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**************************************** ABSTRACT: Eugene Geis (2008) pointed out a serious deficiency in my previous post "Is the 'Skills Slowdown' the Biggest Issue Facing the Economic Competitiveness and Preservation of Life on Planet Earth," writing: "You could've attempted a paraphrasing of your concept of the 'Threat to Life on Planet Earth'.. ." Rather than attempting to paraphrase the 22 references to "Preservation of Life on Planet Earth" (as a driver of education reform and gender equity) in Part 2 of Hake & Mallow (2008), I list seven of those references that reflect the work of Al Bartlett, James Duderstadt, Arjun Makhijani, Bill McKibben, Craig Nelson, Gus Speth, and Edward Wilson. **************************************** In my post "Is the 'Skills Slowdown' the Biggest Issue Facing the Nation?" [Hake (2008)], I wrote: "But, in my view, a BIGGER ISSUE. . . .[than the 'Skills Slowdown']. . . . and a more menacing tectonic plate is the 'Threat to Life on Planet Earth,' seldom mentioned by educational leaders. . . . . . see e.g., "Drivers Of Education Reform and Gender Equity: Economic Competitiveness and Preservation of Life on Planet Earth" in Part 2 of Hake & Mallow (2008)." In a PHYSOC post, Eugene Geis - aka "Quickness" (2008) responded: "You could've attempted a paraphrasing of your concept of the 'Threat to Life on Planet Earth'. It might motivate me to download your 13 MB's of pdf... Especially since it's the BIGGER ISSUE alluded to in your abstract. . . . . And the litany of subjects in Part 2 do not hint at a synthesis into the apocalyptic phrase "Threat to Life on Planet Earth." Please explain." GOOD POINT! In Section C of "Drivers Of Education Reform and Gender Equity: Economic Competitiveness and Preservation of Life on Planet Earth" in Part 2 of Hake & Mallow (2008), (4.8 MB - not 13 MB), we give 13 references to "Economic Competitiveness" (Section C1, pp. 14-20) and 22 references to "Preservation of Life on Planet Earth" (Section C2, pp. 21-27 ) as drivers of education reform and gender equity. Rather than attempting to paraphrase the 22 references to "Preservation of Life on Planet Earth," here are seven of those references that reflect the work of Al Bartlett, James Duderstadt, Arjun Makhijani, Bill McKibben, Craig Nelson, Gus Speth, and Edward Wilson: 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1a. Bartlett, A.A. , edited by R.G. Fuller, V.P. Clark, & J.A. Rogers. 2004. "The Essential Exponential! For the Future of Our Planet," Center for Science, Mathematics, and Computer Education, Univ. of Nebraska - Lincoln <http://scimath.unl.edu/csmce/exp.php>: "The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." - A.A. Bartlett 1b. Bartlett, A.A. 2004. "Thoughts on Long-Term Energy Supplies: Scientists and the Silent Lie: The world's population continues to grow - shouldn't physicists care?" Physics Today 57(7); 53-55; online at <http://fire.pppl.gov/energy_population_pt_0704.pdf> (336 kB). See also (a) the companion Physics Today article by Paul Weisz (2004); (b) the ensuing criticism of the views of Bartlett and Weiss (and counters by those authors) in the Letters section of Physics Today 57(11): 12-20, online to all at <http://scitation.aip.org/journals/doc/PHTOAD-ft/vol_57/iss_11/12_1.shtml>; Bartlett (2004) wrote: "The most sacred icon in the 'religion' of the US economic scene is steady growth of the gross national product, enterprises, sales, and profits. Many people believe that such economic growth requires steady population growth. Although physicists address the problems that result from a ballooning population-such as energy shortages, congestion, pollution, and dwindling resources- their solutions are starkly deficient. Often, they fail to recognize that the solutions must involve stopping population growth." 2222222222222222222222222222222222222222 2. Duderstadt, J.J. 2000. "A University for the 21st Century." Univ. of Michigan Press; for a description see <http://tinyurl.com/9lhpl >. On pages 20-21 Duderstadt wrote: SPACESHIP EARTH: There is mounting evidence that the growing population and invasive activities of humankind are now altering the fragile balance of our planet. The concerns are both multiplying in number and intensifying in severity: the destruction of forests, wetlands and other natural habitats by human activities leading to extinction of millions of biological species and the loss of biodiversity; the buildup of greenhouse gases such a carbon dioxide and their possible impact on global climates; the pollution of our air, water, and land. With the world population now at 6 billion, we are already consuming 40% of the world's photosynthetic energy production. Current estimates place a stable world population at about 8 to 10 billion by the late twenty-first century, assuming fertility rates continue to drop over the next several decades. Yet even at this reduced rate of population growth, we could eventually consume all of the planet's resources, unless we take action. BECAUSE OF THIS OVERLOAD OF THE WORLD'S