HONR 229L: Climate Change: Science, Economics, and Governance Roadmaps for Success or Failure Your name here 20 September 2018

Consider asking the students to describe the four “road map of factors contributing to failures of group decision making” outlined at the start of Chapter 14 Then, can ask students to provide an example for each of these factors from the book and another example, of their own, for each of these four based on modern society Be sure to ask the class to provide their own examples  Great if you can lead in “discussion” format (like our other students have done) rather than lecture format.

Diamond states “the commonest circumstance under which societies fail to perceive a problem is when it takes the form of a slow trend concealed by wide up-and-down fluctuations” Should also be able to elicit lots of discussion here ! Might want to prepare a few slides on this matter, using global warming (can rely on info in the reading for this *or* can supplement with your own info) as well as any other examples you’d like to use (i.e., can use Rapa Nui and/or Maya, material from other chapters in the book, modern examples … whatever you’d like!)

Diamond uses the terms “tragedy of the commons” and “crowd psychology” Can ask the class to briefly describe these terms and provide a few examples, drawn from the book (or history) as well as from their own experiences Great if you can start by engaging the class, then conclude with a few examples

In the middle of a paragraph on page 437, Diamond writes about the Dusky Seaside Sparrow of Florida You could relate the sad story of the Dusky Seaside Sparrow to what might happen to modern society, if action is not taken soon to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Feel free to work the concept sunk-cost effect, define top of page 432, into your description (i.e., lead a discussion of this AT question)

On the top of page 430, Diamond writes “clashes of interest involving irrational behavior are also prone to arise when the principal consumer has no long-term stake in preserving the resource but society as a whole does” (my emphasis) Prepare a slide that gives this phrase, then list some real world, modern examples of this type of “clash” Try to get the class give their own examples and also to focus on how society can overcome these types of conflicts

Provide two examples of a society's successful solution of a vexing problem: 1) one drawn from this chapter (or prior chapters) 2) another drawn from your own experience (or understanding of history) and state the key decision essential for the society to overcome the problem. Great if for your slides, your examples here are different issues than the examples on the prior slide. In other words, try to broaden rather than narrow the discussion. And ... this is only a suggestion. Again, be sure to ask the class for their own examples

Feel free to alter, ad lib, change in any way you’d like provided the topic is bears some relation to either the reading, societal decisions related to climate change, the environment, or sustainability. You have 45 mins to use as you see fit! And, fine to use whatever illustrations you’d like. I included the single image from the reading (next slide), but no need to use. Good luck!