Week 6: coffee cup memo
READ THIS LONG ENTRY FIRST
THEN, head on over to Monday's OHitS/AMA document to ask questions about this much harder memo.
This NEW memo content is more complex and wide-ranging than our definition memo concerning rain gardens. One of our lessons here is to use transitions a a way to thread the cognition for our busy readers. Your first memo focused on the definition stasis, with a evaluation move at the end. If you recommended an action lightly, you touched on that option. Recall that that the fifth stasis is policy: what ought we DO with this information.
Our entire recommendation memo is concerned with policy. We will, however, use stasis theory -- definition of concepts chiefly -- in this memo. Back to Jane. In many visits with the Governor, this question (stasis 1, the contecture) came up: what is the most environmentallyifriendly disposable cup, according to science. Note the emphasis on DISPOSABLE. We are being forced to answer that question.
COMFORT TO YOU: you can make the case for either cup choice, depending on your environmental frame. I am not trying to trick you into guessing what I think. I want to help you learn about argumentation and frames, when the science is unclear. Most of professional judgement in life concerns unclear information. You may have seen this Google doc file that contains two images:
- Students in a previsous year working together to map out a structure for this memo on a white board
- PNG flow chart of how this memo will be arranged. Paragraphs 4 and 6 show you the choices you make, depending on your recommendation.
- TEAM STYROFOAM -- uses the frame that climate change (problem) and general solution (improving energy efficiency) is the way to decide -> Styrofoam cup.
- TEAM PAPER -- uses the frame that ocean plastic (problem) and general solution (limit all plastic, including styrofoam) is the way to decide -> Paper cup.
Now, our boss wants a problem-solution memo about the type of coffee cup we use in our firm. Therefore, we need to frame this work with the stasis of policy (what ought we do).
Jane wants a coffee cup policy for the office that is "green." OK, that is the content for your invention. Here is rough working arrangement (paragraphs):
POLITE OPENING, with your recommendation that previews your final policy paragraph
CONJECTURE PARAGRAPH Problem description (our office situation, with quantifiers), with reference to national. international size of the problem
CONTEXT PARA(s) Environmental problems (energy efficiency ->climate change AND persistence of plastic in ocean -> food chain disruption)
YOUR WEIGHTED PROBLEM SOLVING METHOD (revealing your pre-analytical frame or bias)
DEFINITION-->CAUSE/EFFECT information
Coffee cup types (how many? Can we do this in one paragraph or do we need one per coffee cup type? Use counting technique of two or three)
PIVOT PARA from backgrount to ANALYSIS PARAS
Decision criteria (HINT: Life cycle analysis, and define this; use an EPA source) HERE, this definition helps us move to the VALUE paragraphs
CAUSE/EFFECT continued (system) -->VALUE (Harm or benefit)
Martin Hocking's work on life cycle analysis of paper v. Styrofoam
Charles Moore's work on size of ocean garbage patches
POLICY/ RECOMMENDATION (restate your recommendation, with qualifiers, as one does in science land)
Science/Research support (remind about evidence discussed above in VALUING PARAGRAPHS)
Qualification (concede reasonableness of the other position)
Concrete examples (2)
Sentences that can help you as topic sentences or transitions sentences between paragraphs
Any analysis of coffee cup choice requires use of life cycle analysis.
Life cycle analysis -- also known as cradle-to-grave -- helps capture the entire environmental effect from origin and inputs through use and, importantly, to disposal.
In my analysis, I weight [name environmental problem] more heavily than [the other problem].
Life cycle analysis can help us understand this difficult question about coffee cup sustainability
We have two choices in coffee cups: paper or plastic (Styrofoam).
Martin Hocking conducted the first -- and to date only -- peer-reviewed analysis of the energy embodied in coffee cup choices.
Charles Moore is among the first to alert us to the huge problem of persistent ocean plastic.
Marybeth Shea
Friday's pre-writing Eli Review task is up here. Here is Wednesday's OHitS/AMA where I will present a bit about paragraphs and the two NODE spots on the flow chart. I have posted the flow chart* for this memo before but here is a stand-alone version for you to look at. Are you getting this many hints? This flow chart arrangement will help you write well about this complex topic. Get out of your research head NOW; use the sources I give you. What we are learning now is how to argue well, with science is unclear, while at the end of the document acknowledging the reasonable counter argument.
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Here is a paragraph exhibit. You can use a version of the final one here IN YOUR MEMO. Model paragraphs. Model sentences. In this way, we use the mentor text approach to learn writing skills.
Coherence in a paragraph (sample content but the paragraphs might not be complete for the purposes of your coffee cup paper):
"Meh" paragraph (but a good start at a classifying the cup problem)
Plastic and paper cups pose problems for recycling. Ceramic cups are very energy intensive to produce. Recycling seems environmentally-sound. Paper does not degrade deep within most landfills and the plastic coating is also difficult. Not all plastic can be recycled. You need to check the bottom of the container. Landfills are increasingly full. There is a huge "patch of garbage" in the Pacific Ocean.
Better paragraph
Paper and plastic both pose disposal problems. First, not all plastic can be recycled. Check the bottom of the plastic container. "No. 1" and "No. 2" types can be recycled by most facilities. Note that Styrofoam is a kind of plastic and is almost never recycled. Second, paper does not degrade deep within most landfills because of low oxygen conditions. The plastic coating also interferes with decay. Landfills are increasingly full. ]There is a huge "patch of garbage" in the Pacific Ocean. Other watersheds, too.
Even better paragraph (can you see the re-thinking of content as well as sentence-level revision)
Paper and plastic both pose disposal problems. First, not all plastic can be recycled. Check the bottom of the plastic container. "No. 1" and "No. 2" types can be recycled by most facilities. Second, paper does not degrade deep within most landfills because of low oxygen conditions. Methane release from landfills is part of paper degradation ( Do I need a SOURCE?) The plastic coating also interferes with decay. Landfills are increasingly full, with paper and plastic part of the waste stream. Not all plastic is recycled or landfilled. (I need to say something about Styrofoam -- MISSING SOMETHING? According to Algalita Foundation huge "patches of garbage" in the Pacific Ocean are further evidence of the environmental harm posed by plastic that "leaks" out of disposal/recycling systems (Can I use a referral link here? Do I need a formal cite)
Come on over to the OHitS/AMA document to discuss this paragraph that you can use in your draft.
Read more about the cookie cup here. EXTRA CREDIT: are these still available? Let me know.
*Spot the typo!
Marybeth Shea
Friday's OHitS/AMA document here. Do not forget your Eli Review (pre) Writing Task tonight. Please do this NOW. You do not have to be completely clear. This is a really hard cognitive task. You can ask questions about the feedback you need. Recall that you will also see what others write. We learn from each other a pathway through complexity.
I have given you enough sources to use in this assignment. Do not try to research your way out of this work. We are using a pattern of:
- Pick and reveal a cognitive frame for this memo (climate change frame or ocean plastic).
- Define and describe the problem.
- Offer a key method definition of life cycle assessment (analysis) as a cradle-to-grave approach
- Use authoritative research and emphasize the research of Hocking or Moore to support your claim and strengthen the frame.
- Acknowledge the reasonableness of the other side (courteous address of the counter argument).
- THEN, you can suggest some other things you are interested in.
Common knowledge? Lots of this is common knowledge, which is why referral links are a way to help people and feel as if you are noting the intellectual contributions of others. More on citation next week.
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