Weight: 150 points Length: 7-8 pages (double-spaced, 1" margins, 12 font) Read book: Climate Change by Joseph Romm ORGANIZATION OF ESSAY I. Introduction (1/2 page) Brief description of essay (theme of...

Weight: 150 points

Length: 7-8 pages (double-spaced, 1" margins, 12 font)

Read book: Climate Change by Joseph Romm

ORGANIZATION OF ESSAY

I. Introduction (1/2 page)

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  Brief description of essay (theme of futurology)


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  Outline of remainder of essay

II. Summary of Book (2 pages)

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  Argument put forward by author


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  Evidence in support of argument


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  Book as an exercise in futurist thinking (identifying where we are now and where we should be going)

III. Applying Futurist Frameworks to the Text (3-4)

Two different frameworks

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  Cornish: Establishing trend lines, projection, scenario-building--possible and probable, desirable (best case) and undesirable scenarios (worst case) based on value preferences, backcasting--figuring out what steps we need to take now to bring about the future that we prefer


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  Etzioni: Downward control (collective decisions by elites regarding goals and steps to be taken to narrow the gap between goals and reality, power to enforce and implement those steps) and upward-control (consensus-building regarding the current state, goals to be achieved, and collective steps to be taken)

IV. Conclusion (1-2 pages)

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  In what ways did the book provide a sound futurist logic for the position it put forward? Can the book be read or interpreted in terms of the toolkit offered by Cornish and Etzioni? Be specific.


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  In what ways did the book fall short of providing a sound futurist logic for the position it put forward? Are there elements from the work of Cornish and Etzioni that if drawn upon would have clarified, even strengthened, the argument put forward by the author?

GRADING CRITERIA:

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  Clarity of expression


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  Organization of ideas (cohesiveness rather than a jumble of isolated ideas)


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  Adequate addressing of points laid out in above guidelines


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  Demonstrated mastery of Cornish and Etzioni frameworks and ability to apply them to your chosen text


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  Citation of texts where appropriate


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  Evidence of creative insight (going beyond a regurgitation of the text and the futurist frameworks and drawing your own conclusions)