Welcome to the blog for Michelle Merrill’s Anthropology 19G class, Surviving the Future: The (Re)Emergence of Sustainable Cultures. Please go to WordPress.com and create a login and password for yourself so you can join the discussion (Anthr19G students only, please; no need to set up your own blog). Once you are logged on, please reply with a comment to this post as a way to introduce yourself to the class.
Note: don’t worry if your first post doesn’t appear right away – it is on hold until I get a chance to approve it. If you choose a login/user name that isn’t going to be easy for me to identify from the roll sheet, please add your name to your first post or send me an email so I can approve your comments and give you credit for your work.
This will be a space for you to share relevant news links, ask and answer questions about what you’re learning in the class, or share information that will be of interest to your fellow students. You can start new discussions, or comment on existing posts.
March 15, 2009 at 7:14 pm
hello.
my name is liz and i’m reading cradle to cradle.
March 9, 2009 at 3:01 am
Hi Everyone!
I’m Tara (pronounced tar-ah, not terra- but i don’t get mad if you forget). I’m taking this class because this subject is one of the very few that I’m truly passion about and also to make new friends with like-minded people. Non-eco-conscious people bug me and I know it’s not very zen, but I get frustrated and angry inside whenever I encounter them.
My major is actually Nursing because I enjoy care-taking, want to make enough money to forever live in Santa Cruz consuming organic, humane, fair-trade, post-consumer recycled, local goods and because it’s a flexible, in-demand career.
Feel free to talk to me whenever about anything because after only 2 classes I already like every one of you!
March 7, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Hey everyone,
Finally getting on here to post been busy reading The Green Collar Economy. Enjoying the class so far. See ya’ll on Monday.
~Aaron
March 2, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Hey, I’m Kolin Taylor. I’m reading World Changing. I believe I’m pretty well versed on the mess we’ve created as a species and now I look forward to reading about solutions and even more importantly I look forward to the day that I see these solutions implemented. I’m an avid hiker/backpacker. I look forward to the discussions we will have.
March 2, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Hello all, chose to read the green collar economy and focus on biomimicry. I have a deep affinity to nature and preserving the natural world, and wish to find out more about how to sustain this fragile balance between man and nature. We as a culture are on the cusp of a turning point in our life upon this planet. I hope to ascertain some solid methods to perpetuate humanity in a green-viable manner and expand my perspective with other like minded individuals.
March 1, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Hi Everyone.
I am reading The Real Wealth of Nations, by Riane Eisler. An idea that struck home with me is that child care and care for the elderly and dying are not paid much attention to economically, or even praised and valued. I own and operate a preschool, and the only way I can make even a small living from it is to wear many “hats”, like director/head teacher, and multi-task like crazy. I pay my teachers more than most child care centers, but it is not as much a I’d like to be able to pay them. I have met people who, when they hear that I work with preschoolers, wistfully wish they could do that, or continue to do that themselves, and they always say that they had to stop, or chose a different job, because childcare, the care of children, doesn’t pay enough money. That is really a sad and sorry state of affairs, and it is an accepted state of affairs. So, I agree with Riane Eisler, that much of what is valued is just accepted as a given, in other words, that it is “just the way it is”, rather than trying to change it, we conform, and make decisions within the existing structure. Eisler says that we need to be active in changing things, not just conforming. The other area that is blatantly ignored is the care of the sick and dying in a caring, not a medical way. The care of sick and dying people is left up to the families or hospice. Families don’t necessarily have the time or ability to provide care for sick family members, and hospice is only for those who are terminally ill and sent home to die. Hospitals and nursing homes try to keep people fed, bathroomed, and comfortable, but as for care and nurturing, they don’t ahve the time or training. If family members or friends cannot provide caring for the sick, their medical needs and basic needs are taken care of, but not really care. And Hospice exists on funds from donations. It is not even supported by the society at large. It is comforting to know that hospice is there to help a family when a member is dying, or has died. It is an example of the direction that we, as a society can be going. I agree that the more that people are aware of the changes that can happen, the more progress in that direction we will make. It is great to read that she is saying that we have no time to waste in making these changes, and encourages us to talk and write about making changes, and what the changes can be. My motivation to write a book about my preschool is reignited, and also, follow it with ideas about how to make changes in the public school system.
