What happens after a nuclear disaster? Can we build something better? Is nature best left to heal on its own? No one medium could contain the enormity of nuclear disaster or whatever post-human experiences would result. That is why we are delving into books, films, graphic novels, articles, and the depths of the internet to ponder: what has happened (Chernobyl); what could happen (Nausicaä’s Valley of the Wind); and what we can do (as will be seen in your projects)? Your projects will be focused on history, alternative energy, or utopian thinking, allowing you expansive territory for thought and research. We will collaborate to reflect upon and present the findings of our reading experience, and so in addition to this being a media studies class, this will be a project-based learning (PBL) class, that incorporates many forms, from books, to manga, to comics, to television, to podcasts, and of course, to the animation of Hayao Miyazaki. Project areas could include: media studies, comparative literature, graphic design, web design, architecture, and environmental design. Outside of class, you will research your project related to nuclear-disaster history, nuclear energy alternatives, or utopian thinking (either through invention or historical inquiry). Inside class, we will focus on one question: what could happen when humans destroy their environment so completely that no one can survive? The Chernobyl disaster will give us a real-life, historical example, and then the 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind will give us a fantastical, yet entirely possible, vision of the future. We will be engaging in deep inquiry about the ways we use energy and the real, imagined, and alternative environmental consequences. We will tie everything together with useful, creative and productive work centered around history, theory, and environmental action. There will be mediatory movie screenings after the lecture on the following dates Jan 22, 29; Feb 5, 12, 19 (1.5 hours each) and March 26th (2 hours). Students must register for both the lecture and discussion section of this course. [This ULEC is in category 1, Tools for Social Change.]

What happens after a nuclear disaster? Can we build something better? Is nature best left to heal on its own? No one medium could contain the enormity of nuclear disaster or whatever post-human experiences would result. That is why we are delving into books, films, graphic novels, articles, and the depths of the internet to ponder: what has happened (Chernobyl); what could happen (Nausicaä’s Valley of the Wind); and what we can do (as will be seen in your projects)? Your projects will be focused on history, alternative energy, or utopian thinking, allowing you expansive territory for thought and research. We will collaborate to reflect upon and present the findings of our reading experience, and so in addition to this being a media studies class, this will be a project-based learning (PBL) class, that incorporates many forms, from books, to manga, to comics, to television, to podcasts, and of course, to the animation of Hayao Miyazaki. Project areas could include: media studies, comparative literature, graphic design, web design, architecture, and environmental design. Outside of class, you will research your project related to nuclear-disaster history, nuclear energy alternatives, or utopian thinking (either through invention or historical inquiry). Inside class, we will focus on one question: what could happen when humans destroy their environment so completely that no one can survive? The Chernobyl disaster will give us a real-life, historical example, and then the 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind will give us a fantastical, yet entirely possible, vision of the future. We will be engaging in deep inquiry about the ways we use energy and the real, imagined, and alternative environmental consequences. We will tie everything together with useful, creative and productive work centered around history, theory, and environmental action. Students must register for both the lecture and discussion section of this course. [This ULEC is in category 1, Tools for Social Change.]