Socio-Ecological Systems

Purpose

From the reading and lecture, you have a set of concepts to describe and understand socio-ecological systems. We are now beginning to explore the ways people value and make decisions about these systems. In other words, we are moving from studying empirical concepts and claims to normative concepts and claims. To practice identifying and reflecting on ethics and values, you will complete a short analysis of an article on geoengineering. Note that this piece was published in Forbes, a business magazine. Your response to the prompt should represent your own ideas and application of course concepts.

Task

1. This assignment will take about 4 hours.
2. Write a ~750 word response to the prompt below.
3. Audience and tone: Please imagine that your essay will be published in a (non-existent) Huxley College journal of student writing and research. The journal is aimed to share the good work that Huxley students are doing in their classes with Huxley alumni.
4. Use APA style for in-text and bibliographic citations. Use the Bibliography to cut and paste the citations for your bibliography at the end of the essay.
5. Upload your completed essay and review the SimCheck report. If the report indicates any parts of your essay are too close to the original, rewrite in your own words and include an in-text citation for the paraphrase or a quote. You can resubmit, I’ll only grade the last submission.  Tip:SimCheck reports can take some time to generate, so submit early.

Prompt

1. Read this short piece: Conca, James. “Why Solar Geoengineering May Be Our Only Hope To Reverse Global Warming.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 10 Sept. 2019, forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2019/09/10/solar-geoengineering-we-better-do-it-or-(Links to an external site.)well-burn/#6725d65f18ad (Links to an external site.). (You can copy and paste this citation for your essay)
2. Do you think solar geoengineering should be used as a strategy to reverse climate change? Why or why not? In your response, explore these questions using the concepts from the texts and from class. Make sure that you articulate the role(s) of empirical (scientific) claims andyour personal values and ethics (normative claims) in formulating your opinion. Make sure your response:

• • Clearly articulates your stance on the proposed project (for or against and why)
  • Demonstrates an understanding of empirical vs. normative claims. Please demonstrate to the reader that you understand the difference between these by indicating in the text when and how you are using empirical vs. normative claims.
  • Demonstrates an understanding of at least fourof the ethics concepts from the text/lecture (e.g. animal liberation, anthropocentrism, deep ecology, ecocentrism, intrinsic value, conservation, preservation, social ecology, stewardship, right action, utilitarianism, ethics of care, environmental justice). Concepts should be defined and cited.  Effectively showing an understanding of these concepts may require you to not only state your personal ethical perspective(s), but also to contrast those with other perspectives.

Writing Tip: If you’re not sure how to structure your essay, you’re welcome to use the following as an outline.

• Paragraph 1: Intro and thesis statement. Tell me if you think solar geoengineering should be used as a strategy to reverse climate change and that the following paragraphs will describe the reasons why or why not you think this. This should be your original thinking.
• Paragraph 2-5: Describe why or why not the strategy should be used. Demonstrating an understanding of empirical vs. normative claims and at least fourof the ethics concepts from the text/lecture in the process. This is where you will have in-text citations because these paragraphs are drawing on reading/lecture.
• Paragraph 6: Conclusion. Reiterating your thesis statement and wrap up your essay. This should be your original thinking, rather than drawing on evidence.

Criteria for Success

• Review the rubric, which is shown below the assignment instructions, to know how you’ll be assessed.
• Included all of the required information.
• Using your own phrases and your own voice. Do not copy and paste sentences from the readings. Tip: Take good notes and then close the readings. That way, you will not be tempted to copy sentences.
• Cited each sourceyou use with in-text and bibliographic citations.
• Reviewed the Guidelines for Writingand checked your work before submitting it.
• If you get stuck along the way, ask me for help!