This is NOT a complete or coherent project list.  Rather, it is a set of ideas, loosely organized, to provoke deeper inquiry and action.  As you browse and read this list, perhaps other ideas will occur to you, such as to re-combine ideas, think of analogies, or create your own.  In general, you are expected to do significant research, idea generation, synthesis, and actions beyond what is presented here.

The list is primarily topical, but not specific in the action or research to take.  As you read the list, remember that your project should be aimed toward inspiring or effecting a proposed change and may take one or more forms, such as (i) a meaningful change in personal or group behavior, (ii) direct communication with a relevant power broker (either as a protest or alliance), (iii) a visible public action, (iv) a community engagement project, (v) a technical design or scientific experiement, (vi) a work of investigative journalism, or (vi) another proposed action approved by the instructors.  Some particular examples might be:

  • organize a counter event during the job fair week to critique or challenge the messages that are given by the visiting companies
  • propose a piece of journalism for Vivir y Compartir
  • visit a local company and interview them to get their opinions on certain issues, and critique their comments
  • deeply study the feasibility and/or consequences of various proposed technologies
  • inquire on a specific issue of technology relevant to Puerto Rico
  • create a video to send your message or raise your questions
  • are you happy with the food in the cafeteria or other services on campus?
  • how do we behave on our campus with respect to energy efficiency - perhaps interview the campus administrators and architect

Despite the intense effort that we ask you to take, remember ultimately to choose something that inspires you and allows you to have fun!

***********************************************************************************************************

Create a debate based on the two views of Dan Allen and Peter Diamandis (see Lecture 1)

 

Journalism in the Silicon Valley

 

Military technology

 

La Plata Bridge (el puente atirantado cerca Naranjito)

  • Why was the design chosen?
  • What is the ‘back story’ of the bridge?  Why did it suffer from structural problems since it opened?

 

Glass Bottle Reuse/Refillable Glass bottles

  • Canada, US, Europe, Haiti
  • Puerto Rico – contact distributors and vendors
  • Technical standards and methods to sterilize bottles, design of a refillable vs. single-use bottle, etc.

 

Plastic Recycling

  • Clarify why plastics need to be separated
  • Laws and lobbying in US, Puerto Rico
  • Do you know about the ocean "Garbage Patches"?

 

Let's rethink packaging in general

  • is there a better way to distribute food and other goods that does not require disposable packaging?
  • Many ideas: use less; use natural materials; have a system in which packaging can be reused systematically.
  • What types of packaging could be recycled but are not yet recycled (e.g. think about TetraBrik and other beverage cartons).

General point about recycling in Puerto Rico: it is probably true that more goods enter Puerto Rico than leave.  This means that there should be excess outgoing capacity (in ships and planes).  Can this excess capacity be exploited to work on recycling?

 

Coca-cola

  • Coke changed its carcinogenic carmel color in California after a lawsuit, but not in other states.  Which caramel colorant is used in Puerto Rico – can you identify how to get a chemical analysis done?  Can you get any comment from the bottling facility in Aguadilla?
  • History of Coca-cola lobbying

 

Big Pharma

 

Exxon and Climate Change

 

History of industries and their influence on technology

  • How do they design?  Transfer?  Market?
  • How do corporations lobby (exert political influence)?
  • critique advertisements of one of the "big" industries, like oil/energy, food/ag, electronics - what are their messages, and what are the underlying truths?

 

Electronics Recycling and Design for Recycling

 

Urban Redevelopment of Mayaguez

 

What is the history of dismantling the train in Puerto Rico?

  • Do an investigative project to inquire who built, managed, and eventually dismantled the train system in Puerto Rico.  Were these the same actors?  For example, which industries were involved?  Are there any similarities with what happened in the US with the auto and rubber manufacturers undermining the train network so that roads and cars could dominate ...

 

Take a serious fast - say for 4 weeks minimum - from one or more of the following … and discuss why the fast targets an important issue and how it will change your habits.

  • Recreational internet use
  • Meat
  • Garbage
  • Driving a personal vehicle

 

Be a Green Restaurant Critic

  • Evaluate your experience based on … vegetarian options, use of plastic and styrofoam, over-airconditioning, etc.
  • Discuss your results with the manager, employees, customers, etc.

 

Is Organic Farming Feasible?

Life Cycle Analysis of solar panels - is solar energy sustainable?

 

Growth vs. Steady State

  • Is it possible to grow the economy in the presence of limited resources?
  • Is the limited resource model credible?
  • What are the inherent problems and limits to assuming that outer space will solve our sustainability problems?

Automakers: Safety and Ethics

Miscellaneous

Last modified: Sunday, 21 August 2016, 11:01 AM