Description
"Zero Waste: Solutions for a Sustainable Future" is an award-winning, crash-course Everything We Can Do to Save The Planet 101 that aims to equip its students with the tools necessary for changing the fate of humanity. We begin with an in-depth look at consumption, waste streams, and the materials that modern society is made of. Following that, we delve into the circular economy, cradle-to-cradle design, the industrialization of modern food, sustainable cities & architecture, climate change & politics, decarbonization, and more. This course is solutions-based, with scalable actions that you can implement in your life, community, and career to properly address the ecological crisis.
Learning Objectives
Students are equipped to make informed personal and political decisions regarding the topics discussed in class.
Students have learned to view every resource as valuable and limited.
Students leave the class feeling inspired and capable of making positive change in the world.
Grading Breakdown
Quarterly Assignments (40%)
This quarter, you will be required to complete four quarterly assignments (each worth 10% of your final grade) that explore and implement sustainable living practices and community engagement. The goal is to not only learn about sustainable solutions in class but also to actively demonstrate their feasibility in our daily lives and communities. Students are encouraged to reflect on their experiences, challenges, and insights gained throughout these assignments.
Students can choose from a list of activities – or petition their own – to complete throughout the assignment period (typically between 3 weeks and a month). Students will then submit either a 400-word written reflection or a 3-minute video submission reflecting on their experience(s) and takeaways, alongside any logs or proof of completion kept throughout the period. These assignments are not meant to be stressful or intensive, but are a great way for you to engage with course concepts in real life and communicate to the teaching team that what we teach in class is resonating! Additional assignment information can be found on the "Assignments" postings on bCourses.
Attendance & Participation (40%)
Attendance for this DeCal is mandatory. You are allowed 2 absences, no questions asked. All other absences will result in a reduction for your attendance grade. If you believe you have a valid reason for an excused absence (sustained illness, DSP, religious accommodations, etc.) please email our TA's and we will discuss further. Please do not email otherwise.
This attendance policy is in place because we want to incentivize students to be actively engaged in the material. We believe having you in-person will make for the best course experience.
However, there are many life circumstances that can make that difficult; you might find yourself missing more than 2 classes. Please do not attend lecture if you are sick in any way. Our mandatory attendance is not meant to penalize you or stress you out -- all we ask is for open communication.
Final Exam (20%)
The final exam will be an at-home open-response set of questions. It will be twenty percent of the final grade, but it is not meant to be strenuous, merely an incentive to learn the material and for the teaching staff to gauge what the students have understood.
Accommodations
In accordance with the University and the Disabled Students Program, the Sustainable Future DeCal adheres to the principles of equity and inclusion. If you require special accommodations, please contact us via email.
This course adheres strongly to the UC Berkeley Principles of Community:
We place honesty and integrity in our teaching, learning, research and administration at the highest level.
We recognize the intrinsic relationship between diversity and excellence in all our endeavors.
We affirm the dignity of all individuals and strive to uphold a just community in which discrimination and hate are not tolerated.
We are committed to ensuring freedom of expression and dialogue that elicits the full spectrum of views held by our varied communities.
We respect the differences as well as the commonalities that bring us together and call for civility and respect in our personal interactions.
We believe that active participation and leadership in addressing the most pressing issues facing our local and global communities are central to our educational mission.
We embrace open and equitable access to opportunities for learning and development as our obligation and goal.