We are in the home stretch with course projects. Some are on schedule, some may have to be scaled back a bit, or implementation delayed. Look to the time left and ensure you have a practical timeline so the work does not get out of hand at the really busy end of the semester.

Regarding the end of the semester: See the Evaluation page: Due no later than May 9 at noon in shared folder.

My notes for Ostrom ch. 1-5 are below. For Monday’s discussion I’d like each group to take the design principles Ostrom outlined (see below for several versions) and apply them to your group’s project.

An example of this is in ch. 4 (on water governance) on page 76.

You should think on this a bit before class if you have the time.

The Uncommon Knowledge of Elinor Ostrom

Ch. 1: What’s So Tragic about the “Commons”?

• Tragedy of the Commons: A very effective parable. Garrett Hardin (1968)
  • tragedy in terms of inevitable inabilty to escape (Greek tragedies)
  • population control, nativism, privatization: racism and human rights suppression in the name of environmental sustainability
  • Hardin’s parable was neat, plausible, and wrong
  • Ideology with little empirical, historical, tangible evidence
• Ostrom: People can get together and collectively deal with many issues outside of institutions such as private property/economic market and heavy regulation.
• Common-pool resources: management is tough without cooperation
• Eight design principles as an approach to sustainable stewardship of common-pool resources
  • clearly defined boundaries
  • costs should match benefits
  • rules are made collectively by users
  • monitoring systems are in place
  • sanctions must be in place to punish violators
  • there must be conflict-resolution mechanisms
  • the system must have autonomy

Ch. 2: Los Angeles Ground Water

• “public entrepreneurship” as an alternative
• municipal governance: rather mundane origins of ideas with global impact
• surfer etiquette

Ch. 3. Maine’s Lobster Gangs

• Assumptions of Tragedy of the Commons: no one talks to each other! That just doesn’t happen.
• Lobster governance: mix of state intervention and collective agreements

Ch. 4. Spain’s Ancient Water Court

• how historically rooted cooperative institutions are – thousand year old Water Court
• extensive canals, rules, court: not the work of government nor private sector
• who looks at things like this? problem of silos in academia
• how to study and assess these kinds of institutions – and pull out core values?
• Ostrom’s Design Principles
  • The physical and social boundaries are clearly defined.
  • Locally tailored rules define resource access and consumption.
  • Individuals who are most affected by the rules can participate in rule making.
  • Resource monitors are accountable to resource users.
  • Graduated penalties can be imposed on rule breakers.
  • Conflict management institutions are accessible.
  • Authorities recognize a right to self-organize.
• The principles applied to the Spanish Water System (p. 76)
• some problems
  • commons governance works but
    • is not in the interest of institutions (capitalism) if more profit could be made under privatization
    • is not in the interest of government if controlled by private firms (capitalism) or corrupt

Ch. 5. Institutions for Collaborative Forest Management

• “intentional communities” – utopian
  • communists!
• Creating an agreed to a system of rules to govern a commons
• Book: Governing the Commons (1990)
• On not washing a rental car: you have to have some ownership stake
• Is Ostrom’s approach too quaint, sweet, low on profits and high on ideals to really be more than a minor player in the world?

There is no roadmap for the combined ENVS 399 Sustainability Practicum and the Lifelong Learning Institute course Sustainability in Practice: OWU and Delaware.

For the rest of the semester, these two courses will meet together on Monday of each week from 2:10-4 pm. It’s never been done before!

We’ve outlined an approach that combines conceptual ideas (Theory of Change, Elinor Ostrom’s work on collective action) with the half-dozen practical projects the class is working on this semester (information here).

1. Introduction from Karen Crosman and quick intros from the LLI people.
2. 399ers get in groups and quickly introduce yourselves (name, year, major, etc.). Say which project you are working on, and list the pressing issues you are working on this week.
3. Graham says a bit about the Theory of Change framework we are using, and others can chime in. We have handouts (see below).
4. We will then roughly assign the LLI folks to each of the 399 groups: I know this is complicated as there is some overlap in your groups. We will use these assigned groups for small-group discussions of the projects and readings.
5. The 399+LLI groups will then break up and discuss and plan and get on top of what is vital to accomplish this week.

• read and be ready (in your smaller groups) to discuss Uncommon Knowledge, ch. 1-3.
• group discussions and work on the projects (LLI + 399)
• discuss some field visits, campus walks, and other events to accompany

Handouts for Monday, March 27

Progress Before Spring Break (Late March 2020)

• Contact was made with people at the Marion Goodwill
  • Carlia Meehan cmeehan@mariongoodwill.org (District Manager)
  • Evan Geyer egeyer@mariongoodwill.org (Operations Director)

Dates for Mini May Move out as well as the larger end of the year May Move out  were decided on with the two of them in mid March.

