Who Bears the Cost? A Module for Researching the Intersection of Technology, the Individual, and Climate Change

Authors

• Jonathan AuyerFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

Who Bears the Cost? A Module for Researching the Intersection of Technology, the Individual, and Climate Change is a multi-day writing and research module designed for first-year composition courses. Using the ongoing controversy surrounding the Science, Technology & Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) in Genesee County, New York as a central case study, students investigate the ethical, environmental, and social dimensions of artificial intelligence and climate change. The module guides students from initial inquiry, exploring the philosophical question of whether technology is value-neutral or value-laden, through source research, collaborative discussion, and persuasive writing. Drawing on the rhetorical framework of They Say / I Say (Graff & Birkenstein), students practice entering contested public conversations, anticipating counterarguments, and writing for real audiences. The module culminates in a collaborative policy proposal in which student groups identify a climate justice issue involving technology, articulate its local and global stakes, and recommend an ethically grounded course of action. Though designed as a cohesive multi-day sequence, individual components, including freewrite activities, a source evaluation exercise, a voice and style workshop, and scaffolded argument-building activities, can be used independently to suit a range of course contexts and instructional needs.

Recommended Citation

Auyer, Jonathan, "Who Bears the Cost? A Module for Researching the Intersection of Technology, the Individual, and Climate Change" (2026). Climate Change and the Individual, 2025-26

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