PP 530 Course Outline

Aug. 23   Introduction to class, Food and people
Case Study: How to write and analyze a case study
Video - World Population Growth

Aug. 30   Ethical Theories
Case Study: Sierra Club population issue

Sept. 6   The Atmosphere - Ozone Depletion and Methyl Bromide
Case Study: Methyl Bromide, Inc.

Sept. 13   The Land - Sustainable Agriculture
Case Study: The mislabel of the label - The National Organic Standards Rule

Sept. 20   Ecologically Based Pest Management-Biocontrol
Case study - The risk of low risk control
Reaction paper due

Sept. 27  Plants - Biodiversity, Intellectual Property Rights
Case Study: Terminator Technology & Biodiversity

Oct. 4   Plants - Biotechnology, Transgene Escape, Regulation -Part I
Case study: Plant Liberation

Oct. 6  Fall Break
Abstract of term paper due. Forum teams reported.
Take-home midterm exam

Oct. 18  Plants - Biotechnology, BT Crop Plants,
Lecture by Dr. Fred Gould, Dept. of Entomology
Case Study: The Prince and the People

Oct. 25  Plants - Crop Biosecurity
Case study - Winning the war on drugs - biocontrol or biowarfare

Nov. 1  Water- Concentrated Animal Feed Operations, Pfiesteria and the Neuse River:
The role of scientists in the debate.
Lecture by Dr. JoAnn Burkholder, Dept. of Botany
Case Study: Pfiesteria piscicida

Nov. 8   Pesticides
Case Study: Resistance to resistance

Nov. 15  Animal Rights versus Animal Welfare at 4pm
Lecture by Dr. Gary Comstock, Research and Professional Ethics Program
Case Study: MacChicken versus MacVegan

Nov. 29  Agriculture Ethics "Agriculture Extension and Ethical Problems in Providing Expert Advice"
Lecture by Brooke Edmunds, Department of Plant Pathology
Case study: Dr. Grandstand's unveiling

Term paper due before Thanksgiving break

Nov. 24  Thanksgiving Holiday

Dec. 1    Forum presentations by teams