2006): 34-40, at:
10/24: Transportation: Electric Vehicles and Personal Rapid Transit(Joel Kubby, EE, UCSC)
Todd Litman & David Burwell,“Issues in Sustainable* Transportation,”Int. J. Global Environmental Issues 6. # 4,( 2006): 331-47, at:
David Hess, “What is a Clean Bus? Object Conflict in the Greening of Global Transit,” Sustainability: Science, Practice & Policy 3, #1 (Spring 2007):45-58, at:
Peter Freund and George Martin, “Hyperautomobility: The Social Organization of Space and Health,” Mobilities 2, #1:37-49, at:
Discussion section: Understanding building design & flows
10/27: Green Architecture (Rick Diamond, LawrenceBerkeley Lab, Berkeley, CA)
BEER, “Sustainable Architecture,” Dept. of Architecture, University of Hong Kong, at:
Richard C. Diamond, “An Overview of the U.S. Building Stock,” Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 2001, at:
Richard C. Diamond and Mithra Moezzi, “Revealing Myths about People, Energy and Buildings,” Proceedings of the 2000 ACEEE Summer Study, at:
10/29: How Green is My Building?Understanding Systems in Buildings(RDL)
Read the U.S. Green Building Council’s website on LEED, at ;
Krishnan Gowri, “Green Building Rating systems: An overview,”
Charles Lockwood, “Building the Green Way,” Harvard Business Review 84, #6 (June 2006):129-37, at:
10/31:Landscapes, permaculture and sustainability(Brock Dolman, Occidental Arts and EcologyCenter, Occidental, CA;
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Landscape Management Series Publications, at: (browse the website)
AASHE Digest 2006; StopWaste.org (AlamedaCounty),“Bay-Friendly Landscape Guidelines,” at:
Marc Antrop, “Sustainable Landscapes: Contradiction, Fiction or Utopia?” Landscape and Urban Planning 75 (2006): 187-97, at:
Please browse the OccidentalArts & EcologyCenter’s website, at
Lab: Measuring energy and other flows throughPICA buildings
Week 6-7: Food,Water & Sustainability
11/3: Global water and its uses(RDL)
Taikan Oki1 and Shinjiro Kanae1, “Global Hydrological Cycles and World Water Resources,” Science 313 (Aug. 25, 2006): 1068-72, at: ;
Peter Gleick, "The Changing Water Paradigm: A Look at Twenty-first Century Water Resources Development," Water International 25, #1 (March 2000:127-138, at:
Fiona Allon & Zoë Sofoulis, “Everyday Water: Cultures in Transition,” Australian Geographies 37, #1 (March 2006): 45-55, at:
A.Y. Hoekstra & A.K. Chapagain, “Water Footprints of Nations,” Water Resource Management 21 (2007): 35-48,
11/5: Where your water comes from (Bill Kocher, SC Water Dept.)
“History of the Santa Cruz City Water Department,” at: ;
“2003 City Drinking Water Source Assessments Program (DWSAP)”, at:
David Carle, “The Distribution System,” pp. 85-131, in: David Carle, Introduction to Water in California (UC Press, 2004), at:
11/7: Saving water (BC)
Frank R. Rijsberman, "Water scarcity: Fact or fiction?" Agricultural Water Management 80, #1-3 (24 February 2006): 5-22, at:
Amelia Blanke, et al, “Water Saving Technology and Saving Water in China,” Agricultural Water Management 87 (2007): 139-50, at: doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2006.06.025
Federal Energy Management Program, “Domestic Water Conservation Technologies,” Department of Energy, DOE/EE-0264, Oct. 2002, at:
Discussion section: Understanding life systems: water, soil, energy
11/10: Soil & composting (SG)
State of California Integrated Waste Management Board, Organic Materials Management,” “Composting and Mulch,” “Homeowner Resources,” at: ;
“How to Make Your Own Worm Compost System,” at:
Drake Bennett, “Scientists Focus on Making Better Soil to Help with Food Concerns,” International Herald Tribune, April 29, 2008, at:
William R. Horwarth, “Managing Soil Organic Matter to Enhance Soil Fertility,” Proceedings 2005 Plant and Soil Conference, Feb. 1-2, 2005, pp. 119-23, at:
11/12: Agroecology(SG)
Allen, P. M. FitzSimmons, M. Goodman, and K. Warner., “Alternative Food Initiatives in California: Local Efforts Address Systemic Issues, CASFS Center Research Brief # (2003), at:
David Tilman, et al, “Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices,” Nature 418 (8 August 2002): 671-77, at:
C. Francis, et al, “Agroecology: The Ecology of Food Systems,” Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 22, #3 (2003): 99-118, at:
11/14: Food systems(Patricia Allen, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, UCSC)
Patricia Allen, ch. 1-2, Together at the Table—Sustainability and Sustenance in the American Agrifuood System, Penn State Press, 2004, at:
Deborah Barndt, Tangled Routes: Women, Work and Globalizationon the Tomato Trail, ch. 1 (Rowman & Littlefield, 2002), at:
“A Stylized History of California Agriculture from 1769 to 2000,” Jerry Siebert (ed.),California Agriculture: Dimensions and Issues, at:
Molly D. Anderson, The Future of Food Systems: Global to Local, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Feb. 26, 2007, at:
Lab: Sustainability site assessment of PICA
Week 8: Sustainability and social change
11/17: Social change and sustainability politics(MD)
Ikujiro Nonaka & Vesa Peltokorpi, “Knowledge-Based View of Radical innovation: Toyota Prius Case,” in: Jerald Hage and Marius Meeus (eds), Innovation, Science, and Institutional Change: A Research Handbook (Oxford University Press, 2006), pp. 88-104, at:
R.J. Orsato & P. Wells, U-turn: the rise and demise of the automobile industry,” Journal of Cleaner Production 15 (2007) 994-1006, at:
Please browse “CNW's 'Dust to Dust' Automotive Energy Report,” at:
Peter H. Raven, “Science, Sustainability, and the Human Prospect,” Science 297 (9 Aug. 2002): 954-58, at: ;
William H. Schlesinger, “Global Change Ecology,” Trends in Ecology & Evolution 21, #6
(June 2006): 348-351, at: ;
Michael Redclift, “Sustainable Development (1987–2005): An Oxymoron Comes of Age,” Sust. Dev. 13 (2005): 212–227, at:
Jules Petty and Hugh Ward, “Social Capital and the Environment,” World Development 29, #2 (2001): 209-27, at:
E.F. Schumacher, “Buddhist Economics,” Small is Beautiful (Hartley & Marks, 1999) at:
11/19: Ecological modernization(Corina McKendry)
Dana R. Fisher & William R. Freudenburg, “Ecological Modernization and Its Critics: Assessing the Past and Looking Toward the Future,” Society and Natural Resources 14, #8 (2001): 701–09,
F.H. Buttel, “Ecological Modernization as Social Theory,” Geoforum 31 (2000):57-65, at:
Maurie J. Cohen, “Ecological modernization and its discontents,” Futures 38, #5 (June 2006): 528-547, at:
David Sonnenfeld, “From Brown to Green?” Organization & Environment 11, #1 (1998): 59-87, at:
11/21: Greening Industry (BC; AS)
Daniel Press, “Industry, Environmental Policy, and Environmental Outcomes,” Annual Review of Environment and Resources 32 (2007): 317-44, at:
Michael Redclift, “Sustainable Development (1987–2005): An Oxymoron Comes of Age,” Sust. Dev. 13 (2005): 212–227, at:
Murray Silverman, et al., “The Greening of the California Wine Industry,” Journal of Wine Research 16, #2 (2005): 151-69, at:
Smil, Vaclav (2007). Light Behind the Fall: Japan's Electricity Consumption, the Environment, and Economic Growth. Japan Focus.
Discussion section: Mechanics of social change at UCSC
Week 9-10: Sustainability at UCSC and in Santa Cruz
11/24: Greening the UCSC Physical Plant(Ilse Kolbus, Director, Physical Plant, UCSC)
Christopher Uhl, Process and Practice: Creating the SustainableUniversity,” pp. 29-48, in: Peggy F. Bartlett and Geoffrey W. Chase (eds.), Sustainability on Campus (Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2004), at:
“Campus Sustainability Assessment 2007,” at:
“Archive of UC Sustainability News Articles,”
“College Sustainability Report Card,”
11/26: Transportation in and around UCSC(Larry Pageler, TAPS)
Will Toor, “The Road Less Traveled: Sustainable Transportation for Campuses,” Planning for Higher Education 31, #3 (Mar-May 2003):131-41, at:
Paul Barter and Tamim Raad, TAKING STEPS:A Community Action Guide to People-Centred,Equitable and Sustainable Urban Transport, at:
Lab: Thanksgiving week—no lab meetings
12/1: Food systemsworking group at UCSC(Tim Galarneau)
The Cultivar 24, #1 (2006), at:
Robert Feagan, “the Place of Food: Mapping out the “Local” in Local Food Systems,” Progress in Human Geography 31#1 (2007):23–42, at:
E. Melanie DuPuis and David Goodman,” Should We Go ‘Home’ to Eat? Toward a Reflexive Politics of Localism,” Journal of Rural Studies 21, #3 (July 2005: 359-71, at: doi:10.1016/j.jrurstud.2005.05.011
12/3: Santa Cruz: Green Business & Green Education(Jeremy Neuner, Economic Development Manager, City of Santa Cruz)
Michael Schaper, “Understanding the Green Entrepreneur,” pp. 3-12, in: Michael Schaper (ed.), Making Ecopreneurs (Ashgate, 2005), at:
Ecopreneurist, at
Joel Makower, et al., The State of Green Business 2008, Greener World Media, at:
12/5: Student project presentations
Discussion section: Building movements and projects for change
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