Mini May Move Out– March 26 and 28,

• March 26 – truck outside Chappelear Drama center from 8am-2pm
• March 28 – student vollunteers help sort  donations at Marion Goodwill 10am-2pm

May Move Out-April 15/16-May 13/14

• April 16 – Pods dropped off
• Saturday April 18 – Friday April 24, 7am -7pm, collected by Goodwill on Friday April 24
• Saturday April 25 – Friday May 1, 7am – 7pm, collected by Goodwill Monday, Wednesday and Friday
• Saturday May 2 – Sunday May 10, 7am – 8pm, with students helping at each pod.  Goodwill will check and clear out each pod daily during that week, especially Sunday around 4
• Monday May 11 – Wednesday May 13,  building and grounds employees will be emptying the hallways and corridors of any final items for the pods.  Goodwill will need to be available for multiple pick-ups each day, especially Monday at 9am.
• May 15th pods are picked up

Locations for the pods has not been modified but with construction on campus the Smith Location will need to be at least for this year. Historically they have been…

• Smith – North side of building by Service and Delivery Parking
• Welch & Thomson – Loading dock area of parking lot
• Stuy – West side of building near Student Observatory
• Chappelear – Front of building
• Hayes – North side of building in the parking lot

Since COVID-19

With most students rushed off campus  after an extended Spring Break, Meg Edwards spear-headed Manic Moveout in place of Mini May Moveout since Goodwill was still willing to bring a truck to campus. Unfortunately the turn out was a little less than we were hoping but I think that had more to do with the Pandemic than planning or advertising.

It seems that May Moveout might be paused for now but I am working on compiling the information of the google drive onto the May Moveout website https://maymoveout.owu.edu/

Looking ahead to the 12 week:

A few new projects & progress:

1. Recycling & Aramark: There has been a major misunderstanding among Aramark employees about recycling on campus. The belief was that any recycling bin or bag with non-recyclable material in it had to be thrown in the trash. However, our recycling company, Waste Management, operates with a single stream process, where they expect a certain amount of non-recyclables to be present. Thus bags and bins of recyclables with non-recyclables should still be recycled.
   1. educational material for Aramark staff, and gift?
   2. educational material for staff and students
   3. promotion during Green Week; video?
   4. trip to Waste Management to see single stream process
   5. potential for news release to counter “OWU does not recycle” rumors.
   6. academic and residential campus: get WCSA to purchase additional recycling bins (Emily survey)
   7. Expand to frats: pledges and newer members responsible for white bagging recycles and placing them by garbage bags on appropriate days. Contact Aramark for white bags.
2. May Move Out
   1. pods delivered April 16-17
   2. additional banners being made
   3. start promotion effort soon
      1. video promo
   4. check posters, large and small, and website
3. Student Research Symposium
   1. Noah: draft of presentation (Google Slides)
   2. share with class when basic presentation is done.
4. Reusable Food Containers
   1. Peyton: promotional video
5. Bucket Mobile Garden
   1. photos for blog
   2. planting photos
6. Promotional Video Shorts: Merrick, Ham Wil, Smith, Library monitors
   1. Green Screen: “talk to Chuck”
   2. Reusable food containers
   3. May Move Out
   4. Composting
   5. Branch Rickey rain gardens (April 23)
7. Composting: Next steps
   1. Have: amounts of food scraps: general plan is to take them to Blue House Worm Farm and Price Farms
   2. Kristina Bogdanov: “my husband, Aleks Ilic with Blue House Worm Farm would be very happy to meet with you and talk about worm composting and worm casting. You can reach him at bluehousewormfarm@gmail.com or you can email me. April 10th, 14th, and 29th are days where he has scheduled events but other days, including weekend, should work very well if you are interested to come by our house and see the farm and process.”
   3. Write a one-page memo with a proposal to collect and transport food scraps.
   4. Green week: schedule Blue House Worm Farm, Price Farms, Allie Niemeyer (auto composter)
8. New: Food Waste Collaboration:
   1. Price Farms, Stratford, MTSO, city of Delaware, OWU
   2. Entrepreneurial Center: develop a viable business plan?
9. New: Summer Environmental Practicum
   1. live at MTSO (or ?) and work at MTSO, Price Farms, Preservation Parks, Stratford, etc.
   2. faculty and professionals from region: engage with students as they complete their work
   3. funds via participating companies, orgs. (who get labor)
   4. attend to OWU and city and regional sustainability projects (rain gardens, etc.)
10. New: Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge: Collaborate with Caroline Cicerchi (Delaware Sustainability Coordinator) and Annie Vitti (E&S) and Tree Håus.
    1. Info: http://www.oncampuschallenge.org
    2. Noah & Juniper: Report on feasibility by next week Thursday
11. Branch Rickey Arena (BRA) Rain Gardens are a go!
    1. April 23: work starts
    2. Promote with signs, press release, info during Green Week
12. New: Solar Stuff
    1. OWU Solar Array Exploratory Trip: Trip to Denison (Friday) to visit their campus solar array for background on a similar array on or near the OWU campus (in collaboration with the city of Delaware): Friday, March 30: 12:30 to 4pm.
    2. Message to STF or ? about the potential for a solar array?
    3. Venture Solar. Jobs? Alumni Alex Giles ’11 of New York City: Alex is the co-founder of Venture Solar, a home energy company based in Brooklyn, NY. Since its founding two and a half years ago, Venture Solar is a $32 million dollar business, with more than 100 employees. Alex would like to hire OWU grads, as early as this summer. He also would like to come back to campus to speak with students about his company and industry. Via Jim Buggy, OWU Development Officer (located in CT).
13. dSpace Open Source Archival software: for our database of OWU and regional sustainability and environmental projects?
    1. Emily
14. Blurry