RESOURCES, EVEN TODAY, OVER 1.2 BILLION OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION LIVE BELOW THE SUBSISTENCE LEVEL, AND 500 MILLION BELOW THE MINIMUM CALORIC INTAKE LEVEL NECESSARY FOR LIFE. [Our CAPS.] It could well be that coming to grips with the impact of our species on our planet, learning to live in a sustainable fashion on spaceship earth, will become the greatest challenge of our generation. This will be particularly difficult for a society that has difficulty looking more than a generation ahead encumbered by a political process that generally functions on an election-by-election basis, as the current debate over global change makes all too apparent. UNIVERSITIES MUST TAKE THE LEAD IN DEVELOPING KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATING THE WORLD'S CITIZENS TO ALLOW US TO LIVE UPON OUR PLANET WHILE PROTECTING IT. [Our CAPS.] 33333333333333333333333333333333333333333 3. Makhijani, A. 2007. "Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free: A Roadmap for US Energy Policy." IEER Press. Online as a 4.4 MB pdf at <http://www.ieer.org/carbonfree/index.html>. We thank Hugh Haskell for calling our attention to this book. EggheadBooks information at <http://www.eggheadbooks.org/books/carbonfree.htm>: "In a world confronting global climate change, political turmoil among oil exporting nations, nuclear weapons proliferation, nuclear plant safety and waste disposal issues, the United States must assume a leadership role in moving to a zero-CO2-emissions energy economy. At the same time, the U.S. needs to take the lead in reducing the world's reliance on nuclear power. This breakthrough joint study by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research and the Nuclear Policy Research Institute shows how our energy needs can be met by alternative sources. Wind, solar, biomass, microalgae, geothermal and wave power are all part of the solution. "Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free" is must reading for people concerned with energy politics and everyone who wants to take action to protect the planet's future." Amazon.com information at <http://tinyurl.com/3l6jd6>. A good review by John Roeder, soon to be on the "Teachers Clearinghouse for Science and Society Education Newsletter" <http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~lindenf/pse/> can be download at <http://tinyurl.com/4ba8el> - scroll to the bottom and click on <Reviews(W08).doc>. 444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 4. McKibben, B. 2008a. "Civilization's last chance: The planet is at a tipping point on climate change, and it gets much worse, fast," Los Angeles Times, 11 May; online at <http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-mckibben11-2008may11,0,7434369.story>. McKibben wrote: ". . . . .all of a sudden, those grim Club of Rome types who, way back in the 1970s, went on and on about the "limits to growth" suddenly seem ... how best to put it, RIGHT (emphasis in the original). All of a sudden it isn't morning in America, it's dusk on planet Earth. There's a number -- a new number -- that makes point most powerfully. It may now be the most important number on Earth: 350. As in parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. A few weeks ago, NASA's chief climatologist, James Hansen, submitted a paper to Science magazine with several coauthors. The abstract attached to it argued -- and I have never read stronger language in a scientific paper -- that "IF HUMANITY WISHES TO PRESERVE A PLANET SIMILAR TO THAT ON WHICH CIVILIZATION DEVELOPED AND TO WHICH LIFE ON EARTH IS ADAPTED, PALEOCLIMATE EVIDENCE AND ONGOING CLIMATE CHANGE SUGGEST THAT CO2 WILL NEED TO BE REDUCED FROM ITS CURRENT 385 PPM TO AT MOST 350 PPM." [Our CAPS.] See also McKibben's website <http://www.350.org/>. 55555555555555555555555555555555555555555 5. Nelson, C.E. 2006. "Celebration and Reflection," MountainRise 3(1), online at <http://mountainrise.wcu.edu/archive/vol3no1/html/nelson.html>. Nelson concludes: "For a variety of reasons, it is becoming much clearer that major real world problems are collectively worse than most faculty have previously realized. These include global climatic change, social inequity, national and international disease situations and geopolitical problems. Public discourse in a nation's capital on these issues can be seen as a collective final exam for the institutions of higher education in that country. Most of the major players in the national government, at least in the US, have an undergraduate degree and many have a graduate or professional degree. BUT POLICIES AND PUBLIC DISCOURSE RARELY SEEM TO ADEQUATELY GRASP THE COMPLEXITIES AND TRADEOFFS. [Our CAPS.] Perhaps I am being too optimistic in suggesting that more than a few faculty see SOTL . . . .