Search the Site

The Wicked Problem of an Equitable​ Zero-Waste Circular Economy​
The U.S. is a consumption-based society whose economic health is dependent on spending and consumption of goods, or products, and services. The impact of our consumption, though, is felt globally. This is most ...

The Wicked Problem of Water Quality in the Mississippi River Watershed
Water connects all elements of Earth's ecosystems, and human activities – biological, economic, and even recreational – change the chemical and biological nature of water. As such, maintaining the quality ...

Using the Mississippi River Watershed Module in Introduction to Environmental Economics
This course offers an overview of economic analyses of environmental issues like pollution and resource management for non-majors. Students will receive an introduction to marginal thinking, market-based solutions, valuation techniques, and government intervention, with a focus on current issues and applying economics in an interdisciplinary manner to other environmental fields.

Part 3: Product Lifecycle Gallery Tour and Analysis
Using posters created in Part 2: Mapping the Lifecycle of a Product, students engage in a gallery tour exercise designed for the collective creation and analysis of the product lifecycle. It allows groups to share ...

Part 2: Mapping the Lifecycle of a Product
As individuals, we may vary in how much waste we produce and how we dispose of it, but it should be apparent that none of us produce zero waste. This activity explores the lifecycle of a specific product through ...

Nutrient Pollution in the Mississippi River
Students are introduced to the fundamentals of nutrient cycling (specifically, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling) along with the wicked problems of eutrophication, oxygen depletion, and the development of dead zones. ...

Student Guides
Jump to: Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Introduction Download the student guide as a PDF: Zero Waste Circular Economy - Student Guide (Acrobat (PDF) 444kB May31 23) The U.S. is a consumption‐based ...

Town Meeting Reflection
Students were asked to reflect on a specific set of questions after the Town Meeting but before completing the final stakeholder map. This is for a communication course, so students were asked to reflect on their ...

Externalities, Public Goods, and Common Resources – Navigating the market equilibrium
Consider our new understanding of what makes water quality a "wicked problem" using the example of the Mississippi River Watershed. In particular, focus on the SDGs related to clean water & sanitation ...

Student Guides
Download the student guide as a PDF: Student Guide - Nitrogen and the Water Cycle (Acrobat (PDF) 1.3MB Jan10 25) Student Guide - Antibiotics and the Water Cycle (Acrobat (PDF) 1.7MB Oct28 21) Student Guide - ...