We are making progress on a series of projects, but I would like to use our last meeting before spring break (Thursday, March 8) for a summary of what everyone has accomplished, where the project stands, and post-spring break plans.

• We need to be thinking ahead to the actual May Move Out (including volunteers, revising promotional materials, and prepping for the meeting with B&G, Goodwill, and Res Life Brian.
• We need to schedule the meeting with Res Life Brian so we know what kind of an outline he would like for the sECOnd Floor proposal.
• We need to make sure that our relationship with Seminary Hill Farm continues, regardless of who our dining provider is. Peyton and I are heading there for a meeting with OWU Money Boss Lauri on Friday at 1 pm.
• We need to revisit recycling efforts. We have not yet received a response from B&G about Aramark’s duties when it comes to getting recycles in the recycle cycle.
• We need to fill a few holes in the recycling bin landscape (Emily’s survey) and look into getting bins for the on-campus frats. This may be something WCSA would fund. If we can get Aramark to pick up the recycles.
• We need to get info on food waste (lbs per week) from Smith so we can get an estimate from Price Farms.
• We need to get signed up as a group, with an abstract, for the 2018 Student Research Symposium. Draft by week after SB.
• We need to make a plan for Green Week involvement, including promoting many of the projects we are working on. Schedule meeting with E&W (during class time, or E&W meeting).
• The bedamned emotionally-infused SLU garden
• Additional projects for the 2nd half of semester.
• What am I missing?

Please also remember:

In order to emerge from the mundane details of your sustainability projects, if only for a moment, please look at and add some comments to Emily Howald’s description of sustainability efforts here at OWU.

Please add your comments by our first meeting after spring break (Tuesday, March 19).

How to Make an Environmental Sustainability Plan for your Institution 

Certainly, note any typos or related issues, but add some more content-oriented comments, to help improve the document. If something does not make sense, note it, or if you feel like Emily has made an amazing point, note that too.

Please jot down thoughts in your journal of ideas you are supposed to be keeping for this course. We ill come back towards the end of the semester to revisit the ideas we read up front and attempt to come up with some additional concepts and ideas about sustainability, based on work this semester.

Please also remember Also:

Starting Point Document & Updates

Remember that you need to continue to add information to your Starting Point Document. This can be related to your specific work on the project, or broader issues in the 10 readings we did to start the semester.

In addition, I asked you to ponder the issues under Pearls of Wisdom on Week 3 Update 1: in particular “Some Solutions”:

• Social: use the power of social networks.
• Supportive: employ frames that support the message in a positive way.
• Simple: environmentally friendly behaviors easy and convenient.
• Story-based: meaning and community created by the power of stories.
• Signals: use indicators for feedback on societal response.

Please also remember Also please remember:

Recall some additional ideas that should be worked into your Starting Point Document and related to the practical work in class.

• We have already discussed “Scrappy Sustainability” but what about:
  • Subliminal Sustainability
  • Subversive Sustainability
• How does Identity play out in issues you are confronting this semester?
  • example: “Is Eco-Friendly Unmanly?”
• Opportunities
  • co-taught interdisciplinary courses: what do students want?
  • Alumni contacts (subversive?)
• Individual Issues of Interest: in my comments on your starting point docs; follow-up on these in particular as the semester progresses. There are a lot of ideas in the first 10 readings; I would like you to address all of them a bit, but you should focus on a few that resonate with you or start to seem more important as the semester progresses.