2). Most important points in the reading: 1. We live in a domination top-down economic world, whether capistalist or communist,which, by its nature, has caused world-wide problems that cannot be solved within its own economic structure. 2. An economics based on caring not only fulfills human needs and takes care of our natural resources, but also is more effective in purely economic terms. 3. Even the thought of using the words caring and economics in the same phrase is new and difficult for most people, especially economists and policy makers, so we have a lot of work to do. 4. Our values and expectations shape policy and economics, so as more and more of us want and work for changes, the more it will happen.
3). Question: Do you think that having a plan of action to help shift our current economics to a caring economic structure would mobilize some people who have been angry and cynical, or apathetic and giving up on it all?
I am enjoying the book, as it is easy to read, and presents thinking that is “out of the box”. Sharon Rose. See you Monday!
March 2, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Sharon- the book comments should be on the page for The Real Wealth of Nations – http://cabrillosustainablecultures.wordpress.com/books/the-real-wealth-of-nations/
You can just copy this and paste it there, so it’s easier for others to find.
March 8, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Okay, I moved it over the the book section, thanks! Sharon
February 28, 2009 at 11:45 am
Hi everyone. My name is Jane Sooby. I am taking this class to learn and exchange ideas about what we can do to turn things around during this period of extreme global peril. My academic background is biology and botany. I work in the field of organic ag research. This past fall I was fortunate enough to hear James Hansen give a talk at the Geological Society of America meeting in Houston. I wanted to hear the latest on global climate change and was unprepared for how devastating his message was. It seriously depressed me yet also motivated me to try and do something. Let’s step onto the stage of history!
February 27, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Hello everyone,
Reading Cradle to Cradle…
See you all Monday!
-Van
February 24, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Hello…Rachel here.
Looking forward to becoming more informed and discussing solutions.
Book Choice: Powerful Times: Rising to the Challenge of Our Uncertain World
October 15, 2008 at 4:08 am
Hi again Dr. Michelle Merrill.
As you know I selected the WorlChanging text.
The reason I chose it over the others is because it offers a dialogue and quick reference to diverse progress reports pertaining to the many issues of obtaining sustainable development.
I took on your class to learn about Green Progress and how to better participate the effort.
I think using illustrated quick reference texts guides with web sites like WorldChanging.com is definitely the way to get people to participate sustainability projects.
Reading the text helped me to learn the need for sustainability and beyond. It also pointed out clearer than any of the other texts choices where we are in “Green” progress and where were headed.
This easy type reading text helps us leave the degenerative stages of achieving sustainability in the least time possible.
Once we achieve the sustainable stage we will use our experience to react better to progress and improvement reports.
This communication system teaches us to work together and learn to respond faster to any problems or alternatives as we move through the two societal crisis stages.
Our first and current stage, as we learned best from the WorldChanging text and web site, is unfortunately degenerative.
The second stage and first goal stage is outlined by our class and text is termed “sustainable.”
The WorldChanging text and web outlines and displays in various pictorials and written descriptive and prescriptive mini-reports, the hoped for “sustainable” stage.
The third stage is after “sustainability” reached with accelerating momentum using our newly learned and ever improving world collaboration skills.
This final and most fun and desired goal and stage in Global “Green” progress is “regenerative.” It equals an ever improving quality of societal and eco systems and includes considerations of rejuvenation and improved capacity.
I’m a continuing Engineering student interested in learning to create and test materials in a lab environment using “Green” techniques to produce better than sustainable Ultra-”Green” products.
I hope to be part of why people can have sustainability and regenerative societal experience in their lifetime.
I hope you enjoyed our group nights and presentations as I had. I liked the other students very much and hope all of them the best of luck in life. Thanks for the chance to learn in a new way and good luck with your future sustainable and other anthropology classes.
You’re a great person and fun instructor.
Good bye for now.
Sincerely,
Mark Allen Lopez