This quarter we'll explore sustainability challenges in the modern world. We'll focus on four areas: farming, the production of consumer goods, the production of energy, and fresh water management.
To guide our first subject of investigation, we'll watch and discuss Ken Burns' documentary The Dust Bowl, which depicts the agricultural development of the American Great Plains in the early 20th century, the ensuing catastrophic collapse of this ecosystem, and the American government's efforts to restore the land's integrity through innovations in soil conservation and land management.
Optional Reading: Empire of the Summer Moon - Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History, by S. C. Gwynne, Chapter 1