[Scholarship of Teaching and Learning]. . . . as a way of focusing higher education on finding more effective ways to foster fundamental outcomes like critical thinking, engagement with the real world and sophisticated ethical judgment. I, for one, certainly hope that the effects of SOTL will extend this far." 666666666666666666666666666666666666666666 6. Speth, J.G. 2008. "The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability." Yale University Press, publisher's information at <http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300136111>. "How serious are the threats to our environment? Here is one measure of the problem: if we continue to do exactly what we are doing, with NO growth in the human population or the world economy, the world in the latter part of this century will be unfit to live in. Of course human activities are not holding at current levels-they are accelerating, dramatically-and so, too, is the pace of climate disruption, biotic impoverishment, and toxification. In this book Gus Speth, author of "Red Sky at Morning" and a widely respected environmentalist, begins with the observation that the environmental community has grown in strength and sophistication, but the environment has continued to decline, to the point that we are now at the edge of catastrophe. Speth contends that this situation is a severe indictment of the economic and political system we call modern capitalism. Our vital task is now to change the operating instructions for today's destructive world economy before it is too late. The book is about how to do that." See also Speth's website <http://www.thebridgeattheedgeoftheworld.com/>: "My point of departure in this book is the momentous environmental challenge we face. But today's environmental reality is linked powerfully with other realities, including growing social inequality and neglect and the erosion of democratic governance and popular controlĀ As citizens we must now mobilize our spiritual and political resources for transformative change on all three fronts." - Gus Speth "When a figure as eminent and mainstream as Gus Speth issues a warning this strong and profound, the world should take real notice. This is an eloquent, accurate, and no-holds-barred brief for change large enough to matter." - Bill McKibben Amazon.com information at <http://tinyurl.com/5v6m4w> - includes many editorial reviews. 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 7. Wilson. E.O. 1998. "Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge." Knopf. Amazon.com information at <http://www.amazon.com/Consilience-Knowledge-Edward-O-Wilson/dp/067976867X>. Note the "Search Inside" feature. Wilson wrote: "The global population is precariously large, and will become much more so before peaking some time after 2050. Humanity overall is improving per capita production, health, and longevity. But it is doing so by eating up the planet's capital, including natural resources and biological diversity millions of years old. Homo sapiens is approaching the limit of its food and water supply. Unlike any species before, it is also changing the world's atmosphere and climate, lowering and polluting water tables, shrinking forests, and spreading deserts. Most of the stress originates directly or indirectly from a handful of industrialized countries. Their proven formulas for prosperity are being eagerly adopted by the rest of the world. The emulation cannot be sustained, not with the same levels of consumption and waste. Even if the industrialization of the developing countries is only partially successful, the environmental aftershock will dwarf the population explosion that preceded it." Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University 24245 Hatteras Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Honorary Member, Curmudgeon Lodge of Deventer, The Netherlands. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/> <http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~sdi/> REFERENCES Hake, R.R. 2008. "Is the 'Skills Slowdown' the Biggest Issue Facing the Nation?" online at <http://tinyurl.com/5n85uj>. Post of 4 Aug 2008 to AERA-A, AERA-B, AERA-D, AERA-H, AERA-K, ARN-L, ASSESS, Biopi-L, Chemed-L, EdResMeth, EvalTalk, Math-Teach, NetGold, Phys-L, PhysLrnR, PHYSOC, POD, RUME, STLHE-L (abstract only), TeachingEdPsych, & TIPS, & WBTOLL. Hake, R.R. & J.V. Mallow. 2008. Gender Issues in Science/Math Education (GISME): Over 700 Annotated References & 1000 URL's: *Part 1 - All References in Alphabetical Order <http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/GISME-5t-Part1.pdf> (8.5 MB); *Part 2 - Some References in Subject Order <http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/GISME-5t-Part2.pdf> (4.8 MB). Eugene Geis (aka "Quickness). 2008. Re: Is the "Skills Slowdown" the Biggest Issue Facing the Nation? PHYSOC post of 5 Aug 2008 00:33:46-04; online at <http://tinyurl.com/55etkh>. To access the archives of PHYSOC one needs to subscribe, but that takes only a few minutes by clicking on <http://listserv.uark.edu/archives/physoc.html> and then clicking on "Join or leave the list (or change settings)." If you're busy, then subscribe using the "NOMAIL" option under "Miscellaneous." Then, as a subscriber, you may access the archives and/or post messages at any time, while receiving NO MAIL from the list! --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
