Sustainability Freshman Inquiry Oct. 26, 2009 Jeff Fletcher

Lunch

Social Engineering Agriculture

Social Engineering Policy: Legislation, regulation, standards & guidance. Economic or Financial Stimulus: Subsidies, creating markets, pricing, grants and loans, investments. Technology: Encouraging inventions, adoption of new technology, implementation on a wide scale.

Social Engineering in Agriculture A mini - exercise Write down one of each of the following: Examples of Agriculture Policies Examples of Technologies in Agriculture Examples of Financing in Agriculture

Social Engineering in Agriculture Examples of agriculture policies –Industrial agriculture (Butz) –USDA definitions & certifications of organic foods Examples of technologies –King Corn – plant 1 acre in 18 min –GM crops –GPS/Satellite auto-steering (fertilizer, fuel costs) –Soil, nutrient sensors –Feedlots, antibiotics Examples of Financing –Public funds make the difference for corn farmers –Private/public ventures in biotech, –Agribusiness (Cargill, ADM, Unilever) –Micro finance

Discussion Questions Do we have effective social engineering targeted to increase production and consumption of Organic food? Should we? Do we have social engineering targeted to increase production and consumption of Local foods? Should we? If you were in charge, what would social engineering for agriculture look like? Some Considerations : –What about water & energy needs? –What about land use? –Who will do the work of local farming?

Links to Local Food scorecard card.pdfhttp:// card.pdf Locavores Guidelines Dining halls – Whitman, Swarthmore, Stanford, Bates, Vassar, Penn State, Yale, Santa Cruz, PORTLAND STATE? college-spotlight-portland-state-university/ college-spotlight-portland-state-university/ PSU – Community Garden

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Logistics I Assignments –Read for next Monday Omnivore Chapters 13 to 16 –HW4, due now –Midterm, due next Monday (Nov. 2) Note Taking? –Discussions, lectures, and readings –Why? Internships deadline extended until this Wed. (10/28)

Logistics II Film Night (King Corn) Tomorrow Tues. Oct. 27; 7:30 – 9:30. Fieldtrip this Wed., Oct Tryon Farms –will meet at 12:20, parking lot of abandon deli, next to Broadway building –leave at 12:30 sharp!! –What to bring Warm jacket plus rain jacket or umbrella Closed shoes you don’t mind getting muddy (preferably water proof) Field trip fee ($3-$5 sliding scale) Something to take notes on Camera (optional) One on one meetings this week and next –Sign up sheet (if you haven’t already) –Meetings are at my office

Upcoming Public Events These would be good for Homework 0 The City and County will be adopting the updated "Climate Action Plan" next week. –City Council, Wed., October 28, 2:00 PM City Hall, 1221 SW 4th Ave. Council Chambers, 2nd Floor University EcoDistrict Part 1 - THURS. OCT :30 to 10:00 am, SMU 228 Multicultural Center –Join PSU President Wim Wiewel, City of Portland planning and architecture leaders, and PSU faculty, staff, and students to learn about and consider: What are EcoDistricts? What is a University EcoDistrict? How might our university become a better member of a neighborhood district or community? How might we begin to think about the assets and challenges of the university as we look to fully connect with this emerging sustainable development effort? University EcoDistrict Part 2 - THURS. NOV :30 to 10:30 am, SMU 228 Multicultural Center –Join SERA Architects' Tim Smith in a highly interactive, community-wide civic ecology conversation in which all will begin to envision and connect our talents and teaching/research interests to an emerging vision for Portland's University EcoDistrict.