Industrialized societies face an ecological crisis that challenges the existing model of one-way materials flow.  Spanning topics from "garbage" to "green manufacturing," this course will use an interdisciplinary approach to trace changing perceptions and practices regarding cast-off materials. Starting with theoretical questions regarding the nature of "disposal," we will retrace its history from the Stone Age to the Information Age. Along the way we will pay close attention to the economic, cultural, and environmental impact of waste disposal. Finally, we will use William McDonough and M. Braungart, Cradle to Cradle:  Remaking the Way We Make Things) as a basis from which to discuss possible futures of "waste" in a sustainable economy. Each student will write a 15 page research paper addressing an aspect of the history of waste management, garbage, rubbish,  recycling, or a related topic.

Borough Hall, Brooklyn, 1941, "Metal Drive for War Effort."  Photo by George Malcolm Mowbray. This image © Copyright 2001 Michael Kucher

Course Links (please print or download a copy of each of these for your reference): Syllabus and Schedule of Readings and Classes E-reserves for this course Course Bibliography Garbage Literacy Survey Reading Notes Instructions Citation Sample Project Propoasl Instructions Worksheet for Environmental History Research Projects How to Write a Critical Book Review Research Paper Guidelines Research Paper Checklist Other Links of Note: Research Guide to Environmental Studies Resources Results from 2001 Student Waste Survey  Annotated Student Bibliographies for A Natural History of Garbage, Winter 2001  Recommended Tools and Starting Points for Research at UWT Garbage Reincarnation Home Page  NPR's Science Friday segment on Garbage, 10 June 1999. Rotten Truth (About Garbage)  William Rathje and Cullen Murphy, "Five Major Myths About Garbage" Solid Waste Composition Study at Connecticut College Interface (largest commercial carpet manufacturer in the world) Garbage Studies at The Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology at The University of Arizona Program on the Environment at the University of Washington "Garbage" on Ira Glass's This American Life (aired 10/31/03) OED (Oxford English Dictionary--the official dictionary for this course)