The purpose of this essay is to show me you understand class
concepts by making comprehensive use
of lectures and readings in your
answers. Don’t write in vague or general terms. Be specific. Remember to cite
frequently and carefully.
Please apply any applicable
feedback I gave you on essay 1. You’ll need to be clear on the difference
between a critical approach vs. the dominant approach for part III. Ask if you’re still unsure.
***
Please divide your
essay into the following parts (feel free to create your own headings) so I
can see you faithfully covering the following:
Part I: Hydrocarbon
society, economy, geopolitics
A.
Hydrocarbons have had a profound impact on how
we live, how we understand progress and how democracy was both built and then
undermined. Explain how.
B.
The geopolitics of oil begins with imperialism,
but it has also been important to the social and economic development of
nations. What are the dimensions of developing through oil and its role in
world history?
C.
We need to phase out fossils. Who should do it
when according to the IPCC and its critics? What are the geopolitical
considerations and how are different countries responding? Discuss resource
nationalism here, under IB or below under III c.
D.
Profit-taking by oil companies destabilizes
economies – explain how this happens, what’s bad about it, and what could be
done.
Part II: Ending
fossil fuels
A.
Why should we focus on fossil fuel production if
our aim is to address climate change?
B.
We’re deluding ourselves with green tech and
wandering in the thicket of net zero. We’re relying on negative emissions and saying
some stuff is hard to decarbonize. Lay out the situation. What’s going on here?
What do critical scholars suggest we do instead?
C.
We need to phase out fossil production. How
should that happen? What do we need to take into consideration, watch out for,
and address?
D.
Movement activists and NGOs have been making
different demands over time in the rising loop of organizing to confront
climate change. Sum up what you understood. How is both federal level top down
planning important as is bottom up organizing?
Part III. Mining
A.
In weeks 1-3, my lectures + Robbins (political
ecology), Blomley (property) and Emel et
al. (scarcity?) provided you with a critical resource geography approach to
resource management. I reminded you of this framework in week 6. Briefly, what
are the general dimensions of this approach?
B.
What does this approach consider on the general
topic of mineral extraction in contrast to the dominant perspective and
approach to mining?
C.
Drawing on week 6 lecture and readings, apply a
critical resource geography perspective to show how we might think critically
about mining for the transition and about lithium mining and use in particular.
Part IV. Against
despair in the face of climate change: reflections
A.
What arguments can you come up with against
the idea that it’s too late, that the system is too powerful, and that you won’t
see significant change in your lifetime?
B.
What resources could you or do you draw upon to
stay woke against the mind-numbing effects of dread, despair, apathy and
cynicism? This is the place for your reflection (your opinion) on these
materials. You can use material from other classes, from things you know about
from your life etc.
Please Use The sources I attached below. Also cite the class lectures I added below to thanks.
I could not addeed these articles to the upload files so here are the links to the rest of the sources.
- McClure, R. and Schneider, A. 2001. The General Mining Act of 1872 has left a legacy of riches and ruin.Links to an external site. Seattle PI, June 10.
- Roberts, David. 2022. Minerals and the clean energy transition: the basicsLinks to an external site.. Volts podcast. January 21.
- Walker, Alissa. 2022. An EV in every driveway is an environmental disasterLinks to an external site.. Curbed. January 25.
- Pearce, Fred. 2022. Why the rush to mine lithium could dry up the high AndesLinks to an external site.. Yale Environment 360. Sept. 19.