BIOL 510 The Biology of Sustainability Fall 2024

 

Humanity's problems depicted as a tree

Welcome to the BIOL 510 webpage for the Fall 2024 iteration of the course! 

This ecology course is aimed at identifying and critiquing potential mechanisms by which our civilization could most effectively move toward more sustainable living.  Biology can explain current environmental sustainability issues, but is also at the fundamental root of their underlying causes – human behaviour.  Therefore, the biology of sustainability incorporates biogeochemical, ecological, economic, social, genetic, and philosophical features and constraints.   Each iteration of the course will focus on a unique specific thematic question related to at least some of those components.     

The principal question that the 2024 course will address is:  Our civilisation's demise is certain; its timing uncertain.  How should we be living?

This course is for final year undergraduates and is specifically aimed at enhancing their capacities for critical thinking, intelligent open discussion, group work, and independent learning.  Emphasis will be on interactive discussions and student-led seminars in which participants will have ample opportunities to explore, analyze and synthesize scientific information, to learn how the scientific process works, to speak and write effectively, and to develop their understanding of the philosophies underlying human behaviour and how they relate to global change issues, and the sustainability of our current civilisation. Students will lead informal seminar discussions on some component of this theme that is of particular interest to them.

The 2024 iteration of this course will be largely focussed on reading and discussion of biology professor David Barash's 2014 book Buddhist Biology. Ancient Eastern Wisdom meets Modern Western Science, but will also include a North American Indigenous component including associated readings and possibly an activity exercise/workshop.

 

Learning outcomes:
By the end of this course, the student should be able to:

  1. Critically assess the constraints (ecological, economic, social, behavioural and political) that underlie society’s current responses to global change issues
     
  2. Discuss, explain, and critique the similarities and differences between contemporary Buddhism and Indigenous cultures in fundamental philosophical concepts that relate to Biology and Sustainability such as interconnectedness and impermanence
     
  3. Formulate clear, original, challenging, and concise thematic questions from study reading material that are likely to lead to focussed and intellectually probing seminar group discussions, student-led seminar topics, or short synthesis essay/media project
     
  4. Lead a stimulating, informative, and creative seminar interpreting selected material from Barash’s book Buddhist Biology in the context of this course’s focal question (see above)
     
  5. Develop and present a cohesive, original, synthesis final essay/media project on the potential value of incorporating contemporary Buddhist and Indigenous philosophical perspectives on interconnectedness and impermanence to promote more sustainable living across our society
     
  6. Use the learning achieved in this course to develop lasting personal solutions for coping with, and constructively responding to, the major environmental and social sustainability issues of the 21st century

 

Professor: Paul Grogan

Seminar times: Wednesdays 13.00; Fridays 11.30
Location: Room 3112 Biosciences building

Calendar: Sessions are 1.5 hours

Assessment:
15% Active participation in discussions (questions, comments, suggestions)
20% Seminar written questions
30% Seminar
35% Final synthesis exercise (10% outline; 25% final submission)

 

Schedule:

Date

Topic

Convenor

Reading

September 4th
(Wednesday 13.00)

Course introduction, and Personal Land Acknowledgement

Paul

September 6th
(Friday 11.30)

Sustainability: What can Biology tell us about our future, and how ought we to live? (I)

Paul

Grogan, P. 2013. Our Anthropocene Future - What can Biology tell us? Free Inquiry. February/March issue. Vol. 32(2):16-19.

September 11th
(Wednesday 13.00)

Sustainability: What can Biology tell us about our future, and how ought we to live? (II)

Paul

September 13th
(Friday 11.30)

Surviving Progress (Documentary film); What can Biology tell us about our future, and how ought we to live? (III)

Paul

Discussion of Surviving Progress (Documentary film)

September 18th
(Wednesday 13.00)

Introduction to Indigenous Ways of Knowing

Webinar recordings:

What does the Earth ask of Us? Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer (Nov. 12th, 2020)

September 20th
(Friday 11.30)

Introduction to Seminar Guidelines

Rethinking our Science: Blackfoot Metaphysics Waiting in the Wings. Reflections by a Blackfoot.

Dr. Leroy Little Bear (April 20, 2021)

Mazzocchi, F. 2020. A deeper meaning of sustainability: Insights from Indigenous Knowledge. Anthropocene Review 7(1): 77-93

Seminar planning discussion

September 25th
(Wednesday 13.00)

No class (Paul away). Reading and Seminar preparation time

September 27th
(Friday 11.30)

Help or Hinder? Is there a useful role for aspects of religion in coping with our civilization's demise?

Emma Mitchell

Barash Chapter 1

September 30th
(Monday)

Optional field trip – Nature Walk in recognition of National Day for Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation. QUBS Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre

Paul

This will be a morning trip so that we can all be back at Queen’s in time for the Sacred Fire ceremony beginning at 1.15 pm to join together to reflect on the harm brought to Indigenous Peoples by the residential school system. This is also a time to understand our collective role in advancing Truth and Reconciliation, not just at Queen’s, but across Canada.

October 2nd
(Wednesday 13.00)

Given that impermanence drives our desires, how is choosing to pass on our genes an act of selfishness?

Chloe Lightfoot

Chapter 2a (-midway p44).

October 4th
(Friday 11.30)

Hannah Pentz

Chapter 2b.

October 9th
(Wednesday 13.00)

Chris Ponikvar

Chapter 3a (- last para p70).

October 11th
(Friday 11.30)

Anna Pasila

Chapter 3b.

October 16th
(Wednesday 13.00)

Reading week break

October 18th
(Friday 11.30)

Reading week break

October 23rd
(Wednesday 13.00)

Erika Gagnon

Chapter 4a (-midway p. 96).

October 25th
(Friday 11.30)

Hannah Moy

Chapter 4b.

October 30th
(Wednesday 13.00)

Kaiya Mongrain

Seminar 1 on Indigenous perspectives that are relevant to the overall course question

(Reading to be selected)

November 1st
(Friday 11.30)

Rachael Brown

Chapter 5a (-midway p123).

November 6th
(Wednesday 13.00)

Harnaaz Sandhu

Chapter 5b.

November 8th
(Friday 11.30)

Danielle De Souza

Chapter 6a (-top of p145).

November 13th
(Wednesday 13.00)

Claire Matthews

Chapter 6b.

November 15th
(Friday 11.30)

Jasmine Coady

Chapter 7a (-top of p171).

November 20th
(Wednesday 13.00)

Sarah Oziel

Chapter 7b.

November 22nd
(Friday 11.30)

Amanda Leonardis

Seminar 2 on Indigenous perspectives that are relevant to the overall course question

(Reading to be selected)

November 27th
(Wednesday 13.00)

Synthesis I

Paul

November 29th
(Friday 11.30)

Synthesis I

Paul

 


Last Updated: 30 September, 2024

To see materials from previous iterations of this course, use the drop-down menu under the 'Teaching' tab at the top of this page