PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 2 / Sesion Carteles 2: Other / Otro
Wednesday, January 11 / Miercoles, 11 de Enero, 6:00 - 7:30 pm, Salon Yucatan, Lobby Level, Fiesta Americana

Ecological footprint of breakfast: A case study of sustainability at Occidental College.

Braker, Elizabeth^*,1, ¹ Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, USA

ABSTRACT- The impact of coffee production in Costa Rica and elsewhere, as well as the impact of other typical breakfast items traditionally produced by developing countries, was incorporated into the introductory ecology curriculum at Occidental College using the concept of ecological footprint analysis. Students were introduced to the environmental and social costs of coffee production in Costa Rica, and then analyzed the impacts of their own breakfast consumption patterns using ecological foot print analysis. Student knowledge of consumption and sustainability was assessed before and after this thematic module. This process used to develop this case study can be adapted to teach about sustainability in other environmental classes. Indeed, the ecology course module project grew out of a faculty study group at Occidental. Throughout 2004-2005, faculty members from Occidental College met to study coffee production in Costa Rica from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. As part of a 12-day stay in Costa Rica, we learned about various aspects of coffee production and culture. Our experience led the group to think hard about questions of sustainability, not only in terms of coffee production, but of commodities such as bananas and cocoa and the cultural, economic and social significance of cultivating a diverse range of products. We began to think about sustainability in ways that go beyond the economic and biological; for example, to ask how national images and myths are sustained around specific economic activities. Interdisciplinary study groups such as the one at Occidental enhance and sustain collegiality and interdisciplinary ventures, and can infuse an undergraduate curriculum with concepts related to ecological and environmental issues.

SPANISH ABSTRACT- Se presenta una pedagogía sobre el impacto ambiental de la produccíon del café en Costa Rica, tanto como el impacto de producir otros comestibles y bebidas típicos del desayuno. Este curriculum estaba introducido en un curso de ecología general en Occidental College. Se incorporó un analisis de la "huella ambiental" para cuantificar el impacto de la consumición personal. El proceso usado para desarollar este estudio de caso se puede adaptar a cualquier material didactica en otros temas ambientales. El proyecto nació de la experiencia de un grupo multidisciplinario de profesores de Occidental que estudiaba el tema del café y Costa Rica durante un año. El grupo de colegas se comprometió a incorporar temas de sostenibilidad ambiental en sus clases.