BEING A GEOSCIENTIST AND BEING SUSTAINABLE: THE WATER CYCLE CONNECTION

Being a geoscientist is to study earth materials and processes following the conventions of science. Being sustainable is to value the longevity and resilience of whole (natural + human) systems. It may seem a daunting task to bring these different ways of being into the same focal plane but it is necessary if geoscientists (and the rest of humanity) are to have a long and flourishing future. An introductory interdisciplinary or earth systems course is a great way to engage our minds and our students’ in reconciling “business as usual” geoscience with a more holistic understanding of earth systems. I present activities and teaching strategies that I use in Humans and the Environment, an introductory, interdisciplinary, general education course, taught in sections of 32, at West Chester University, a comprehensive institution of about 14,000 undergraduates. This presentation focuses on a four to five week course segment on the hydrosphere.

The students and I practice observation and “thinking like a watershed” in a nearby campus woodland. As we consider the coevolving relationships among rock, stream, soil, air, trees, deer, and humans we frame our discussion using Gregory Bateson’s idea that the function of all complex systems, including natural systems, is communication. Outside our building, students consider the benefits of transforming the mono-functional, “uncommunicative” watersheds typical of campus into the more naturally connected landscapes of the outdoor classroom and demonstration garden. We read Aldo Leopold’s stories “Odyssey” and “Thinking Like a Mountain” and create concept maps to develop a systems perspective of landscape. Students examine a local organization’s effort to improve water quality and reduce storm water via citizen involvement. They use an online water footprint calculator to find their water reliance (energy, food, domestic use); and they assess their water reach (virtual water trade) and unsustainable use (groundwater abstraction). They consider the ethical implications of their connections to water in a world in which it is a rare resource and valued commodity. The water cycle is interwoven with natural and human energy systems, the climate system, the carbon cycle, nutrient cycles, and the rock cycle, and serves as a starting point to reach many other potential course topics.